The 4 Factors

There are four factors which determine the quality and price of any cut precious stone; they are:

1. Clarity
2. Cut proportions
3. Carat weight
4. Color

Clarity:

Clarity refers to the external flaws, present on the surface of a gem or the inclusions, located inside or penetrate the diamond; there are 12 grades in the diamond clarity grading which range from Flawless to the very included. Diamonds. The initials used in the different clarity grading scales come from the English terms describing magnitude, size, quantity and effect they have in the diamond being graded.

Diamond Clarity Grades

F -IF -VVS1 - VVS2 - VS1 - VS2 - SI1 - SI2 -SI3 -I1 - I2 - I3

Cut proportions:

Cut proportion is a factor of great importance when appointing prices in a cut diamond, due to its incidence on the other three factors, on the appearance and on the beauty of the finished gem. There are special guidelines or parameters called: Proportion Patterns which are necessary to obtain a beautiful cut diamond which can be easily sold, these have been established by the diamond international industry which do not justify weight retentions at the expense of the beauty and the appearance of the finished diamond.

The most used, with ranges of little different proportions are:

American “Ideal” Cut – European Cut – Scandinavian Cut.

Based on these cut categories, the cut can be:

Optimum, good, average and poor -Cuts.

A quick and accurate analysis of the proportions of a cut diamond is associated in a direct and proportional way to a quick and certain sale.

There are no proportion patterns in fancy cut diamonds as there are in the round brilliant cut diamond. The analysis is based more on the beauty of the gem, than on the retained weight.

Carat Weight:

Weight is a determining factor in the price of a diamond. Rarity influenced there are not many gems of great sizes; a 5.00 carat diamond in optimum quality may reach a price for the public of up to US $426,500, without going into diamonds beyond the commercial weight range where they will cost fortunes.

For cut diamonds, there are international price lists up to 5.99 carats.

Color:

The importance of color relies on the rarity as well as the weight and clarity factors. This factor assesses the absolute absence of yellow or brown tones, as well as their presence in all the range of varieties of accepted tones and intensities in the diamond color grading scales, colorless or almost colorless. These classification scales are accepted in the diamond industry today; over saturated color diamonds, called fancy diamonds, are not included in these scales.

Colorless diamonds, have very high prices, specially if they match with high clarity ,good cut proportions and weight over the commercial range, again it is the rarity element the key in the price.

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