The Most Important C

The jewelry industry puts a great deal of value on the 4Cs - color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. People often make purchases on the Internet based on these stats alone without even seeing a diamond.

At Gannaway Bros. Jewelers we use another "C" in evaluating our diamonds. We call it the 5th C - COMMENTS. A woman knows she bought the right diamond when she is constantly being showered with admiring comments from friends and strangers alike. Beautiful diamonds attract attention.

Top 5th C Diamonds

So how do we know which diamonds rate highly in the 5th C? When our customers come in to get their jewelry cleaned, they always let us know when they are getting comments from friends, the grocery store clerk, and their associates at work. We also survey our customers to discover their response to different cutting styles in diamonds. When a person being surveyed responds with "Wow!" or "That's incredible!" it's safe to assume that diamond will rate high on the 5th C.

For years, the Hearts and Arrows Ideal Cut diamond has been the king of comments. It is a 58 facet diamond that is cut to maximize beauty and brilliance. It has consistently rated highly in the 5th C since we began offering it in the 1980s. Since then, no cutting style has been able to compete with the Hearts and Arrows Ideal Cut until recently.

In 2004, we were introduced to the STAR 129, a new 129 facet cut. We were quite impressed by the brilliance of this diamond. After showing dozens of our customers this new cut, it was clear that the STAR 129 rated very highly in the 5th C.

Certificates or 5th C?

What man ever exclaimed on bended knee, "With this G.I.A. certified, H-SI1, class 2 cut diamond, do I thee wed." Certificates can assist the novice to categorize and evaluate diamonds in a general way. This is a great help when purchasing a diamond. They are also very useful as an identification tool if your diamond is lost or stolen. Reputable certificates ensure various physical properties, but they do not ensure beauty. That's why the 5th C is so important.

Will it be more meaningful to her to receive multiple compliments at the wedding reception on her phenomenal diamond or to receive the analytical analysis of the physical properties of her diamond listed on the certificate?

Every comment she receives for the rest of her life will remind her of that special moment when you expressed your love with a diamond. If you give her a diamond that rates highly in the 5th C, she will be reminded daily.