The 4 Cs of Diamonds
Every diamond is one of a kind, but its beauty and value are defined by four key factors — known as the 4 Cs: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat. Understanding these will help you find the perfect diamond for your taste and budget.
Color
A diamond’s color grade measures how colorless it is from D (colorless) to Z (light tint). The more colorless the diamond, the rarer and more brilliant it appears. At JDH, we recommend D–H grades for a bright, beautiful sparkle.
Clarity
Clarity describes the tiny natural features called inclusions. While most are invisible to the naked eye, higher clarity grades mean fewer imperfections and a cleaner look. JDH diamonds are carefully selected to ensure eye-clean brilliance.
Cut
Cut determines how well a diamond reflects light. A perfect cut brings out fire, brilliance, and sparkle — the qualities that make diamonds truly shine. All JDH diamonds meet our precision-cut standards for maximum brilliance.
Carat
Carat weight measures a diamond’s size.While larger diamonds are rare and valuable, the ideal diamond balances size, cut, and quality. Our experts help you find the right carat size for your style and setting.
Diamond Education Scale
Measurements & Proportions
Diamond beauty also depends on its shape and proportions how each facet interacts with light.
The table is the large, flat surface on the top of the diamond — it’s where most light enters and exits.
A well-proportioned table allows light to reflect through the crown, creating sparkle and balance.
If the table is too large, the diamond may appear flat; too small, and it may look dark in the center.
Ideal table percentage: 53%–58% of the diamond’s width for most round brilliant cuts.
The crown sits above the girdle and includes the table and surrounding facets.
It acts like a prism — bending and dispersing light into the flashes of color (called “fire”) that diamonds are known for.
The crown’s angle affects how much brilliance you see: a shallow crown reduces sparkle, while a steep one can darken the stone.
Ideal crown angle: Around 34–35 degrees for round diamonds.
The girdle is the thin perimeter separating the crown from the pavilion.
It’s where the diamond is held securely in its setting.
A girdle that’s too thin increases the risk of chipping, while one that’s too thick adds unnecessary weight and reduces brilliance.
Ideal girdle thickness: Thin to medium for stability without extra bulk.
The pavilion is the lower section beneath the girdle — it reflects light back through the top of the diamond.
The depth of the pavilion is crucial: if it’s too shallow, light leaks out of the bottom, making the diamond look dull; if too deep, light escapes through the sides, creating dark areas.
Ideal pavilion angle: Around 40.6–41 degrees for optimal light return.
The culet is the very tip at the bottom of the diamond.
In modern diamonds, the culet is either very small or nonexistent to maintain symmetry and brilliance.
A large culet can create a visible dark spot when viewed from above, reducing overall sparkle.
Ideal culet grade: None or very small
A diamond’s depth — the total height from table to culet — influences how light moves within the stone.
Perfect depth ensures that light entering from the top bounces off the pavilion facets and returns through the crown, maximizing brilliance.
Ideal total depth percentage: 59%–62.5% for round brilliant cuts.
Diamond Shapes
Beyond the 4 Cs
At Jewelry Depot Houston, we believe true diamond excellence goes deeper than just Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat.
Subtle details like fluorescence, symmetry, polish, proportions, and culet precision also influence a diamond’s beauty and performance.
Here’s what you should know:
Culet
The culet is the tiny point at the very bottom of a diamond. Its size affects how light travels through the stone. A perfectly proportioned culet keeps light reflection balanced, enhancing sparkle and brilliance. If it’s too large, it can appear as a small dark spot when viewed from above which is why JDH diamonds are selected only with small or no culet for flawless light return.
Measurements
Diamond measurements reveal how proportionally the stone is cut. Even two diamonds with the same carat weight can look completely different if their proportions vary. A well-balanced diamond will appear larger, brighter, and more vibrant. At JDH, every diamond is measured for ideal proportions, ensuring it sparkles beautifully from every angle.
Fluorescence
Fluorescence refers to how a diamond reacts under ultraviolet (UV) light. Some diamonds emit a soft blue glow due to natural minerals. While fluorescence doesn’t affect how a diamond looks in normal lighting, it can influence price and appearance in rare cases. At JDH, our gemologists assess fluorescence carefully to ensure your diamond’s color and brilliance are never compromised.
Symmetry
Symmetry defines how precisely a diamond’s facets are aligned. Perfect symmetry allows light to bounce evenly through the stone, maximizing sparkle and fire. Diamonds with excellent symmetry are brighter and more visually appealing that’s why JDH only sources stones that meet excellent or very good symmetry standards, verified by trusted certification labs.
Polish
Polish reflects the craftsmanship behind each facet. A well-polished diamond has smooth, mirror-like surfaces that enhance light reflection and clarity. If facets are uneven or rough, brilliance is reduced. Every JDH diamond undergoes meticulous polishing to ensure it meets our exceptional surface finish standards, guaranteeing maximum shine.
Certified Diamonds
Every diamond at Jewelry Depot Houston comes with an independent certification from leading gemological labs such as GIA or IGI.
This ensures transparency and verifies that your diamond’s cut, color, clarity, and carat meet the highest global standards
Diamond Care
Depending on the setting you choose, you can soak your diamond engagement and/or wedding rings for up to 30 minutes in a solution of dish-washing liquid and water. This is best suited to prong and cathedral settings. In pave and basket settings, however, soaking the rings can increase the likelihood of the gems coming loose.
