Buying a diamond is perhaps one of the most emotionally charged, significant purchases you will ever make. It is an investment in a moment, a promise, and a future legacy. It can also be incredibly overwhelming.
At Tenten Diamonds, we believe that true luxury lies in transparency and education. Before you navigate the world of diamonds, you must first learn its language. That language is known universally as the "4Cs"—Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat weight.
Created by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in the 1940s, the 4Cs became the global standard for communicating diamond quality. Understanding them is essential. However, at Tenten, we believe the 4Cs are just the beginning of the conversation, not the end.
This guide will walk you through the fundamentals of the 4Cs, and reveal how Tenten goes beyond these basics to help you pick only the most exceptional stones for you or a loved one.
1. Cut: The Soul of the Diamond
If you remember only one thing from this guide, let it be this: Cut is king.
While color, clarity, and carat are dictated by nature, the cut is the only 'C' controlled by human hands. It is the precise artistry of arranging a diamond’s facets to interact with light. A poorly cut diamond will look dull and lifeless, regardless of how perfect its color or clarity might be. A masterfully cut diamond, however, will take even the smallest amount of light and transform it into a breathtaking display of brilliance.
Understanding Light Performance
When we analyze cut, we are looking for three distinct optical effects:
- Brilliance: The total amount of white light reflected back to the eye. This is the "brightness" of the stone.
- Fire: The dispersion of white light into spectral colors. These are the flashes of rainbow colors you see when the diamond moves.
- Scintillation: The pattern of light and dark areas and the sparkle created when the diamond, or the observer, moves.
The Tenten Standard
The GIA grading scale for cut ranges from "Excellent" to "Poor." At Tenten Diamonds, we refuse to compromise on sparkle. We exclusively recommend diamonds with Excellent cut grades. However, lesser cut diamonds can offer great value, especially in grades such as "Very Good".
2. Color: The Nuance of Purity
When speaking of diamond color, we are actually referring to the absence of color. A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond has no hue, like a drop of pure water, and consequently, a higher value.
The GIA color scale begins with the letter D (representing colorless) and continues, with increasing presence of color, to the letter Z.
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Navigating the Scale
- D-F (Colorless): The rarest and most expensive. These stones are icy white and show zero discernible color.
- G-J (Near Colorless): The sweet spot for value. To the naked eye, and especially once set in a ring, these diamonds appear colorless.
- K-M (Faint): A noticeable warmth or very faint yellow tint is visible.
The Tenten Standard
We find that the F, G, and H color grades offer the most exceptional balance of icy-white beauty and value. Unless you are a collector seeking the rarest 'D' grade, an 'H' color diamond set in platinum or white gold will look stunningly white to the naked eye, allowing you to allocate more budget toward Cut or Carat.
3. Clarity: Nature's Fingerprint
Natural diamonds are the result of carbon exposed to tremendous heat and pressure deep within the earth. This chaotic process almost inevitably results in variety of internal characteristics called "inclusions" and external characteristics called "blemishes."
Clarity is the assessment of the number, size, relief, and position of these characteristics under 10x magnification. No two diamonds have the exact same inclusions; they are nature's fingerprint.
The Goal is "Eye-Clean"
The GIA Clarity Scale ranges from Flawless (FL) to Included (I3).
While the idea of a "Flawless" diamond is romantic, it is incredibly rare and carries a significant premium. For the vast majority of buyers, the goal should be finding an "eye-clean" diamond—a stone where no inclusions are visible to the naked eye from a normal viewing distance (about 6-12 inches).
The Tenten Standard
We generally recommend VS2 (Very Slightly Included 2). In these grades, inclusions are difficult to see even under 10x magnification, and the diamonds are almost always eye-clean. When browsing diamonds, look at the bottom of your stone's page for Tenten's evaluation of the 4Cs.
4. Carat: Weight vs. Size
Carat is often the most misunderstood 'C'. It refers specifically to a diamond's weight, not its physical size. One carat is defined as 200 milligrams.
While weight and size are correlated, they are not the same. A poorly cut 1.00-carat diamond may look smaller (because it's cut too deep) than an excellent cut 0.90-carat diamond.
The "Magic Numbers"
Diamond prices jump significantly at popular weight borders, known as "magic numbers"—such as 1.00ct, 1.50ct, and 2.00ct. A 1.00-carat diamond will cost disproportionately more than a 0.95-carat diamond, despite the size difference being virtually undetectable to the eye.
The Tenten Standard
Don't get hung up on a round number. We often advise our clients to look for "shy weights"—diamonds that fall just under a magic number (e.g., 1.45ct instead of 1.50ct). You can save significantly while obtaining a diamond that looks identical in size. Remember, an Excellent Cut will always make a diamond appear larger and brighter than its carat weight suggests.
Beyond the 4Cs: The Tenten Difference
The 4Cs are vital, but a certificate is just a piece of paper. It doesn't tell you if a diamond has a poor ratio or if it's depth and table are far from ideal.
At Tenten Diamonds, we do not rely solely on the certificate. We use the 4Cs as our baseline, and then apply our own rigorous standards of light performance and visual beauty. We note countless diamonds that look good on paper but fail to meet our standards as "Retail Standard" and reserve our "Ideal Proportions" classification for the true 10/10s.
When you choose Tenten, you aren't just buying a diamond; you are acquiring a carefully evaluated piece of art, vetted by experts dedicated to brilliance.
Ready to find your perfect stone? Browse our diamonds or contact our concierge team for personalized guidance.