The cut determines how well a diamond reflects and refracts light, creating brilliance, fire, and scintillation. A diamond with an excellent cut appears more luminous and can even look larger than a heavier diamond with a poor cut. Cut involves proportions, symmetry, and polish. A precise cut maximizes light performance and ensures the diamond’s overall beauty is fully realized.

Cut Grades

Excellent — Flawless proportions, maximum brilliance and fire

Very Good — High-quality sparkle with well-balanced facets

Good — Well-proportioned, pleasing light performance

Fair — Some loss of brilliance due to uneven proportionsPoor — Limited sparkle, facets poorly aligned

Color measures the presence of any hue, typically yellow or brown. Colorless diamonds allow the most light to pass through, enhancing brilliance. Slight color is normal and can subtly affect appearance and price. Near-colorless stones can appear visually white when set in jewelry. Settings can also enhance the diamond’s perceived brightness.

Color Grades

D — Completely colorless, extremely rare and highly valuable

E — Colorless, virtually indistinguishable from D

F — Colorless with very minor traces, exceptional clarity

G–H — Near colorless, slight warmth visible to trained eyes

I–J — Near colorless, subtle warmth noticeable

K–M — Faint yellow or brown, more noticeable in larger stones

N–Z — Noticeable color, can influence price and visual impact

Clarity evaluates the presence of internal inclusions and external blemishes. Diamonds with fewer imperfections are rarer and allow light to pass through more freely, increasing brilliance. Most inclusions are microscopic and invisible to the naked eye. Understanding clarity helps in finding a diamond that balances beauty and value, as slight imperfections often do not affect visual appeal but can influence cost.

Clarity Grades

Flawless (FL) — No inclusions visible under 10× magnification; extremely rareInternally Flawless

(IF) — Only minor surface blemishes

VVS1–VVS2 — Very tiny inclusions, difficult to detect under magnification

VS1–VS2 — Minor inclusions, generally invisible without magnification

SI1–SI2 — Noticeable under magnification, typically not visible to the naked eye

I1–I3 — Visible inclusions, may impact transparency or brilliance

Carat weight measures the mass of a diamond, with 1 carat equal to 0.2 grams. Larger diamonds are rarer and generally more valuable, but carat alone does not determine perceived size or brilliance.

Cut, color, and clarity influence how large a diamond appears and how much it sparkles. Two diamonds of the same carat can look very different depending on their cut. Price per carat is a useful metric for comparing value across diamonds of varying sizes.