The Four C's - Diamond
The four factors that are used to determine the quality and value of a diamond are called The Four C's.
This include diamond cut, color, clarity & carat weight. The system that is used to communicate the color and clarity grades by the majority of the diamond trade throughout the world is the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Diamond Color
The diamond that most people think of as the traditional or ideal diamond is, in truth, totally colorless. It's this absence of color that gives a diamond its great value. Even the slightest tinge of yellow or brown in a white diamond will decrease its value. The presence of color in an otherwise ideal white diamond shouldn't be confused with a fancy colored diamond, whose value is based precisely on the quality of its color.This include diamond cut, color, clarity & carat weight. The system that is used to communicate the color and clarity grades by the majority of the diamond trade throughout the world is the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Diamond Clarity
When we speak of a diamond's clarity, we are referring to the presence of identifying characteristics on and within the stone. While most of these characteristics are inherent qualities of the rough diamond and have been present since the earliest stages of the crystal's growth below ground, a few are actually a result of the harsh stress that a diamond undergoes during the cutting process itself.
Diamond Cut
As the single human contribution to a polished diamond's beauty, cut is perhaps the most important, yet most over-looked, of The Four C's of diamond quality. How does cut affect a diamond's value and beauty? A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance, its dispersion, its scintillation-in short, its life. And brilliance is what a diamond is all about, especially in the eyes of the consumer.
Diamond Fluorescence
Fluorescence is the effect that is seen in some gem-quality diamonds when they are exposed to long-wave ultraviolet light (such as the lighting frequently seen in dance clubs). Under most lighting conditions, this fluorescence is not detectable to the eye. However, if a diamond is naturally fluorescent, it will emit a soft colored glow when held under an ultraviolet lamp or "black light."
Diamond Carat Weight
This balance of size & quality makes up much of art of a professional gem cutter. It is the cutter's job to produce a gorgeous diamond while giving the consumer the highest CARATAGE for his or her money. Caratage means CARAT, the measurement used to weigh a diamond.
The Ideal Cut - Diamond
The pursuit of perfection is a human calling. The diamond -- already perfection in the eyes of most -- has been cut and shaped in an ever-changing variety of ways since modern diamond cutting techniques were invented, all in an effort to maximize its full potential for brilliance.
Diamond Shape
The classic diamond is, to most people, a round gem of sparkling white brilliance with a kaleidoscope of dazzling facets to entice the eye. Yes and no. Diamonds are natural crystals of varying size and shape formed in the earth over millions of years. The traditional round brilliant diamond, though the most popular diamond shape of all, is hardly the whole story.
Diamond Care
Depending on the setting you choose, you can soak your diamond engagement and/or wedding rings for up to 30 minutes in a solution of dish-washing liquid and water. This is best suited to prong and cathedral settings. In pave and basket settings, however, soaking the rings can increase the likelihood of the gems coming loose.
The Four C's - Diamond
The four factors that are used to determine the quality and value of a diamond are called The Four C's. This include diamond cut, color, clarity & carat weight. The system that is used to communicate the color and clarity grades by the majority of the diamond trade throughout the world is the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Diamond Color
The diamond that most people think of as the traditional or ideal diamond is, in truth, totally colorless. It's this absence of color that gives a diamond its great value. Even the slightest tinge of yellow or brown in a white diamond will decrease its value. The presence of color in an otherwise ideal white diamond shouldn't be confused with a fancy colored diamond, whose value is based precisely on the quality of its color.
Diamond Clarity
When we speak of a diamond's clarity, we are referring to the presence of identifying characteristics on and within the stone. While most of these characteristics are inherent qualities of the rough diamond and have been present since the earliest stages of the crystal's growth below ground, a few are actually a result of the harsh stress that a diamond undergoes during the cutting process itself.
Diamond Cut
As the single human contribution to a polished diamond's beauty, cut is perhaps the most important, yet most over-looked, of The Four C's of diamond quality. How does cut affect a diamond's value and beauty? A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance, its dispersion, its scintillation-in short, its life. And brilliance is what a diamond is all about, especially in the eyes of the consumer.
Diamond Fluorescence
Fluorescence is the effect that is seen in some gem-quality diamonds when they are exposed to long-wave ultraviolet light (such as the lighting frequently seen in dance clubs). Under most lighting conditions, this fluorescence is not detectable to the eye. However, if a diamond is naturally fluorescent, it will emit a soft colored glow when held under an ultraviolet lamp or "black light."
Diamond Carat Weight
This balance of size & quality makes up much of art of a professional gem cutter. It is the cutter's job to produce a gorgeous diamond while giving the consumer the highest CARATAGE for his or her money. Caratage means CARAT, the measurement used to weigh a diamond.
The Ideal Cut - Diamond
The pursuit of perfection is a human calling. The diamond -- already perfection in the eyes of most -- has been cut and shaped in an ever-changing variety of ways since modern diamond cutting techniques were invented, all in an effort to maximize its full potential for brilliance.
Diamond Shape
The classic diamond is, to most people, a round gem of sparkling white brilliance with a kaleidoscope of dazzling facets to entice the eye. Yes and no. Diamonds are natural crystals of varying size and shape formed in the earth over millions of years. The traditional round brilliant diamond, though the most popular diamond shape of all, is hardly the whole story.
