4Cs

COLOR

Diamond color Is an important characteristic that affects a diamond’s beauty and price. So it is an important consideration when buying a diamond. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) color scale is the industry standard for diamond grading. The GIA diamond color grades range from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown).

F: Colourless diamonds, the rarest and highest quality with a pure icy look. They are much rarer than others which is why they come with a higher pricing premium.

H: Near-colourless diamonds, no discernible color; great value for the quality. H graded diamonds are often considered on the border between premium colorless and tinted diamonds and therefore offer great value without any visible yellow or brown tint unless compared side by side with a whiter diamond.

I-J: Near-colourless, slightly tinted. If you are looking to maximize your budget, then I-J colored diamonds offer great value for money.

K: Faint color diamonds, slightly tinted. Budget-friendly pick; pairs beautifully with yellow gold. 

At HONN Fine Jewelry we offer diamond color grade only from D to K.

We do not recommend color grades L-Z due to noticeably yellow or brown tinting which do not meet the quality and value standards at HONN.

 

Coloured Diamond Grading

While the vast majority of diamonds fall in the D-to-Z color range, mother nature occasionally produces diamonds with a naturally occurring blue, brown, pink, deep yellow, or even green hue. The geological conditions required to yield these colors are rare, making diamonds with distinct and naturally occurring shades scarce and highly prized.

GIA describes color in terms of hue (the actual color  – i.e., red, blue, green, or anything in between), tone (the relative lightness or darkness of the color), and saturation (how strong or weak the color is).

Coloured diamonds are graded with the terms, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Deep, which describes the combined effect of tone and saturation.

In the Fancy Color market, one thing that signifies the value is the quality of the diamond’s color. Whilst the cut is important for Fancy Colours, it is in the sense of which cut that brings out the stone’s color which matters and not the cut which maximizes symmetry.

At HONN Fine Jewelry, we offer coloured diamonds, from Fancy Light to Fancy Deep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are diamonds graded as Zs considered fancy-color?

No. Naturally colorued diamonds outside the normal color range D-Z are called fancy-coloured diamonds. A diamond which has more yellow hue than a Z diamond becomes a fancy coloured diamond and is significantly higher valued. These fancy coloured diamonds are considered either yellow or brown diamonds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLARITY 

Diamond clarity refers to the absence of inclusions and blemishes. The clarity can significantly impact a diamond’s value

Evaluating diamond clarity involves determining the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these characteristics, as well as how these affect the overall appearance of the stone. If you are trying to determine what is your best clarity for a diamond, remember that no diamond is perfectly flawless. But the closer it comes to purity, the better its clarity. If you want to get the best value for your money, aim to have an eye-clean diamond. HONN offers diamond clarity grades from SI2 to FL.

The GIA Diamond Clarity Scale has 6 categories, some of which are divided, for a total of 11 specific grades.

Flawless (FL) No inclusions and no blemishes visible under 10x magnification. Less than 1% of all diamonds are FL clarity. A flawless diamond is incredibly rare because it’s nearly impossible to find a diamond 100% free of inclusions.

Internally Flawless (IF) No inclusions visible under 10x magnification. Less than 1% of all diamonds are IF clarity. Visually eye-clean.

Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) Inclusions so slight they are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification. VVS clarity is rare and results in an eye clean appearance. Great value and they are HONN’s most popular diamond clarity.

Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) Inclusions are observed with effort under 10x magnification but can be characterized as minor. You can be sure that they’ll always be EYE CLEAN so VS clarity diamonds offer great value for money. A choice of VS or higher are much rarer and therefore command greater pricing premiums, and also tend to perform better as an investment.

Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2) Inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification. A part of this clarity has some form of visible inclusion or blemish to the naked eye. It is important your selected diamond is eye clean, which will be a budget-friendly pick. 

Included (I1, I2, and I3) Inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification which may affect transparency and brilliance. I1 is the last clarity grade where eye-clean diamonds exist, but not all of them. I2 and I3 diamonds are never eye-clean. Due to the high level of inclusions here, we do not recommend this clarity grade for jewelry.

Many inclusions and blemishes are too tiny to be seen by anyone other than a trained diamond grader. To the naked eye, a VS1 and an SI2 diamond may look exactly the same, but these diamonds are quite different in terms of overall quality. This is why expert and accurate assessment of diamond clarity is extremely important. Knowing what diamond clarity truly means helps you understand the factors that contribute to diamond quality and price. 

Types Of Diamond Inclusions:

Clouds, Feathers, Crystals or minerals, Knots, Cavities, Cleavage, Internal graining

Types Of Blemish:

Polish lines, Scratches, Nicks, Pits, Chips, Breaks, Dark or light spots

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CUT

Cut quality is the factor that fuels a diamond’s fire, sparkle, and brilliance. The allure and beauty of a particular diamond depends more on cut quality than anything else. The quality of the cut is crucial to the diamond's final beauty and value. A well-cut diamond will appear very brilliant and fiery, while a poorly cut diamond can appear dark and lifeless, regardless of its color or clarity. Therefore we recommend you to get the best possible cut within your budget. GIA has created a cut scale ranging from Excellent (ideal) to poor for standard round brilliants cut diamonds.

At HONN Fine Jewelery we offer cut grades from good to excellent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CARAT

The diamond carat weight measures a diamond’s apparent size. To put it simply, diamond carat weight measures how much a diamond weighs. A metric “carat” is defined as 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams. Each carat is subdivided into 100 ‘points.’ This allows very precise measurements to the hundredth decimal place. When comparing similar diamonds try to look at the measurements. Some diamonds with similar weights can vary significantly in measurements.

All else being equal, diamond price increases with diamond carat weight because larger diamonds are rarer and more desirable. However, two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different values (and prices) depending on three other factors of the diamond 4Cs: Color, Clarity, and Cut. Now that you know what carat means, it’s also important to remember that a diamond’s value is determined using all of the 4Cs, and not just carat weight.

At HONN Fine Jewelry we offer diamonds from 0.2 carats and we have no upper limit.