Diamond Education
Understanding the 4Cs (Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat) helps you choose a diamond that balances beauty and value. Here's what you need to know.
Cut
The most important factor for brilliance
Cut refers to how well a diamond's facets interact with light. It's the single biggest factor in a diamond's sparkle and fire.
Grades range from Excellent to Poor. An Excellent cut diamond reflects nearly all light that enters it, creating maximum brilliance.
Even a diamond with perfect color and clarity can appear dull if poorly cut. We recommend prioritizing cut above all other factors.
Color
Less color means higher value
Diamond color is graded on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown). The less color, the rarer and more valuable the stone.
D–F diamonds are colorless and very rare. G–J appear nearly colorless to the untrained eye and offer excellent value.
Beyond K, yellow tints become visible. Some prefer the warm look of lower color grades, especially in yellow gold settings.
Clarity
Nature's fingerprint
Clarity measures the presence of internal inclusions and surface blemishes. Most are microscopic and invisible to the naked eye.
Grades range from FL (Flawless) to I3 (Included). VS1–VS2 and SI1 offer the best balance of beauty and value.
An 'eye-clean' diamond (no visible inclusions without magnification) is the practical goal for most buyers.
Carat Weight
Size isn't everything
Carat is a unit of weight, not size. One carat equals 0.2 grams. Two diamonds of the same carat weight can look different sizes depending on cut and shape.
Price per carat increases significantly at popular thresholds (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 carats). A 0.95 CT diamond can look identical to a 1.0 CT but cost significantly less.
A well-cut diamond with good proportions will face up larger than a poorly cut stone of the same weight.
Have questions? Our team can walk you through every detail in person.
Talk to an Expert