The 4Cs: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight

CUT: Cut is the only C that is controlled by man. All other characteristics of the diamond were determined by Mother Nature billions of years ago. And Cut can be the single most important characteristic in determining a diamond's value. Two diamonds of the exact same size, with similar clarity and color grades, may, depending on how they are cut, appear dramatically different to the eye, and have significantly different values.

This is because the Cut unlocks the beauty that lies within each diamond, and the quality of the cut determines how well a diamond will reflect and refract light. In other words, the more precise the quality of the cut, the more scintillation, brilliance and fire a diamond will have.

There is a set of mathematical proportions for diamond cutting that is accepted as "ideal." The closer a diamond is cut to these proportions, the more it will sparkle. Hearts On Fire diamonds are painstakingly cut and polished to an exacting set of proportion standards that exceed even those considered "ideal". The highest grade assigned by the American Gemological Laboratory (AGS) is a "0" Cut grade. Since every Hearts On Fire diamond is cut to a tighter set of standards than those adhered to even in grading laboratories, all of our diamonds receive the "0" cut grade certification.

That's why we proudly say that a Hearts On Fire diamond is the most perfectly cut diamond in the world. Regardless of the carat weight, color, or clarity, you can be assured that a Hearts On Fire diamond will appear more beautiful and brilliant than any other diamond with similar characteristics.

COLOR: While most diamonds appear not to have any color at all, gasses and other elements present at the time they were formed result in slight traces of yellow or brown in some diamonds. The less color a diamond has, the more valuable it is. Many times the color differences are so slight they can only be detected by comparing them to other diamonds.

Color differences are measured by the internationally-accepted Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grading scale, and the highest grade for a diamond with absolutely no color is D. Letter grades are assigned alphabetically all the way to Z. The farther away from the letter D a diamond is graded, the more traces of yellow or brown it will appear to have.

CLARITY: When diamonds were formed billions of years ago under intense heat and pressure, traces of other gemstones, minerals or gasses were often trapped inside the diamond material as it cooled. These elements may turn up as tiny specks or crystals that may look like feathers or clouds inside a diamond. These are called inclusions and are often referred to as Nature's fingerprints or a diamond's birthmarks. They are part of what makes each diamond different and unique from the next.

The fewer and less visible these birthmarks are, the more valuable a diamond will be. Clarity is also measured by the GIA's grading scale, and the most valuable and rare grade is F, or flawless.

CARAT WEIGHT: Although commonly thought to refer to the actual size of a diamond, a carat is actually a standard unit of measure that defines the actual weight of a diamond. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. Carat sizes are also expressed as "points" with a one carat diamond equaling 100 points, a three-quarter carat diamond being 75 points and a one-half carat diamond being 50 points, and so on.

Larger diamonds are much more rare than smaller ones. In fact, hundreds of tons of rock and ore must be processed to uncover a single one-carat gem quality diamond. And less than one percent of all women will ever own a one-carat or larger diamond.

Since a carat measures weight instead of size, two diamonds of the same carat weight may appear to be different sizes depending on how the diamond is cut. Some diamonds will have extra weight on the bottom part - or pavilion - of the stone, and therefore appear smaller.