Rancid learns about the 4 Cs

_Elsa_

The salesperson puts the rings back in the display case and takes out some paperwork to show Rancid.

He shows him a chart of the 4Cs and then begins his explanation on each.

 “The 4 Cs represent Cut, Carat, Color, and Clarity,” he says. 

 

“The Cut of a diamond refers to the way the diamond was faceted to allow light to reflect from it. In a well-cut diamond, light enters the diamond and reflects straight back to the viewer’s eye. The width and depth can have an effect on how light travels within the diamond, and how it exits in the form of brilliance.

The Carat is a metric unit equal to 0.20 grams and is used as the standard unit of weight of diamonds and most other gems. To simplify this further, it’s the size of the diamond when it’s loose, meaning not in the mounting of the ring. If other factors are held equal, the more a loose diamond weighs, the more valuable it will be. In the diamond trade, prices are expressed as a price per carat. The Carat Weight has the biggest impact on the price of a diamond. For example, a two-carat diamond is more than double the price of a one carat diamond

The Clarity describes the absence of presence of internal and external flaws. A perfect stone with perfect clarity is rare, although some flaws cannot be seen without using magnification. The clarity of a diamond is understood in grades as follows: 

• FL – Flawless, these stones have no imperfections inside or on the outside of the stone under the magnification of a loupe of 10X magnification.

• IF - Internally Flawless, this grade is awarded to diamonds with no internal flaws and only minor external blemishes.

• VVS1, VVS2 - Very Very Slightly Imperfect, these stones have very, very small inclusions, which are extremely difficult to see under a loupe of 10X magnification.

• VS1, VS2 - Very Slightly Imperfect, these stones have very small inclusions, or imperfections, which are slightly difficult to see under a loupe of 10X magnification.

 I don’t want to show you any diamond rings with imperfections. You want the best for your bride-to-be. Now let’s continue on to the last C.

The Color of a diamond has the second biggest impact on its price, after carat weight. Though many diamonds appear colorless, most have at least a trace of yellow or brown color. The absence of color is an indication of higher value because diamonds act like prisms, separating white light through them into a spectrum of colors; the more transparent the diamond, the wider the spectrum of colors, and subsequently, the higher the value. from Colorless to Light Yellow, “D” through “Z.” A diamond classified as “D” is considered colorless, and if the color is more intense than “Z,” it is considered fancy. You can view of all this information here. 

Rancid kind of understands the 4 Cs but he finds that it is too much to take it all in at once. He thanks the salesperson and promises to get back to him in a couple of days.

Let's continue with the next part of our story - Rancid calls Lucy

Start at the beginning of the story – Rancid proposes to Rachel