Chemically speaking, a diamond is the simplest of all gemstones. It is plain crystallized carbon. Diamond is the hardest natural substance known. White diamonds are the most popular, but diamonds occur in every color of the rainbow. When color is very prominent, the gems are called a fancy or master fancy diamond.

The factors used to determine the quality and value of a diamond are referred to as the "4-Cs" In terms of their effect on the value of a diamond, their order of importance is:

1. Color

2. Clarity

3. Cutting and proportions

4. Carat weight

In terms of beauty, however, we put the cutting first.

With a little experience, you'll decide which C's are most important to you, and you'll know what to look for to select the perfect combination - one that meets your emotional needs and fits within your financial requirements.

1. Cut - includes proportions, finish, symmetry, and polish of the diamond. Differences in cutting can also affect the durability of a diamond because, as a crystal, it has lines which can fracture; ironically, this is the very quality that enables us to cut this hardest of materials. A well-cut diamond commands a premium and will cost much more than one that is cut poorly. Most round, brilliant (cut) diamonds have 58 carefully angled flat surfaces, called facets. When a diamond is cut too shallow, light escapes before it can be reflected in one direction. If the cut is too deep, light also escapes through the opposite direction. When a diamond is cut to correct proportions, light is reflected from one facet to another and then to the top of the stone, maximizing it's radiance and brilliance.

2. Color -The first thing most people notice about a diamond is whether or not it is white or, more accurately, colorless. The finest "white" diamonds are absolutely colorless. Naturally colored diamonds are "fancy". Diamonds are graded on an alphabetical scale beginning with the letter D - the finest, rarest, most absolutely colorless diamond - and continuing down through the entire alphabet the to the letter Z. Each letter after D indicates increasing amounts of yellowish tint to the gems. The closer the letter is to D the whiter the diamond. The closer the letter is to Z, the yellower the diamond.

3. Clarity - describes the clearness or purity of a diamond. This is determined by the number, size, nature, and location of the internal (inclusions) and external (blemishes) imperfections. The clarity grade is based on what can be seen when the diamond is examined using 10x magnification as provided by a loupe, the instrument eternally worn by jewelers and watchmakers as a badge of their craft.

4. Carat - the unit of a diamond's weight, not size. There are 100 points to carat; for example, a stone which weighs 75 points means that it weighs 75/100 of a carat, or 3/4 carat; 25 points = 1/4 carat; 10 points 1/10 carat.