The Four Cs of Wedding Bands

Whenever the subject of buying diamond wedding bands comes up, a discussion of the mysterious four "Cs" will undoubtedly follow. But what exactly are these four Cs that wedding consultants and jewelry experts are always referring to? Essentially they are a descriptive set of characteristics that help determine a diamond's worth and which consist of the following: color, clarity, cut and carat.

Color

When it comes to color, it actually is the lack thereof that makes the diamond more valuable. The more colorful a diamond, the less pure it really is. Basically, the presence of color is an indication that other metal alloys have been mixed in with the diamond.

Clarity

Clarity refers to how clear or free of imperfections a diamond is. Diamonds are typically inspected under microscopes, which offer ten times magnification. If no imperfections are detected when it is examined, then the diamond is considered flawless.

Cut

Cut is very closely related to clarity. This is primarily because the cut can enhance or distract from any inclusions. Contrary to popular belief, the cut does not refer to the shape of the diamond, but instead it describes how the shape was formed.

Carat

Last but certainly not least is the issue of carat. Simply put, carat is the unit of measurement used to gauge the size or weight of a diamond. Other terms used for this measurement include: total carat weight (TCW), carat weight total (CWT) and/or total weight of carats (TWC).