The most important things to look for when purchasing a diamond are the color, cut, clarity, and carat size (the 4 C’s).

Color: With regards to clarity and color, it is better to go higher in the color spectrum because that’s where the sparkle can be seen. Going higher on color means choosing a colorless or near colorless stone which allows for the most brilliance. The color spectrum ranges from best to worst, D-F (colorless), G-J (near colorless), K-M (faint yellow), N-R (very light yellow, and S-Z (light yellow) as seen in the chart below. Colorless diamonds are very expensive because of their rarity.

Cut: The cut of the diamond is often mistaken for a diamond’s shape. However, the cut is the proportions and dimensions of a stone. The brilliance that a diamond has is dependent on its cut because the way a diamond is cut determines how light is reflected off of the stone. Even a diamond with D color and IF clarity can lack brilliance if the cut is poor. The following chart shows the relationship between proportions and light, in terms of a diamond.

Clarity: Clarity refers to the amount of inclusions in a stone. Inclusions are natural imperfections caused by abnormalities or fractures within the crystal. Inclusions most often cannot be seen by the naked eye and a magnifying glass is needed to plot the inclusions. The diamond clarity spectrum from best to worst is IF (internally flawless), VVS1 and VVS2 (very, very slight inclusions), VS1 and VS2 (very slight inclusions), SI1 and SI2 (slight inclusions), and 11, 12, and 13 (visible inclusions) as seen in the chart below.

Carat Weight: The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. Total carat weight (T.W.) is the total weight of all the stones in a piece of jewelry. For example, a ring with one 1/2 carat stone and two 1/4 carat stones would have a T.W. of 1 carat.

Larger diamonds, or those with more carats, are sometimes considered to be more valuable, but occur less frequently in nature. However, diamonds of the same carat weight may vary widely in value. A diamond with poor color and clarity might be much less valuable than a smaller diamond with a better color and clarity.