Lab Grown Diamonds: Cut vs. Clarity - What Matters Most?

Cut Vs. Clarity In Lab Grown Diamonds

You must have probably read a lot of articles about the 4C’s in lab grown diamonds. Every article about engagement rings and diamonds online mentions the cut, color, clarity, and carat playing an important part in their grading and authentication process.

However, the one question that usually strikes one’s mind is how two diamonds that look exactly the same have such a huge difference in price. The simple answer is that the minute change in the 4C's of lab cut diamonds can greatly influence their price.

However, very few people actually understand which 4C to give more importance when searching for the perfect diamond jewelry for their special someone. When buying a diamond engagement ring, it is essential to understand how the cut and clarity of a diamond affect its appearance and price.

Let us understand which two C’s are most important among them and how they will influence your search and wallet.

Lab Grown Diamonds: Importance of Cut and Clarity

Let us first talk about the diamond cut in detail.

The cut of the stone indicates the symmetry, proportions, and polish of the lab grown diamond. Although the cut is the hardest to quantify among the 4C’s, it has three features – fire, brilliance, and scintillation.

Fire indicates the spreading of light into various spectrum colors; brilliance indicates the total amount of light reflected from the gemstone; scintillation indicates the flashes of sparkle or light. All these attributes determine how spectacular a diamond is.

The cut of the stone determines its beauty more than any other factor. Different cuts of diamonds act as a prism that splits white light into a rainbow of colors.

All lab grown diamond manufacturers would ideally strive to improve the light performance of loose diamonds. However, since some customers are willing to pay more for larger diamonds, there is pressure to sacrifice beauty for size. A poorly cut diamond will seem dull even if it has excellent clarity and color.

The bad news is that the grading report of the diamond cut is extremely broad, and they do a very bad job of showing the true beauty of the gemstone. Two diamonds with the same cut grade level online could appear completely different when seen in person. If you want to get the best diamond for your money, you must see/inspect it up close.

Diamond Clarity 

Like most things that exist, a diamond too, is not completely perfect. The clarity of a diamond is directly related to its number of inherent imperfections. These flaws can include feathery cracks, dark spots, or white points in the gemstone. The fact that lab grown diamonds are completely ‘flawless’ is very scarce and is quite costly.  

There are people who appreciate stones that have very few flaws. However, it would help if you remembered that unless you reach the grade SI2 or lower, it is unlikely that any flaw will be visible to the naked eye. A diamond doesn't have to be flawless to look beautiful.

The cost of an eye-clean diamond is a fraction of that of a truly flawless diamond, but both of them has the same appearance. Most shoppers find that sacrificing clarity grade for what it offers in other categories is well worth it because the flaws aren't visible to the naked eye.

You may wish to prioritize another "C" unless you are planning on examining your diamond every time you look at it, depending on what's important to you.

What Does This Mean For You?

The four Cs of lab grown diamonds are just as important and relevant today as it was before. They give diamonds a universal standard and provide the authenticity and value you need in your investment.

However, you should keep in mind that the 4 C’s are just merely a guideline. If you are considering buying a diamond engagement ring, you must understand how each factor affects the appearance and price of the stone.

Read more, 4 c's of Diamonds

The gemstone's cut is essential in determining the overall beauty and appearance of a diamond. Buying a higher grade in clarity will not help if your stone is poorly cut. However, the same is not the case with good-quality cut stones. Even if you buy a lower clarity grade (SI1-SI2) or lower color grade (G-H), an excellent cut will make it look sparkly and brilliant.

Thus, you now understand which C you have to pay the most attention to. Make sure that your investment has a balance of all the four C’s properly.