The Four C’s and Historic Diamonds

"Carat (or weight), Cut, Color, and Clarity” are the topics of discussion in today’s Les Enluminures podcast. Host and Les Enluminures President Sandra Hindman introduces John King, the Chief Quality Officer of the GIA (the Gemological Institute of America). They cover how the classification system used for diamonds now differs from considerations applicable to historical stones; discussing early diamond cutting experiments and techniques, the relationship between colored diamonds and contemporary art, the growing atomic life of diamonds, and even ruminating on what King’s observational skills as a gemologist share with his skills as an artist and draftsman.

This conversation took place within the exhibition Diamonds at Les Enluminures, NY, on October 28, 2019.