Cut

Diamond cut is not the shape (round, princess, or oval), but the symmetry and proportion of the diamond. The cut is what gives the diamond it’s brilliance. Brilliance is the light that is reflected back out of the diamond. A poor cut diamond is much less brilliant than an ideal cut diamond. Ideal, Premium, Very Good, Good, Fair, & Poor are the types of cuts.

Clarity

Clarity refers to the inclusions (internal flaws) and blemishes (surface flaws) of the diamond. Internal flaws are cracks, bubbles, and mineral deposits in the diamond. Surface flaws are chips, scratches, and pits. The GIA diamond grading scale is divided into six categories and eleven grades. The flawless category only includes LF grade. These are extremely rare and have no internal or external flaws. Internally Flawless category only includes the IF grade. IF grade diamonds are also very rare. They have no internal flaws but do have some minor surface flaws. Very Very Slightly Included category includes the VVS1 and VVS2 grades. VVS1 is a higher clarity than VVS2. The VVS category has minute inclusions that are difficult for a gemologist to detect under a 10X magnification. Very Slightly Included category includes two grades, VS1 and VS2. Again the VS1 is a higher clarity that the VS2. These diamonds have minute inclusions that can only be seen with some difficulty under 10x magnification. The Slightly Included category contains grades SI1 and SI2. This category includes diamonds with minute inclusions that are more easily detected under 10x magnification. The last category, Included, include grades I1, I2, and I3. I1 diamonds have flaws that can often be seen with the naked eye. I2 diamonds have inclusions that are easily seen, and I3 diamonds have large and very easily seen inclusions.

Color

The color of the diamond typically refers to the presence or absence of color in a white diamond. Colorless diamonds allow more light to shine through thus creating more sparkle. The GIA color grading scale begins with D (colorless, exceptional white) and ends with Z (light yellow, tinted color). The whiter the diamond the more valuable the diamond.

Carat

A carat is how much a diamond weighs, or basically the size of the diamond. A carat is equal to 200 milligrams. The greater the carat the bigger the diamond.

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