The 4 C's of Diamond Grading

The 4 C's of diamond grading include: cut, clarity, color and carat weight. These four factors, in combination, provide us a way to compare one diamond to another.

Because diamonds are so valuable, it's essential to have a universal grading system for comparing their quality. In the 1940's and 50's, the Gemological Institute of America developed the 4 C's and the International GIA Diamond Grading System tm, to objectively compare and evaluate diamonds.

The grading of diamonds involves evaluating the qualities of a diamond and determining how it's qualities reflect rarity and thus value.

At A+ Associates, we will analyze the 4 C's of your diamond and provide you with the information necessary to assign a proper value. If your diamond is accompanied by a certificate from another lab, we will compare the information from your certificate with what we see under our microscope.

Note: Due to the subjective nature of diamond grading, it is possible for grading opinions to vary from one lab to another or from one appraiser to another.

Helping you make informed decisions about what to do with your jewelry