The Fifth C of Buying a Gemstone
Cost Along With Cut, Carat, Clarity, and Color is a Consideration
Dec 20, 2008
The cost of a diamond or other precious gemstone is tied to the other Cs. Fancy colored diamonds are much more expensive that white. Flaws and blemishes in the gemstone also affect the price. To understand the relationship of cost, it is important to have the basic understanding of the other Cs.
Cutting Style
The first of the 5Cs discussed is cutting style. This is a major concern in the purchasing process as some gemstones are normally cut using a specific shape and style and aren’t available in other shapes or cuts. Here are some examples of the many gemstone shapes:
- Marquise - vertical elliptical shape that is pointed at both ends
- Pear - in the shape of a tear drop with a wider bottom than a briolette
- Heart - in the shape of the stylized heart, round with a cleft at the top
- Oval - egg shaped
- Cushion - a square or rectangular shape with rounded corners
The cutting style itself affects the 5th C. Heart shaped stones must be extremely well cut which makes them more expensive. Additionally, a well cut gemstone in any shape will be more expensive than a poorly cut one. It is the objective of the gem cutter to use the cutting style to enhance the natural beauty of the gemstone. For example, making the gem sparkle and dance in the light rather than it appearing dull and lifeless.
Caret
Caret (ct) refers to the standard unit of weight used for gemstones. There is a difference in gemstone size versus weight among the different gemstones. Some gemstones are denser than others and pack more weight into the same measurements. For those that watch their weight, liken this to the relationship between body fat and muscle. Muscle weights more than fat.
Ruby and emerald are two of the three precious colored gemstones. Ruby is denser than emerald. Therefore, a one-carat ruby will be smaller than a one-carat emerald. Larger gemstones are rarer than smaller ones. Taking into consideration supply and demand, larger gemstones will be more expensive in a disproportionate fashion.
Color
The color of a gemstone will greatly influence its price. Usually the darker the hue of a colored gemstone, the higher it’s price. Diamonds are judged using a different set of color criteria involving a letter scale and an evaluation of the diamond’s fluorescence.
Clarity
Some gemstones have more naturally occurring flaws than others. Because of this fact, flaws in certain gemstones will not greatly affect the cost while flaws in others will. Aquamarine or topaz generally have very few or no inclusions. Specimens of these gemstones that are not eye clean should be extremely inexpensive. Other gemstones, such as emeralds, almost always have inclusions — many of which are visible to the naked eye. Since this is a naturally occurring event, there is more tolerance and less effect on cost.
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