Natural Diamond Education

Buying a natural diamond can feel complicated because so many characteristics affect how a stone looks, performs, and is priced.

The most familiar framework is the 4Cs: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight. GIA developed the 4Cs as a standardized way to communicate diamond quality, and that framework is now used throughout the global diamond industry.

But the 4Cs are only the beginning.

Two diamonds with identical grades on paper can still look noticeably different. Shape, proportions, facet pattern, fluorescence, length-to-width ratio, symmetry, polish, bow-tie effect, inclusions, and even how the diamond is set can all affect what you see with your own eyes.

At Goldie’s, we believe the best diamond buyer is an informed one.

What Is a Natural Diamond?

A natural diamond is formed within the earth under extreme heat and pressure over immense periods of geological time.

After being recovered from the earth, rough diamonds are evaluated and cut into polished gemstones. The cutter has to make decisions about how much weight to retain, what shape to create, where inclusions are located, and what proportions will produce the best finished stone.

That means nature creates the rough diamond, but craftsmanship determines much of what you ultimately see.

GIA notes that among the 4Cs, cut is the only one completely controlled by human workmanship in a natural untreated diamond.