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The 4 Cs
All diamonds are not created equal.  The 4Cs are the key characteristics of diamonds: carat, cut, color and clarity.  Two diamonds of equal carat weight may vary substantially in price due to their Cut, Color and Clarity.  When choosing a diamond, all 4Cs must be taken into account.  But keep this in mind: bigger isn't necessarily better. A two-carat diamond that is cut poorly is not nearly as beautiful as a smaller diamond, cut by a skilled diamond artisan. Or, it may be cut well, but have poor color and clarity. The point is, to be exceptionally beautiful, a diamond must be of high quality in all 4Cs.

Carat Weight:
A diamond's weight is determined by carat weight. One carat is divided into 100 "points" so that a diamond of 25 points is described as a quarter of a carat, or 0.25 carats. Size is only one factor in determining the value of a diamond.  Of the Four C's, carat weight is the easiest to measure.   A carat  weight measures the weight of a diamond.

Weight                         Points
1 carat stone             1.00 carat       100 points
¾ carat stone           .75 carats         75 points
½ carat stone           .50 carats         50 points

Clarity:
Clarity is an indication of a diamond's purity.When a rough stone is extracted from carbon, deep beneath the earth, tiny traces of natural elements are almost always trapped inside. These elements are called inclusions, though sometimes referred to as birthmarks, because they are formed naturally and are unique to each stone.  Because most inclusions are not visible to the naked eye, a jeweler will use a magnifier known as a loupe to reveal a diamond's inclusions.

Cut:
People commonly refer to the shape of a diamond as the cut (round diamonds, princess cut diamonds, marquise cut diamonds, oval diamonds, pear-shaped diamonds, emerald cut diamonds, radiant cut diamonds, heart-shaped and Asscher cut diamonds). But cut really is the craftsmanship applied in cutting the facets of the stone. The artisan attempts to cut a diamond to make the best use of light.

When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light is refracted from one facet to another, then dispersed through the top of the diamond. When a diamond is cut too deep, some light escapes through the opposite side of the diamond. If the diamond is cut too shallow, light escapes through the bottom of the stone before it can be reflected. In addition, the facets must be placed with precise symmetry for maximum brilliance. Cut is perhaps the most important of the 4Cs to consider. A well cut diamond – regardless of its shape, sparkles, has more fire and offers the greatest brilliance.

Color:
Color is the natural body color visible in a diamond and is the one C determined completely by nature, not man. As a rule, the closer a diamond is to colorless, the more valuable and beautiful it is. Diamond colors appear in a range. Color grades D, E and F are considered colorless, making them rare.  However, even more rare than the colorless are the fancy colored diamonds. These diamonds are beyond the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) color scale. There are well defined colors that include pink, canary yellow, blue and green…highly priced, extremely rare, major showpieces!