Oval Shaped Diamonds - The 4 C’s
Understanding the 4 C’s is vital when it comes to diamond shopping. These four
characteristics are the universal standard for determining the quality of a diamond, and
will help you find your perfect stone.
Cut - The cut of a diamond is more than just its shape. When it comes to the
4 C’s, the cut refers to how well the stone interacts with light, and therefore how
bright it sparkles. All diamonds are graded based on their cut. For optimal brilliance, look
for diamonds with good, very good, excellent, or ideal cut grades. The ideal cut ratio for
an Oval diamond should have a length-to-width ratio of 1.4 or above.
Color - This characteristic doesn’t refer to a diamond’s hue,
but it’s lack of one. Traditionally, the most treasured diamonds are completely white
or colorless. The diamond color scale begins at D and ends at Z, with grades D-F being
colorless, grades G-J being near colorless, and grades K-Z gradually becoming more yellow.
Clarity - No diamond is completely flawless, but you can judge how close it
is to perfection with a clarity grade. This characteristic details the amount of inclusions
and blemishes a stone has. Clarity is graded on a scale from VVS1 to SI2, with the former
having the least amount of flaws, and the latter having the most amount of flaws.
Carat - Not to be confused with karats (a measure for gold purity), a carat
refers to the weight of a diamond. One carat is equal to 0.2 grams. Of all the 4 C’s,
the carat has the biggest impact on the diamond’s value. It’s important to note
that carats aren’t a perfect representation of diamond size. Many shapes, such as oval
and marquise, create the illusion of looking bigger than they actually are. You can easily
get an impressive diamond on a budget by simply choosing the right shape!
