• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

We have moved! Find us at Village at the Crossings and follow us on social media!

Search our shop
Champaign Jewelers

Champaign Jewelers

Champaign's Home for Fine Jewelry

MENU
  • Engagement
    • Explore Engagement Rings
    • Diamond Wedding Bands
    • Men’s Wedding Bands
    • Diamond & Engagement Education
  • Jewelry
    • Rings
      • Diamond Fashion Rings
      • Colored Stone Rings
      • Silver Fashion Rings
    • Earrings
      • Diamond Earrings
      • Colored Stone Earrings
      • Silver Fashion Earrings
    • Pendants & Necklaces
      • Diamond Pendants & Necklaces
      • Colored Stone Pendants & Necklaces
      • Silver Fashion Pendants & Necklaces
    • Bracelets
      • Diamond Bracelets
      • Colored Stone Bracelets
      • Silver Fashion Bracelets
    • Watches
      • Men’s Citizen Watches
      • Women’s Citizen Watches
    • Fashion Jewelry
      • Gold Jewelry
      • Pearl Jewelry
      • Fun Corner
    • Browse All Jewelry
  • Custom
  • Shop Social
  • Our Store
    • Browse All Jewelry
    • Brilliant: – by Champaign Jewelers
    • About Us
    • Financing Options
    • Our Blog
    • Our Newsletter
    • Jewelry Education
    • Store Policies
    • Frequently-Asked Questions
  • Contact

Learn About Diamonds

The Four Cs of Diamonds

Our Four C’s of Diamonds guide can help you decide on the most important factors when shopping for a diamond.

The Carat Weight

The word carat derives from the word carob, a Mediterranean seed, which has an extremely consistent weight for measuring. The greater the carat weight, the rarer, and more valuable the diamond becomes. Five metric carats weighs exactly 1 gram.

Some people want the largest diamond possible. If size is a priority, we at Champaign Jewelers can help you classify the proper cut, color and clarity to fit your budget economically, and fit your jewelry beautifully. Many of our engagement rings can fit diamonds up to 5.00 carats, but each ring has different size constraints based on its size and the type of setting. Prong settings can be manipulated to fit virtually any size diamond, but tension-set diamonds and bezel set diamonds have more limitations on size.

The Cut

The true definition of cut is the quality of the proportions and symmetry of the diamond. Your diamond's proportions make a vast difference on how brightly your diamond shines. An 'ideal cut' diamond is one that allows the maximum amount of light to return through the top of the diamond, which takes into consideration the depth, table size, crown height and angle, girdle thickness and more. Our diamond professionals will be happy to assist you in selecting the best diamond cut.

After a rough diamond is mined, it is evaluated to determine its best possible cut, in order to maintain the maximum clarity, color, and carat weight. The term 'cut' is often confused with the diamond 'shape', such as round brilliant or princess cut.

The Color

Color is one of the more noticeable attributes of a diamond and has a heavy impact on the price of the stone. Diamonds range from colorless to yellow or light brown, and are sometimes found in a spectrum of fancy colors, including yellow, blue, and even red diamonds. The less color, the rarer the diamond. After 'Z' on the color scale, diamonds become fancy yellow, which cost more because of their rarity.

Z-NM-KJIHGFED
Noticeable ColorNear ColorlessColorless

The Clarity

Diamonds are composed of mostly carbon. During the heating process, other elements become trapped inside, giving each diamond its own unique fingerprint. These inclusions help identify the clarity of your diamond. All diamonds are viewed through a 10x magnification lens by diamond graders.

FFlawlessNo inclusions or blemishes are visible to a skilled grader.
IFInternally FlawlessNo inclusions and only blemishes are visible to a skilled grader.
VVS1
VVS2
Very Very Slightly IncludedInclusions are difficult for a skilled grader to see.
VS1
VS2
Very Slightly IncludedInclusions are clearly visible but can be characterized as minor.
SI1
SI2
Slightly IncludedInclusions are noticeable to a skilled grader.
I1
I2
I3
IncludedInclusions are obvious and may affect transparency and brilliance.

Caring for your Diamond Jewelry

Diamonds are forever, as long as you take good care of them!

Diamond Cleaning: The Do’s and Don’ts

Bridal jewelry, such as engagement rings and wedding bands are typically worn daily, and can appear like they’ve lost their sparkle if not cleaned on a regular basis. Lotions put film on diamonds and reduce their shininess. Don’t wear diamond jewelry while doing rough work. Avoid chlorinated pools and hot tubs. Avoid touching diamonds with your fingers, as smudges can affect a diamond’s luster and fire.

Expert Service

If you have questions, feel free to contact one of our diamond experts at Champaign Jewelers, and we will be happy to provide all the information you need to help you keep your diamonds in great shape.

Some of our Custom Designs

cjcustomjewelrydesigns

View

May 14

Open
Betsy's Featured Designs

cjcustomjewelrydesigns

View

May 11

Open
Shayna’s Featured Designs

cjcustomjewelrydesigns

View

May 10

Open
✨✨✨Tessa's Featured Designs✨✨✨

cjcustomjewelrydesigns

View

May 9

Open
✨✨✨Jamie's Featured Designs✨✨✨

cjcustomjewelrydesigns

View

May 8

Open
Jessica's Featured Designs
See More Custom Designs

Footer

Champaign Jewelers

2437 Village Green Place
Champaign, IL 61822
(217) 693-7655

Store Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Friday: 10:00am-5:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am-2:00pm
Sunday: Closed

Engagement

Explore Engagement Ring Settings
Diamond Wedding Bands
Men’s Wedding Bands
Diamond & Engagement Education
Financing Options

Jewelry

Earrings
Rings
Necklaces & Pendants
Bracelets
Men’s Watches
Women’s Watches
Fun Corner
Financing Options

Sign Up for Our Newsletter!

Site by ThirdSide
© 2023 Champaign Jewelers. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy