THE 5TH C OF DIAMONDS

Almost every jewelry store, every diamond book, and every jewelry salesperson will tell you that there’s a 5th C.

We already know the 4C’s are cut, color, clarity and carat weight…

But some jewelers like to tack on this mysterious 5th C.

Depending on which store you visit, that 5th C could be Certification, Conflict-free, or even Confidence.

What’s funny is each store is different.

In fact, I’ve seen a whole list of different 5C’s over the course of 22 years.

The 5 C’s:

Commitment	Confidence
Certification	Conscientious
Clean	Credentials
Cutting Style	Comparison
Conflict Free	Confirmation
Credibility	Transparency

Do note that the last C in the list doesn’t even begin with a C… :)

I’ll add one more C to the mix…

CONFUSION!

It’s tough enough for customers to grasp the 4C’s and all the information they hold, let alone a 5th C. And not to mention a 5th one that is different from store to store.

I know jewelry stores want to sound credible by adding in confidence “You can trust us…“, and certification “If the diamond is certified, it’s good…“, but it’s not a real ‘C‘.

It’s not part of the 4C’s and it has nothing to do with grading diamonds.

The 5th C was not designed by GIA (the founders of the 4C’s), and it’s not a part of their official diamond grading system.

It just makes people scratch their heads and try to piece this puzzle together.

The 4C’s give you more than enough information to make a great diamond buying decision.

The 5th C is over-kill.

The 5th C is not Carbon, Credit, Care, Courteous or Cooperation. If a store is trying to sell you on their own special ‘C‘, just ignore it. They’re just trying to be “Clever“. It’s not working.

The real beauty is cut, color, clarity and carat weight.

It’s not some made up C (Cabin Fever), that is supposed to make one store sound more knowledgeable or more sophisticated than another… It’s just nonsense.

Let the 4C’s stand on their own.

They don’t need any help. It’s hard enough for the average consumer to digest those.

If it was up to me and if I could choose one C to represent this fictional 5th C, I’d have to say:

COST.

Cost, because when it all comes down to shopping and comparing diamonds, cost is going to be the main issue for me.

I’m going to compare quality and the 4C’s of course, and I’m also going to make sure the diamond is certified, but the real bottom line is:

What’s it going to cost me?

How much am I going to spend?

That’s what I really want to know.

So when a jeweler says “There is also a fifth C…“

Just say “What’s it going to cost me?“

Because that’s a response I’d really love to… C. :)

See some incredibly priced GIA certified diamonds here at James Allen.

Cheers! :)