Color: Color represents where the diamond fits on the Diamond Color Scale which is from D to Z. D is the best color and represents the whitest diamonds, and Z the worst color and represents the most Yellow/Brown diamonds. Using a sheet of plain white printer paper to put the diamond on or next to will help you gauge how white vs yellow the diamond is.
Clarity: Clarity represents how clear the diamond is on the inside. The scale goes from IF (Internally Flawless) all the way to I3 (Inclusion Grade 3). IF being the best and I3 being the worst. The best way to explain how to gauge clarity on a diamond is this: If you can use you naked eye to look at a diamond and see imperfections then the diamond is an I1, I2 or an I3. If you cannot see any imperfections with your naked eye then the diamond is SI2, SI1, VS2, VS1, VVS2, VVS1 or IF. Once you have identified that the diamond fits into one of these 2 grading scales, it is time to use a loupe to look more closely. If you have decided the diamond is on the SI2 to IF side of the scale you must look for inclusions inside the diamond with the loupe to gauge just how clear the diamond is. If you are able to see imperfections with the loupe then that means that the diamond is either an SI2 or an SI1. If you see more than 2 inclusions and/or if the inclusions are closer to the center of the table (top of diamond) then the diamond is likely an SI2. If you cannot see any inclusions at all the diamond is going to be VS2 or better which requires more specialized grading equipment to assess.
Carat: Carat represents the size of the diamond and is also known as the diamond weight. Carat can be represented in many ways such as in decimals (.25, 25 points, quarter carat). There are 100 points in a carat or to put it another way using decimals 1 carat is 1.00.
Cut: Cut represents the shape of the diamond as well as how well the cut of that particular shape reflects light. The term “Fire” when talking about diamonds represents how well the diamond reflects light. More sparkle and colors reflecting in a real diamond is a good thing and increases the value. The fire in a diamond has everything to do with how the jeweler cut the diamond. There are many shapes of diamonds which can be browsed through on Bravo or if you google diamond cuts.
