Carat Weight

As with all precious stones, the weight of a diamond is expressed in carats. One carat is divided into 100 "points" so that a diamond of 25 points is described as quarter of a carat or 0.25 carats. Here are some examples that show approximate size of diamonds.

Color

Although the majority of diamonds appear colorless,others can contain increasing tinges of yellow or brown. some of which are refered to champagne diamonds. Rare stones of exceptional color - green, red,blue, pink or amber are known as fancies.

Clarity

Almost all diamonds contain minute traces of non-crystallized carbon or small non-diamond crystals. Most are not discernible to the naked eye and require magnification to become visible. Called inclusions, they make every diamond unique. However, the fewer the inclusions, the rarer the diamond.

Cut

Of all the 4C's, cut is the only characteristic of the diamond that can be influenced by the human hand. It is the cut that enables a diamond to make the best use of light. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, the light is reflected from one facet to another and dispersed through the top of the stone. The cut should not be too deep or too shallow, otherwise light escapes through the sides or the bottom.