Guides
The 4Cs
Cut, colour, clarity and carat — in the order that actually matters.
In plain terms
- CutHow well the stone returns light. Spend here first — it is what people see across a room.
- ColourHow close to colourless. D–F reads white in any setting; G–J can look identical in yellow or rose gold.
- ClarityWhat is inside. Once nothing is visible to the eye, more clarity costs money nobody can see.
- CaratWeight, not size. Shape and cut decide how big a stone looks on the hand.
How we would spend it
Put the money into cut, take colour to the point where it reads white in your metal, and stop clarity at eye-clean. Then buy as much carat as is left.
