Before you start diamond shopping, you want to have an understanding of what you're buying. This guide simplifies the four Cs of diamonds — cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, so you can select your diamond based on the same criteria jewelers use to grade them.

After reading through this guide, you'll be ready to choose the diamond that's right for you.

Cut
The brilliance and sparkle of a diamond is determined by its cut. A diamond that is well cut allows the most light to be reflected from each of its facets and dispersed through the top. A poor cut diamond is either cut too shallow, meaning the light will disperse through the bottom and look dull, or the diamond is cut too deep, and the light escapes through the sides.

We believe that the cut is one of the most important of the 4 C’s. Even with the perfect color and clarity, a diamond will look dull if it is not cut properly. Diamonds carry the following cut grades: Excellent, Ideal, Very Good, Good or Fair.

 

Clarity
Almost all diamond carry inclusions that are often naked to the visible eye. These also make diamonds unique, as no two diamonds are the same. However, these inclusions impact a diamonds clarity. The absence of inclusions or the fewer inclusions a diamond has means better clarity. Thus, the greater the clarity, the greater the value of the diamond. An internally flawless diamond has no inclusions, but these diamonds are very rare.

Diamonds with very, very small inclusions inclusions are graded VVS1 or VVS2 and cannot be seen by the naked eye. I1 to I2 diamonds have inclusions that are visible to the naked eye and are considered to be a lower grade.

 

Color
Colorless diamonds come in a variety of color grades that are marked D through Z. D, E and F grade diamond are the most rare, and thus, the most expensive. These contain no color. The further down the scale you go, the more yellow appears in the diamond. However, it is very difficult for the untrained eye to see the differences in the stone unless they are viewed side to side. Remember, that a good diamond is a combination of the cut, color and clarity.

 

Carat Weight
The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. 1 carat equals 100 points. Diamonds may be referred to as a ¾ carat stone or a .75 point diamond. The larger the diamond, the more valuable it is, but it should not be the only consideration. The cut, clarity and color should be considered for a desirable diamond.