When it comes to choosing the perfect diamond for your engagement ring, the 4 Cs—Cut, Clarity, Colour, and Carat—are your best friends. These four factors determine a diamond’s quality, beauty, and value, and understanding them will help you make an informed decision. Whether you’re shopping for a stunning 3ct diamond engagement ring or a more modest 0.5ct stone, this guide will break down the 4 Cs in simple terms, so you can find the diamond that’s perfect for your love story.
1. The Cut: The Sparkle Factor
The cut of a diamond refers to how well it has been shaped and faceted, not its shape (like round or oval). A wellcut diamond reflects light beautifully, creating that signature sparkle. Grades: Cut is graded from Excellent to Poor. For maximum brilliance, aim for Excellent or Very Good.
Pro Tip: Even a smaller diamond with an excellent cut can outshine a larger diamond with a poor cut.
2. Clarity: The Purity of the Stone
Clarity measures the presence of internal (inclusions) and external (blemishes) flaws. Diamonds are graded on a scale from Flawless (no imperfections) to Included (visible imperfections).
What to Look For: For most engagement rings, a clarity grade of VS2 (Very Slightly Included) offers a great balance of quality and value.
Pro Tip: If you are buying a brilliant cut stone, you can or afford to go a little lower on the clarity to keep to the budget or give you room on to buy a better cut, colour or larger carat weight
3. Colour: The Hue of the Diamond
Colour refers to how colourless a diamond is. The less colour, the higher the grade. Diamonds are graded on a scale from D (completely colourless) to Z (light yellow or brown). What to Look For: For a classic, white diamond, aim for grades D to F, G will start ever so slightly to show a yellow, brown or pink tone.
Slightly lower grades (H to J) can still appear nearly colourless and offer great value if the prominent colour tone is evenly distributed.
Pro Tip: The setting can affect how colour appears. A white gold or platinum setting can make a diamond appear whiter.
4. Carat: The Weight of the Diamond
Carat refers to the weight of the diamond, not its size. One carat equals 200 milligrams. Larger diamonds are rarer and more valuable, but carat weight doesn’t always determine beauty. What to Look For: Consider your budget and her preferences.
A 3ct diamond engagement ring is a showstopper, but a smaller diamond with excellent cut and clarity can be just as stunning.
Pro Tip: Diamond prices jump at certain carat weights (e.g., 1ct, 1.5ct, 2ct). Choosing a slightly lower weight (e.g., 0.9ct instead of 1ct) can save you money without a noticeable difference in size.
Balancing the 4 Cs
While all four Cs are important, you don’t need to aim for the highest grade in every category. Example: A diamond with an Excellent cut, VS1 clarity, and G colour might be a better choice than one with a Poor cut, Flawless clarity, and D colour.
Chupi’s Expertise: All our natural and lab grown diamonds are priced to achieve the most beautiful ring possible. We buy diamonds as a standard with colours better than F, Clarity better VS2, and always excellent cuts, but our team is on hand to help you find the perfect balance of the 4 Cs to suit your budget and preferences.
Ever heard of the 6Cs of diamonds?
Conscience and Commitment are two more Cs we add at Chupi. We are committed to sustainability in our company and work hard to secure supply that meets our very high standards. Our Natural Diamonds are conflict free and traceable mine to market from countries with strong ethical credentials and sustainable practices. Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Canada are our countries of preference and where requested we can secure blockchain transparency across the life of the diamonds. All our lab grown diamonds are certified gold standard carbon neutral.
We are also committed to each and every Chupi engagement ring owner, offering a lifetime of service to ensure you can be confident you will always retain access to our skilled master goldsmiths whenever you need. From complimentary first resizing and annual maintenance to access tour teams repairs or replacement services, we are committed to offer our services from the day you purchase a Chupi engagement ring.
