THE FOUR C's OF DIAMOND GRADING

It all started with Archduke Maximillian and Mary of Burgundy. The first engagement ring was believed to be a ring made of Diamonds given to Mary of Burgundy by the Archduke in 1477. Today it is customary for a man to give his betrothed a Diamond ring as a symbol of their upcoming marriage.

Diamonds are graded on four factors; Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. These four characteristics are often referred to as the Four C's of Diamond grading. Let's start with the easy ones first.

Carat Weight: This is a measurement of weight only, not of size. Put the Diamond on a scale and this is how much it weighs. The term carat comes from the word carob. The carob seed was a fairly uniform size and weight so in the days before electronics these seeds were used as a measurement of weight.

Color: This refers to the body color of the Diamond, or how yellow or gray the Diamond is. The color grading scale starts at D and goes down to Z. We grade the body color of the Diamond through the side as this minimizes the 'sparkle' of the Diamond. Coffin & Trout Fine Jewellers has a 'master set' of Diamonds that have been sent to the GIA and AGS labs and graded against the labs' set of color master Diamonds. The lab then accepts and assigns a color grade or rejects the Diamonds we have submitted.

All of Coffin & Trout's Diamonds have been color graded to our Master Set of Diamonds.(We even double check the Diamonds that have certificates from GIA, AGS and EGL.)

Clarity: This refers to anything inside or on the surface of the Diamond. First, the translation: VVS (very very slight) VS (very slight) SI (slightly included) and I (included). The clarity scale starts at FL (Flawless) and IF (internally Flawless), VVS1 & VVS2, VS1 & VS2, SI1 & SI2, and I1 I2 I3. At FL you will see nothing at 10X magnification (by a trained grader) and IF means that there is nothing inside the diamond but it may have a minor scratch that could be easily polished out. Some good key words for the amount of inclusions you would be able to see at 10X magnification would be minute (VVS), minor (VS), noticeable (SI), and obvious (I). The inclusions become eye visible at I1 and could be a durability factor at I2 and I3.

And last but not least, Cut: This is actually the most important factor when it comes to Diamond grading in our opinion. When we say cut, we are referring to the proportions of the Diamond. Yes, it also means the shape, but more importantly it describes how well the Diamond was cut, or how much it is going to sparkle. Isn't that what we all want anyway? A Diamond that is going to knock her socks off. Some Diamonds can be cut to look bigger that they really are, we call those spready stones, or they can be cut to conserve the most amount of weight from the rough Diamond. We like Diamonds that are cut with just the right proportions so they show off their most beautiful asset, their sparkle and fire.

The experts at Coffin & Trout are here to help you make the best Diamond selection for you. We have had years of experience and have looked at thousands of Diamonds so you can feel confident that we have picked out the best Diamonds to complete our stunning and unique designs. There are so many minute details involved in Diamond grading; there is no way for you to become an expert in a few hours on the internet. Let Coffin and Trout Fine Jewellers worry about the small details and get you the best Diamond for your engagement ring.

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