The 4Cs Guide of Diamonds

An international measure of quality

Swarovski Created Diamonds Jewelry Read the Buying Guide

What Are the 4Cs of Diamonds?

Universally recognized, the 4Cs are a guiding light in the world of diamonds, helping to determine the quality and value of each stone - the 4Cs stand for color, cut, carat, and clarity. The laboratory grown diamonds in the Swarovski Created Diamonds collections are graded against these 4Cs by IGI, the International Gemological Institute. The laboratory grown diamonds in these collections are of very fine quality: G+ in color and VS+ in clarity.

laboratory grown diamond rings conceptual imagery

What is diamond clarity?

Diamond clarity is a measure of the purity of the stone graded by the visibility of two types of characteristics - inclusions and blemishes. In order to assess clarity, the diamond is inspected under 10x power magnification. The number and nature of external (blemishes), and internal characteristics (inclusions), as well as their size and position, determine the clarity grading.

Clarity Principles and Factors

The clarity of a laboratory grown diamond is judged by its flaws, which means the inclusions and blemishes that give it unique character and charm. Discover more about diamond clarity below.

INTERNALLY FLAWLESS

The highest possible clarity of diamond is an internally flawless (I.F.) stone. These are incredibly rare and most mined and laboratory grown stones have inclusions.

To The Naked Eye

While almost all diamonds are flawed, those graded between I.F. and SI 2 have inclusions that aren’t visible to the naked eye, only under magnification.

Types of Inclusion

The different types of diamond inclusion include feather, pinpoint, cloud, and metallic. Metallic inclusions are only found in laboratory grown diamonds.

A TRICK OF THE LIGHT

Inclusions and blemishes can have an impact on the way a diamond reflects and absorbs the light.

I.F.

Internally flawless

VVS 1

VVS 2

Very very slightly included

VS 1

VS 2

Very slightly included

SI 1

SI 2

Slightly included

I 1

I 2

I 3

Included

Diamond Clarity Chart

Diamond clarity scale and grades

The diamond clarity scale runs from I.F. to I 3 and is based on the number of inclusions and blemishes found in each stone. Diamond clarity grades are determined under standard viewing conditions with 10x magnification; I.F. is used to represent an internally flawless diamond, while at the other end of the diamond clarity chart, I 3 stands for the inclusion of a visible blemish. Truly flawless diamonds are extremely rare – almost all stones, including laboratory grown diamonds, have inclusions of some kind or other.

What is diamond cut?

Cut refers to how a diamond’s facets interact with light to reveal its internal fire. It is the cut that gives each stone its personality, and perfecting the proportions, symmetry, and precision-cut angles of laboratory grown diamonds gives them their brilliant shine.

Cut Principles and Factors

The quality of how a laboratory grown diamond is cut is based on its proportions, symmetry, and polish. An expert cut creates a multitude of facets, absorbing and reflecting the light so the stone shimmers from every angle.

MAXIMUM BRILLIANCE

A diamond cut shape that is perfectly symmetrical with aligned facets will reflect the light at the highest possible intensity, emitting a powerful shine.

DIAMOND CUT CHART

Diamond cuts are graded by the IGI on a scale of Excellent to Poor. An excellent cut requires technical mastery, artistry, and expertise.

EVERY FACET

Facet is the term used to describe each flat surface that makes up the surface of a diamond, each absorbing and dispersing the light differently.

De beste SLIJPVORM

Hoewel grootte, symmetrie en slijpvorm de plaats van een diamant bepalen op de diamant slijpvorm grafiek, kan geen enkele slijpvorm op tegen de uitbundigheid die een steen uitstraalt.

Kleurloos

D-F

Vrijwel kleurloos

G-J

Enigszins getint

K-M

Zeer lichte kleur

N-R

Lichte kleur

S-Z

Kleurtabel en -kaart voor diamanten

De kleur van diamanten wordt beoordeeld op een schaal van D tot Z, waarbij D helder ijswit is zonder een vleugje geel, en Z geel- en bruintinten bevat. Elk letterbereik op de kaart geeft de tint van de steen aan, waarbij de diamanten met de classificatie D tot en met F kleurloos zijn en de diamanten met de classificatie S tot en met Z een lichtgele of bruine kleur hebben. Swarovski accepteert alleen de beste laboratorium-diamanten in zijn collecties, waardoor ze variëren van kleurloos tot bijna kleurloos (D-G).

Color Principles and Factors

Colorless stones are the most desirable in the world of diamonds and they are extremely rare. Swarovski Created Diamonds are evaluated against the standardized diamond color scale.

COLORLESS DIAMONDS

Truly colorless diamonds are extremely rare. Also known as ice white, D diamonds are also the most expensive diamond color to buy.

