The Four C's of Diamonds

At Oritalia, the most important of the four C's is the cut. The beauty of a diamond is a result of its brilliance and fire. The job of a master cutter is to cut the diamond such that the maximum amount of light is refracted and reflected. The right cut allows the diamond to make the best use of light. Facets are the flat surfaces on geometric shapes that reflect the underlying symmetry of the crystal structure. When cut optimally, light is reflected from one facet of the diamond to another and then dispersed through the top of the stone. If the cut is too deep, some light escapes out the opposite side of the pavilion (the lower part of the diamond, below the girdle). If the cut is too shallow, light escapes through the pavilion before it can be reflected back to the crown.

Diamonds are graded in north daylight, in a room as free as possible from colour reflections, according to the following categories: colourless, near colourless, faint yellow, very light yellow, and light yellow. Within each of these categories are a number of grades. The most valued diamonds are colourless.