Cut
How well a diamond's facets are proportioned and finished. It's the biggest driver of sparkle.
Diamond education
Understanding Diamonds
These four qualities, considered together, shape a diamond's character, brilliance, and value.
Color
How close a diamond comes to colorless, graded on a scale from D (icy white) to Z.
Clarity
The presence of natural inclusions, from flawless to visible. Most are invisible to the naked eye.
Shape
The outline of the stone: round, oval, emerald, and more.
The first C
Cut
Cut is not the shape of a diamond. It's how precisely the stone has been faceted, proportioned, and polished. A well-cut diamond catches light and returns it as brilliance and fire; a poorly cut one looks dull, even if its color and clarity are excellent.
Because cut has the greatest effect on how a diamond looks, it's the quality we recommend prioritizing. Cut is typically graded from Excellent down to Poor.
- Excellent / Ideal: maximum sparkle and light return
- Very Good: brilliant, with subtle differences only an expert would spot
- Good: bright and attractive at a gentler price
- Fair / Poor: noticeably less lively
The second C
Color
In white diamonds, "color" actually measures the absence of color. The most prized stones are completely colorless, letting light pass through unhindered. As you move down the scale, a faint warmth, usually yellow or brown, gradually appears.
The industry grades color from D to Z. The differences between neighboring grades are subtle, and many warmer stones look beautifully white once set, especially in yellow or rose gold.
- D – F: colorless, the rarest and brightest white
- G – J: near-colorless, excellent value with no visible tint
- K – Z: faint to noticeable warmth, prized by some for character
The third C
Clarity
Almost every stone carries tiny natural features, known as inclusions inside and blemishes on the surface. Clarity describes how few and how noticeable these are. Most are microscopic and have no effect on how the diamond looks to the naked eye.
Clarity is graded under 10× magnification, from Flawless to Included. Many stones graded SI and above are "eye-clean," meaning no inclusions are visible without a loupe.
- FL – IF: flawless to internally flawless, exceptionally rare
- VVS1 – VVS2: inclusions very difficult to see even under magnification
- VS1 – VS2: minor inclusions, invisible to the eye
- SI1 – SI2: noticeable under magnification, usually eye-clean
- I1 – I3: inclusions visible to the naked eye
The finishing touch
Shape
Shape is the outline of the diamond when viewed from above, and it's often the most personal choice of all. Each shape carries its own character, from the timeless sparkle of a round brilliant to the clean, architectural lines of an emerald cut.
Shape comes down to personal preference. A few of the most popular:
- Round: the classic, maximizing brilliance
- Oval: elegant and elongating on the finger
- Princess: sharp, modern, square brilliance
- Emerald: long step-cut facets and quiet sophistication
- Cushion: soft, romantic rounded corners
- Pear: a graceful blend of round and marquise