Cut Page 1

     The Four C's

I N T R O D U C T I O N  T O  T H E  4C's

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The quality and value of diamonds are usually measured by the "4 C’s"
Colour, Clarity, Carat weight, Cut.
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Carat
weight:

The weight measurement used for diamond is called "carat".
One carat = 200 milligrams.
Diamonds are sold by weight not by size.
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Colour: filler.gif (54 bytes)

Refers to the body colour of the diamond. The absence of colour is most valuable.
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Clarity:

Refers to the purity of the diamond crystal. Most diamonds will have some inclusions and irregularities in their crystal structure.

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Cut: Sometimes called "Make" refers to the
1 Proportions
2 Symmetry
3 Polish


Colour and Clarity are graded, based on standards and
systems widely accepted by the diamond and jewellery trade.

Evaluation of Cut is much more complex. There is no widely recognized cut grading system that can be used to objectively compare diamonds for quality of cut

The Antwerp Ideal is the Round Brilliant Cut Diamond that is recognized to have
EXACTING PROPORTIONS, ABSOLUTE SYMMETRY
and THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF POLISHING.
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"Cut" is often confused
with  "Shape"

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Round Brilliant Cut
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Oval Cut
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Marquise Cut
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Emerald Cut
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Pear Shape Cut
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CutPage2
Definitions		 Cut Page3
Optical Laws		 Cut Page 4
Pavilion Depth		 Cut Page 5
Crown Height		 Cut Page 6
Weight Retention		 Cut Page 7
Symmetry Polish
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