What Are The 4Cs?

Loose diamonds are graded by cut, colour, carat weight and clarity. These are the “four Cs”.

Light is the element that ignites a diamonds' brilliance and fire. The interplay of light with the cut, colour, carat weight and clarity (the 4 C's) will explain why one diamond can appear more beautiful than another.

Diamond Shapes

Diamonds are available in any shape imaginable, from the more traditional brilliant or princess cut diamond to the less common marquise or pear shape. MAX Diamonds stocks a wide variety of diamond shapes to allow you to have the greatest choice possible.

Cut

The cut of a diamond determines its shape, angles and proportions. The angles and proportions of a diamond are what allow the light to enter the stone and bounce back out to the naked eye, giving it a special sparkle and shine. A well-cut diamond will reveal its brilliance and fire, regardless of its size. Traditional cuts and shapes for diamond jewellery include brilliant, princess, emerald and pear. MAX supplies diamonds of any cut you desire. While nature determines the diamonds clarity, colour and carat weight, it is the cutting of the stone that reveals a diamonds sparkle and fire.

Colour

The colour in a diamond can range on a scale from ‘D’ (colourless) to ‘Z’ (fancy coloured). At Max Diamonds, we stock only the highest grades of colour, offering one of Sydney’s most premium selections of white diamonds (ranging from D to H). These are the most valuable, because they allow more light to pass through them, making them more brilliant to your eye..

Carat

Diamonds are measured by weight in “carats”: one carat (abbreviated to “ct”) is equal to 0.2 grams. Larger diamonds are more valuable, due to their rare occurrence in nature. MAX Diamonds offers diamonds of almost any carat weight. The brilliance of a diamond depends on all 4C’s, so size alone is not the only indicator of value.

Clarity

Almost all natural diamonds contain tiny imperfections, or inclusions, most of them too small to be seen to the naked eye. The fewer the imperfections, the more valuable the diamond; truly flawless diamonds are extremely rare. The clarity grading scale ranges through:

• F (flawless)
• IF (internally flawless)
• VVS1, VVS2 (very very slightly included)
• VS1, VS2 (very slightly included)
• SI1, SI2 (slightly included)
• I1, I2,I3 (included)

Celebrate with Diamond Jewellery

There are many occasions and celebrations that can be exquisitely marked with the gift of diamond jewellery. To name just a few:

• Engagement
• Wedding
• Birthday
• Anniversary
• Valentine’s Day
• Christmas
• Celebrating the birth of a child
• Mother’s Day
• Religious holidays
• Academic or career achievements
• Just to say, “I love you”.

Diamond Laser Inscriptions

You can choose to increase the security and verification of your diamond through laser inscription. This process inscribes anything you like– from a certificate number to a special message or the date of your engagement – on the girdle of the diamond with a microscopic laser beam. The laser transforms the transparent carbon crystal of the diamond into opaque carbon, or graphite, going only a few atoms deep, to make the inscription. Most of our diamonds at MAX Diamonds are already inscribed with their certificate number, proving their authenticity. Laser inscriptions do not damage a diamond it in any way, nor does it change the colour or clarity grades. They add inherent value, by verifying the legitimacy of the stone.

My Diamond Certificate

All diamonds over 0.50ct from MAX Diamonds come with an internationally recognised Diamond certificate from one of the following independent certifying institutions of loose diamonds:

• Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
• Belgium’s Hoge Raad voor Diamant (HRD), also known as the Antwerp World Diamond Centre,
• or The International Gemological Institute (IGI)
• Gem Studies Laboratory, Australia (GSL)
• Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA)

Your certificate is a proof of authenticity for your diamond. It is a dated report that tells you about all the qualities of your diamond that relate to its quality, including:

• Shape
• Cut Weight (carat)
• Measurements
• Clarity
• Colour

As well as giving you confidence in the quality of the stone you’re buying, a certificate often needed to insure your diamond.

 

 

 

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