The 4 C's

Understanding Diamonds

All diamonds are not created equal. Sol’s Jewelry is committed to making sure our diamonds are of find quality. In fact, we are so sure of our quality that every diamond from Sol’s Jewelry carries this guarantee: Your money back if your diamond purchase is not appraised at a minimum of 150% of your purchase price. Let the 4 C’s (cut, color, clarity, and carat weight) be your guide to purchasing a diamond and discover the pleasure and pride of owning a diamond and discover the pleasure and pride of owning a diamond from Sol’s Jewelry.

Cut
A good cut enables a diamond to make the best use of light. A fully cut diamond has 58 facets, which are small, flat, polished surfaces cut into a diamond. When a diamond is cut well, light is reflected from one facet to another and then dispersed through the top of the stone. Cuts that are too deep or too shallow allow light to escape before reflecting through the top of the stone.

Cut also refers to the shape of a diamond. Diamonds are cut into a number of shapes depending on the nature of the rough stone and the position of the inclusions. Sol’s Jewelry diamonds are cut to make the best possible use of light and reflect the most brilliance.

Color
A diamond is the only stone in which the absence of color makes the stone more valuable. A colorless diamond acts as a prism to form a rainbow of colors, commonly called “fire.” The scale below shows the color range from colorless to a degree of yellow tint. Visible differences between one grade of color and the next grade are very subtle.

[D E F]
COLORLESS

[G H I J]
NEAR COLORLESS

[K L M N]
SLIGHTLY TINTED

[O P Q R]
VERY LIGHTLY TINTED

[S T U V W X Y Z]
LIGHTLY TINTED

Carat Weight
Diamonds can be found in all shapes and sizes. The size of a diamond is determined by its weight in carats. A carat is divided into 100 points, so a diamond of 75 points is .75 carats or ¾ of a carat. Larger diamonds command a higher price because they are more rare. While size is an obvious factor in determining the value of a diamond, all 4 “C’s” should be considered. Remember, bigger is bigger and not necessarily better. Sol’s Jewelry fine quality is found in every diamond regardless of its size.

Clarity
Most diamonds contain natural imperfections called inclusions. A diamond’s clarity is determined by taking into account the number, size, type, and location of the inclusions. The fewer inclusions in a diamond, the more valuable it is. Inclusions are a natural process and considered nature’s fingerprints on the diamond. The clear passage of light through a diamond is the “key” to its value. All our diamonds have been selected according to the their clarity, color, and cut which insures quality, beauty, and value.

Clarity is graded under 10 power magnification by a trained eye. The challenge of clarity grading can be divided into two parts:

1. Finding and classifying inclusions.
2. Evaluating their effect on the clarity grade.

The ability to consistently assign an accurate clarity grade to a diamond is a difficult task that takes many years of experience. Because of this, “categories” or grades are given.

IF Internally flawless (extreme rare)
VVS1 – VVS2 Very, very slightly included
VS1 – VS2 Very slightly included
SI1 – SI3 Slightly included
I1 Included
I2 Promotionally included
I3 Heavily included