The 4 C's of Diamond Grading are:
Cut,
Color,
Clarity, and
Carat Weight!These 4 C's are what determine the quality of the diamond and the price.
These 4 C's are what most of America uses to evaluate a diamond. In the Jewelry Industry, the 4 C's can make or break a diamond sale! Quality does speak for itself. But who's doing the speaking and who's getting deceived?
Confusion
The 4 C's can become very confusing. I mean, it's a good thing that we have a grading system, don't get me wrong there, but why is it so confusing and who do you trust? Because this is where the 4C's fall short.
This is the biggest downfall in the whole rating system:
It's Not Consistent!
You can show a diamond to 10 different people and literally get 10 different opinions about the 4C's of that diamond. Why?
Because there is no perfect diamond!
Diamonds are like people. Every single one is different. Just like people have different finger prints, freckles, moles and skin tone. Diamonds vary from Diamond to Diamond. So with every single diamond being different, you can see how every diamond graded is subject to the opinion of the person grading it.
It's just an Opinionated Guess
There are no rules that say SI Diamonds have 6 flaws and they lie around the outside of the table.
It can't be done.
This is why you can view 5 SI Clarity Diamonds and they'll all look different. There is no exact law. There are only guidelines to follow. But who's following them and who's crossing the line, that's where the 4C's fall apart!
A lot of Jewelers Grade their own Diamonds
They will look at a Diamond and make their own decisions as far as the quality goes. Normally jewelers will round up to the next closest clarity and color. I mean, they are guidelines, right? Nothing's written in stone, right?
Can this really happen? And what can you do about it?
Read on...
