The four most popular factors, or the “four C’s”, used to measure diamond quality are: Diamond Cut, Diamond Color, Diamond Clarity, and Carat Weight. This section contains all the information you need to search through our diamond database with confidence and find the diamond that’s right for you.

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DIAMOND CUT
The portions of a diamond that are important are the table, the crown (the height of the top portion of the diamond), and the pavilion (the depth of the bottom portion of the stone). The girdle (where the crown and pavilion meet) and the culet (the small surface on the very bottom of the stone) also play a role in both the brilliance and overall quality of the stone, but they’re not as important (unless they are badly bungled). The exact measurements of these portions of the stone are going to determine whether or not it sparkles, displays flaws, exhibits color, and so on, so you need to consider which cuts emphasize different traits.


DIAMOND COLOR
Diamond Color is one of the most important factors to consider, as it is noticeable to the naked eye. A diamond’s color is graded by GIA on an alphabetical scale from D to Z, with D being absolutely colorless and Z being light yellow. Beyond Z-color, a diamond is considered to be a “fancy” color. Although many diamonds appear to be colorless, many of them have at least a hint of body color.


CARAT WEIGHT
Diamond weight is measured in carats, a small unit of measurement equal to 200 milligrams. Each carat is divided into 100 points. Therefore, a half-carat stone may be referred to as a “50-pointer” or “50-points”. Carat weight is the easiest of the 4 C’s for gemologists to determine due to the use of highly sophisticated measuring equipment.


DIAMOND CLARITY
Most diamonds have unique clarity characteristics, much like a fingerprint. These distinguishing characteristics can be classified as inclusions and blemishes. Inclusions are enclosed within a diamond or extend into the diamond from its surface while blemishes, on the other hand, are confined to the diamond’s surface. When light enters a diamond, it is reflected in and refracted out. If anything disrupts the flow of light through the diamond, such as an inclusion, a proportion of the light reflected may be lost. This effect can detract from the pure beauty of the diamond.