Did You Know ? the Price of diamonds is determined by 4 Cs

The colour of a diamond is measured through a grading scale ranging from D to M, where D stands for colourless and M for faint yellow.

If you are planning to gift your mother or spouse diamonds this year, don’t just get blinded by the sheen of the stone. While she would value your feelings, make sure she also values what you are buying for her. You must run certain checks to ensure its worth the money you are spending on it. An easy way to do that is to check the four Cs.

What are the four Cs

The four Cs stand for carat, colour, cut and clarity.

Carat is for the weight and size of a diamond.

Colour refers to the degree to which a diamond is colourless. The colour is measured through a grading scale ranging from D to M, where D stands for colourless and M for faint yellow. The more colourless your diamond is, more expensive it will be.

Clarity denotes the presence of inclusion. Inclusions are small black dots not visible to our naked eyes. There are various grades of clarity starting from internally flawless, very very slight inclusion up to inclusion. Diamonds without inclusion, that are internally flawless, are very rare and most expensive.

Cut refers to the different shapes in which diamonds come. Round, pear, marquise, emerald, princess and oval are some of the cuts, the most popular being the round brilliant cut.

Get a certification

Ensure that the retailer gives you a certificate issued by an independent gem testing laboratory. Getting the certification would help you know exactlhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gify what you are paying for. It contains a picture of the diamond you have bought, its weight and the measure for the four Cs. Diamonds that are solitaires, a single large stone and above 45 cent come with a laser certification.

Some retailers charge extra for the certification, but its free of cost at some branded shops that have their own certificates.

The invoice, too, should give you this information. Some of the laboratories that certify diamonds are Gemological Institute of India, High Diamond Council and International Gemmological Institute and The Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA).

What about resale

You can exchange your diamond for cash or a new product. You would be required to show the certification from your jeweller to establish the authenticity of the stone.

The value would depend on the retailer. It is important that you carefully read the buy-back policy of your jeweller before you purchase diamonds and understand the terms and conditions. Some retailers give the current price of diamonds, while others at your buying price. But they may deduct the making charges, sales tax and other charges.