FIND YOUR SHADE

Finding a D diamond color isn’t always important when selecting your stone. A warm white might suit your individual style more than an ice white.

CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT

Each diamond’s color grade is assessed in a laboratory using controlled lighting, with the stone faced down, and with master samples used for comparison.

BLEMISHES

Laboratory grown diamonds do not include any intentional blemishes or the color defects that can come from the use of poorer quality carbon seeds.

What is diamond carat weight?

A carat is a unit of weight used specifically to measure precious stones including laboratory grown diamonds. A diamond may have a higher carat weight without appearing larger, and two diamonds of the same carat weight can vary in size if one is cut deeper than the other. One carat weighs 1/5 of a gram and is divided into 100 points.

2.5 mm

0.05 CT

3.0 mm

0.10 CT

3.8 mm

0.20 CT

4.5 mm

0.30 CT

4.8 mm

0.40 CT

5.2 mm

0.50 CT

5.8 mm

0.70 CT

6.3 mm

0.90 CT

6.5 mm

1.00 CT

6.9 mm

1.25 CT

7.4 mm

1.50 CT

7.8 mm

1.75 CT

8.2 mm

2.00 CT

8.8 mm

2.50 CT

9.4 mm

3.00 CT

Diamond Carat Weight

Laboratory Grown Diamond Carat Scale

The carat measurement is derived by the word ‘carob’, a seed that was used as a diamond weight reference for traders in the ancient world. Carats are an international standard unit of measurement for the weight of a diamond. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams, so a 5 carat diamond will weigh one gram. The diamond carat does not refer to the size of a stone, simply how much it weighs. Diamonds usually become more expensive as their carat increases.

Discover Diamonds

Forever Brilliance

Swarovski Created Diamonds jewelry herald the start of an exciting new chapter. Expanding our unmistakable savoir-faire into multidimensional new territories and breaking new ground in our mastery of cut and light-filled creation.

Discover Swarovski Created Diamonds

man made diamonds impressionistic imagery

All About Swarovski Created Diamonds

Laboratory Grown Diamonds

Discover the world of Swarovski Created Diamonds jewelry, redefining the future of diamonds with exceptional collections that bridge the gap between tradition and current trends. From the otherworldly brilliance of our interstellar collection to the pure elegance of our signature pieces, find a style that will last a lifetime.

Laboratory Grown Diamonds Buying Guide

Find the perfect piece

A natural progression of our brand DNA, Swarovski Created Diamonds jewelry are laboratory grown diamonds, masterfully cut, intensely bright, and identical to their mined counterparts in every way but origin. Formed layer by layer from a carbon seed, they serve as a flawless reflection of nature’s radiance.

Read our Laboratory Grown Diamonds Buying Guide

What are Laboratory Grown Diamonds?

Laboratory Grown Diamonds explained

Find out more about diamonds that are grown in a laboratory, and how the process of replicating the way diamonds are formed in the earth is achieved. Discover the different cuts of diamonds in the Swarovski Created Diamond Collections, as well as the inspiration behind the designs.

What are Laboratory Grown Diamonds?

Frequently asked questions

Diamond 4Cs FAQs

What are the 4Cs?

Every diamond varies slightly from the next and has its own individual distinguishing characteristics. Laboratory grown diamonds are 100% diamonds, and just like mined diamonds our laboratory grown diamonds are evaluated according to the 4Cs of diamond grading. The 4Cs are color, clarity, cut and carat weight, and they are the globally accepted standards used to assess the quality of diamonds.

Is diamond clarity important?

The higher the clarity grading, the less inclusions or blemishes a diamond has, making it a higher-value diamond than one with a lower grading.

What is the highest diamond clarity?

Diamond clarity is a measure of the purity of the stone graded by the visibility of two types of characteristics - inclusions and blemishes.
In order to assess clarity, the diamond is inspected under 10x power magnification. The number and nature of external (blemishes), and internal characteristics (inclusions), as well as their size and position, determine the grade.
Gemologists grade diamonds from Internally Flawless (IF) as the highest quality to Included (I3).

Are laboratory grown diamonds flawless?

No, nearly all diamonds (mined or laboratory grown) have inclusions. Metallic inclusions can occur in laboratory grown diamonds. If an expert spots a trace of metal in a diamond, they can assume it is laboratory grown. While laboratory grown diamonds with defects do exist, Swarovski only uses high quality laboratory grown diamonds certified by the International Gemological Institute (IGI) according to the 4Cs to ensure that only the finest quality diamonds join the Swarovski Created Diamond collections.

Do laboratory grown diamonds get cloudy?

