Diamond 4C's Guide
The importance of diamond color is clear.
Diamond Color
Often when we talk about diamond color, we are actually talking about the absence of color. As subtle as color distinction may be, color variations from the most obvious to subdued can drastically alter diamond quality and price. Luckily, diamond color isn’t a matter of opinion. Proper color evaluation is a matter of expertise.
The 4Cs are for everyone.
The 4Cs are the industry standard for evaluating diamond quality. They are also the best way to understand your diamond, and to ensure accuracy in the evaluation of your diamond’s unique characteristics. While choosing a diamond is a very personal decision, evaluating a diamond should always be a matter of precision. At GIA, we are incredibly proud that our 4Cs of diamond quality continue to educate the diamond industry and most importantly, protect diamond consumers everywhere.
The GIA D-to-Z Color Scale.
Color is relative. And before we created a universal grading scale, so was the language that surrounded diamond color. From letters, to numbers, Roman numerals, and even terms like “blue white” were used, causing misunderstanding, misinterpretations, and in some cases, misrepresentations of diamond color.
Today, the D-to-Z diamond color scale as followed by the GIA laboratory is regarded globally as the universal standard for color grading.
Starting where others left off.
The GIA D-to-Z Color Scale starts with D. To avoid confusion, comparison, or association with previous systems, GIA begins with the letter D as the top (colorless) grade.
The result is a universally accepted scale that has brought consistency to the conversation around diamond color.
The 4Cs are the global standard.
GIA’s 4Cs transformed the way diamond quality is determined and communicated, forever changing how diamonds are evaluated, bought and sold.
The 4Cs are for everyone. This framework is both a way to better understand your diamond, and to ensure accuracy in the evaluation of your diamond’s unique characteristics.
It is the best way to ensure clear information, uniform practices, scientific grading and transparent evaluation in the global diamond industry. The 4Cs are one of GIA’s many innovative contributions and one we are incredibly proud of because of how many consumers it continues to help.
With the strictest dedication to these standards, we deliver objective, consistent diamond grading results at all our laboratories around the world. While our language has been adopted worldwide, the only way to ensure you are receiving the strictest application of these standards is through the proprietary equipment and tried and tested procedures of an official GIA laboratory.
