So the first C the we will look at is Carat or weight/size.  This at first glance seems to be a straight forward factor,  however the fact is that a 1 carat size diamond could actually weigh more or less than exactly 1 ct.  All diamonds when we discuss SIZE, have a high and low range.  A 1 ct could weigh .96 to 1.10 and still be considered a 1 ct size.   For you the consumer if you are looking for the best value and still want the 1 ct size.  Consider a diamond that weighs under 1ct.  The reason being that there are premiums paid for straight size stones. The other reasons to consider reducing the weight of your diamond is you may want to trade the value off for a  better cut, clarity or color.

The second C that we will look at is the Cut or proportions.   This was at one time  the least talked about C in the trade.  The reason being that the consumer was not aware of the importance of the cut of a diamond and unscrupulous dealers could take advantage of this.  Its simple, a well cut diamond takes more weight in the cutting of the rough and in most cases more time, both ad to the cost of the diamond.  Fine or ideal cut diamonds will always have a premium.   This opens the door for the consumer to save a little by looking for a well made diamond that is not necessarily ideal cut, this is where the consumer needs the advice of a professional since the cut or proportions are not readily apparent to the un-trained eye.  Make no mistake, when compared side by side the ideal cut diamond is a superior stone.  Again you could trade off the value in make for size,clarity or color.

The third C that we will look at is Clarity, this C affords the consumer a chance for major savings when choosing a diamond.  It's good to remember that the value of a diamond is determined by its perfection.  So less perfect diamonds don't cost as much.  When you look at a clarity chart you may not understand exactly what the grade and the reality of the inclusion looks like.  Keep this in mind, most people can not see an inclusion in a 1 ct diamond until it gets to a clarity grade of I1 to I2.  Most consumers do not want to see anything in their diamond with the naked eye.  The grade of the diamond at which you can not see anything with the un-aided eye are the SI1 and SI2 grades.  Even though there are inclusions in the diamond, the inclusion does not affect the life in the stone.  In terms of value each grade that you go up will also increase the cost to you the consumer.  For instance a VS1 stone will cost more than a VS2 stone, the only difference in the diamonds may be the location of the inclusion.  This is also the same with the SI grades as well.   So where is your best buy?  That's up to what you want for clarity.  The fact is that any grade above SI2, you will not be able to see the inclusion.  But you will pay more for each grade above this grade.  Here again you could trade off the value in clarity for carat, cut, or color.

The final C is also one that can determine a large amount of the value in a diamond and that is color.  The best way I can describe the value relation to color is to consider an inverted bell curve.  The finest colorless diamonds would be on one end and the fancy colored diamonds would be on the other end, with diamonds of increasing color falling in the center of the curve.  Here again when we look at a color grading chart its difficult to visualize the differences between the grades.   As an example the difference between the top two grades D and E would be impossible to determine if not compared side by side and this is true for any two stones that fall next to each other in the color scale.   For the consumer each grade you go up in color also increases the value of the diamond.   What you need to know is that near colorless diamonds begin with the color grade J on the GIA scale.  Here again you could trade off the value in color by accepting a slightly lessor color and put that value in one of the other Cs.