No, laboratory-grown diamonds do not get cloudy over time. They are 100% identical to diamonds with the same physical and chemical properties, and should not degrade or change appearance over time. Where poor quality diamond seeds have been used, some laboratory-grown diamonds contain obvious defects, such as color tinges from impurities in the diamond or crystal structure imperfections. The laboratory grown diamonds processed in Swarovski Created Diamonds jewelry are a very high quality standard and do not have unnatural, problematic characteristics.

How are laboratory grown diamonds certified and graded?

The laboratory grown diamonds processed in Swarovski Created Diamonds jewelry are hand-selected and examined by experienced gemologists to ensure they fulfill our high quality standards. Every piece of jewelry in the Galaxy and Eternity collections is accompanied with a digital laboratory report from the International Gemological Institute (IGI).

What are diamond facets?

Diamantfacetten verwijzen naar elk plat oppervlak dat de vorm van een diamant bepaalt. Elke diamant heeft meerdere facetten waarmee hij licht kan absorberen en weerspiegelen.

Hoe wordt de kwaliteit van de slijpvorm bepaald?

We denken bij de slijpvorm van een diamant vaak aan de vorm (rond, hart, ovaal, markies, peer), maar de slijpvorm van een diamant betekent eigenlijk hoe goed de facetten van de diamant op het licht reageren. De slijpvorm van een diamant is een maatstaf voor de kwaliteit van de vorm, geometrie en afwerking van de diamant. Ronde briljantgeslepen diamanten krijgen een formeel slijpcijfer op een schaal van Perfect (het beste) tot Slecht. Swarovski sluit geen compromissen op het gebied van slijpkwaliteit om ervoor te zorgen dat al onze laboratorium-diamanten optimale lichtprestaties en schittering hebben.

Wat is de beste slijpvorm voor diamanten?

De slijpvorm verwijst naar de manier waarop de facetten van een diamant reageren op licht om de interne fonkeling te onthullen. Het is de slijpvorm die elke steen zijn persoonlijkheid geeft. Het perfectioneren van de groottes, symmetrie en precisiegeslepen randen van Swarovski Created Diamonds geeft ze hun schitterende glans. De beste slijpvorm heeft een goed evenwicht tussen de breedte en diepte om symmetrie te creëren, niet te ondiep en niet te diep. Dit creëert het perfecte breekpunt van licht, wat in de diamant wordt weerspiegelt en de gepolijste helderheid accentueert.

Hoe wordt de kleur van een diamant bepaald?

Kleur verwijst naar de natuurlijke tint die inherent is aan witte diamanten. De industriestandaard voor het beoordelen van kleur is om elke diamant te beoordelen aan de hand van een originele set en vervolgens een letterclassificatie van D (kleurloos) tot Z (lichtgeel) toe te kennen.
Hoe kleurlozer de diamant is, hoe hoger de kwaliteit.

Hebben laboratorium-diamanten onzuiverheden?

Wanneer diamantzaden van slechte kwaliteit zijn gebruikt, bevatten sommige laboratorium-diamanten duidelijke gebreken, zoals kleurafwijkingen door onzuiverheden of structurele onvolkomenheden. Swarovski verkoopt geen laboratorium-diamanten met onnatuurlijke, problematische kenmerken.

Wat is het karaatgewicht van een diamant?

Een karaat is een gewichtseenheid die specifiek wordt gebruikt voor edelstenen, inclusief laboratorium-diamanten. Een diamant kan een hoger karaatgewicht hebben zonder groter te lijken, en twee diamanten van hetzelfde karaatgewicht kunnen in grootte verschillen als de ene dieper is geslepen dan de andere. Eén karaat weegt 0,2 gram en is verdeeld in 100 punten.

Wat is het karaatgewicht van een diamant en hoe wordt het gemeten?

Karaatgewicht is de standaard gewichtseenheid voor diamanten en de eerste stap in het beoordelingsproces. Het karaatgewicht van diamanten geeft aan hoeveel een diamant weegt. Elk karaat kan worden onderverdeeld in 100 “punten”. Dit maakt nauwkeurige metingen tot op de honderdste decimaal mogelijk. Het gewicht van een diamant kleiner dan één karaat kan alleen worden omschreven door zijn “punten”. Hoe groter de diamant, hoe meer karaat, maar alleen u kunt beslissen hoe belangrijk dat voor u is.

Is het beter om een diamant met een hoger karaat te kopen?

Dit is een volledig persoonlijke vraag. Als u op zoek bent naar een grotere diamant, kijk dan naar de hoogte van het karaat, omdat dit het gewicht en dus de grootte van de diamant aangeeft.