Learn About the 4Cs
The 4 C’s of a Diamond
The 4C’s play an integral role in reflecting the characteristics of the diamond. The Gemological Institute of America (known as GIA) is an international diamond grading system that serves as a universal benchmark for evaluating diamonds worldwide, providing buyers with a comprehensive understanding of their diamond’s attributes. This foundation assesses four key characteristics: color,cut, clarity, and carat, all of which are clearly reflected on the GIA diamond grading chart.
Lab-grown diamonds, being genuine diamonds, undergo the same rigorous evaluation process as natural diamonds according to the GIA’s established standards. These parameters remain consistent for both lab-grown and mined diamonds.
It’s imperative to highlight that lab-grown diamonds are indistinguishable from mined diamonds in terms of their optical, physical, and chemical properties. Consequently, reputable independent gemological organizations officially grade the quality of lab-grown diamonds using the same 4Cs framework. Just like their natural counterparts, lab-grown diamonds exhibit variations in their 4C grades, spanning from poor to excellent quality.
Cut
Fair
Good quality cut which reflects some light while maximizing weight. While not as brilliant as a good cut, still a quality diamond.
Good
Premium quality cut to optimize the size without sacrificing quality or beauty. Reflects most light that enters.
Very Good
Superior quality cut that reflects nearly as much light as the ideal cut while at a substantially lower cost.
Ideal
Exquisite quality cut to create the optimal combination of brilliance and fire. Reflects nearly all light that enters the diamond.
Super Ideal
Cut to the most exacting standards. These diamonds have the most desirable dimensions and are proportioned to return the maximum possible light.
J Color
J color diamonds look mostly colorless to the naked eye, but usually have a faint yellow tint that’s easy to notice under bright lights and magnification.
I Color
Near-colorless. Slightly detected color—a good value.
H Color
Near-colorless. Color noticeable when compared to diamonds of better grades, but offers excellent value.
G Color
Near-colorless. Color noticeable when compared to diamonds of better grades, but offers excellent value.
F Color
Colorless. Slight color detected by an expert gemologist, but still considered a “colorless” grade—a high-quality diamond.
E Color
Colorless. Only miniscule traces of color can be detected by an expert gemologist—a rare, high quality diamond.
D Color
Colorless. Slight color detected by an expert gemologist, but still considered a “colorless” grade—a high-quality diamond.
Color
Clarity
Slightly included 2. Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification and may be visible with an unaided eye. More inclusions than SI1.
Slightly included 1. Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification, but may not be very visible with an unaided eye.
Very slightly included 2. Difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. Typically cannot see inclusions with the naked eye. Slightly more inclusions than VS1.
Very slightly included 1. Difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. Typically cannot see inclusions with the naked eye.
Very very slightly included 2. Very difficult to see under 10x magnification. Slightly more inclusions than VVS1.
Very very slightly included 1. Very difficult to see under 10x magnification.
Internally Flawless. No internal flaws.
Flawless with no internal or external flaws. Extremely rare and valuable.
