How to read the 4Cs: a buyer's short glossary

The four Cs are carat (weight), cut, color and clarity. A certificate describes all four, but on the hand they work very differently — and you don't have to overpay for all of them at once.

Cut is the only parameter that makes a stone alive: it decides how much light comes back to your eye. We don't stock anything below Very Good — savings on cut are visible from two meters away.

Color reads in steps. Almost nobody can see the difference between D and E; many will see D versus H, especially in larger stones. The practical window is E–G: a white stone without the letter premium.

Clarity is about what you cannot see. VS1 and up means the inclusions can't be found without a loupe. Chasing IF only buys you the fact itself — on the hand there is no difference.

Carat is just weight, but price jumps at round marks: 1.00, 1.50, 2.00. A 0.92 ct stone looks almost like a full carat and costs noticeably less — the most honest way to save.

In short: maximum cut, a sensible middle on color and clarity, and weight just under a round mark. That rule builds the best stone for the budget — and it is exactly how our catalog is built.