Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Beyond Diamonds
How the famous 4Cs apply to colored gemstones—and where the rules change.
The 4Cs were made for diamonds, but they guide colored stones too—with different priorities. For colored gems, color leads: hue, tone, and saturation drive most of the value.
Clarity expectations vary by stone. Aquamarine is often eye-clean, while emerald almost always shows inclusions. Cut should show off color, not just maximize weight.
Carat weight raises price faster for rare stones, so a slightly smaller gem with better color is often the smarter buy.