Evaluating the 4 C's of Diamonds to Determine the Resale Value

Diamonds are an elegant and highly valuable gemstone held in high regard throughout the centuries. Diamonds, made famous by the world's elites and fashion icons, hold a special place in people's hearts. Although many wish to possess diamonds for their timeless beauty and status value, these precious stones are also seen as investments like other precious materials.

There are many reasons to sell a diamond, and financial emergencies are just one of them. If someone has bought a diamond as an investment, they intend to avoid holding on to it and are looking for opportunities to get the best price. A piece of diamond holds timeless value, but the setting may go out of fashion anytime. Reselling allows a person to exchange their diamond for money, to buy a new piece or use it elsewhere. Regardless of the reason, to get cash for diamonds in Kolkata, knowing how the 4 C's determine the resale value is essential.  

How Do the 4 C's Impact a Diamond's Value?

The value of a diamond is determined by the 4 C's, so naturally, they play a significant role in ascertaining the resale value. The 4 C's refer to a carat, colour, clarity, and cut. These factors are equally important in influencing the value of a diamond. However, remember that diamonds' resale value can be 25% - 50% less than the retail price. Retail prices are highly marked up depending on the store's expenses other than procuring the diamond. Let's look at the 4 C's to understand how each factor influences the diamond's value.

Carat: The Weight of a Diamond

Carat refers to the measurement of how much a piece of diamond weighs. A carat is equal to 200 milligrams. Each carat is then further divided into 100 "points." This allows for a very accurate measurement of a diamond's value in terms of weight.

Remember that carat only refers to the weight and not the size of a diamond. However, it might as well define the apparent size of a diamond. 

The higher the carat value is, the more expensive a piece of diamond will be. However, it is more complicated than that. Often carat may denote the total carat of a piece rather than just one diamond. This can be especially confusing with earrings where the value of diamonds on both sides may be noted together. To understand how much cashyou can get for a diamond in Kolkata, make sure the carat weight you are considering is of only the diamond.

Carat is just one of the 4 C's, and contrary to popular belief, it is not the most important. A fair-sized diamond with large inclusions or a yellow tint is likely to fetch a low price. 

Colour: Lack of Underlying Shades

The colour of a diamond actually refers to the absence of colours, as the highest grades of diamonds are colourless or "crystal white." Diamonds are graded from D all the way to Z. D refers to the clearest diamond, as clear as ice or water. In contrast, the highest levels of yellow or other tones are present in the Z grade.

D, E, and F grade diamonds are the most expensive since the absence of secondary colours means that the elegance and brilliance of a diamond really "shines" through. Even K, L, and M grades can be flattering, depending on the setting. Hence the value won't fall as drastically as the following grades. 

Clarity: Absence of Inclusions and Blemishes 

Clarity is a measure of the purity of a diamond and can be a factor in determining its rarity and, subsequently, value. The clarity of a diamond is graded by the visibility of inclusions (internal flaws) and blemishes (external blemishes). 

Evaluating a diamond's clarity involves determining the number, size, relief, nature, and position of these flaws. How these affect the overall appearance of the diamond is also considered. While no diamond can be completely flawless, the fewer the flaws, the more value you receive out of reselling a diamond.

A diamond's clarity is graded on the visibility of inclusions and blemishes under 10x magnification. The diamond clarity scale has six categories further divided into eleven specific grades.

1. Flawless (FL): No inclusions or blemishes perceived 
2. Internally Flawless (IF): No inclusions visible 
3. Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2): Slight inclusions that are difficult for an experienced grader to spot 
4. Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2): Inclusions that are difficult to observe but can be characterised as minor
5. Slightly Included (SI1 and SI2): Inclusions noticeable 
6. Included (I1, I2, and I3): Inclusions are observed easily and may affect transparency and brilliance

Cut: The Factor That Determines the Brilliance 

Even a large and clear diamond with minimal flaws will only be the elegant and majestic gemstone it has the potential to be with the right cut. The cut of a diamond refers to a few factors — angles, proportions, symmetrical facets, brilliance, fire, scintillation, and finishing details. These determine a diamond's reflective capacity or brilliance. 

Diamonds with a higher grade cut will often cost more than one with an inferior cut grade. This is because the cut almost single-handedly determines the brilliance and, therefore, the beauty of a stone. Many people arbitrarily value only carat weight as an indicator of a diamond's value on the misguided notion that bigger is better. However, a poor quality cut diamond of a higher carat will appear smaller and less brilliant than a lower carat but excellent grade cut diamond.

Conclusion

The 4 C's of diamonds, namely carat, colour, clarity, and cut, are essential to discern a diamond's value. A combination of the four gives a diamond its unique characteristics and timeless elegance. If you want to exchange your diamond for cash in Kolkata, it is vital to consider these factors to get the best value. However, these can only be ascertained accurately by an experienced professional. Cash on old gold offers a free appraisal to customers interested in selling their diamonds.