Although most people believe diamonds to be clear or colorless, the majority of diamonds are yellow, brown, and black. Most of those diamonds find their way into industrial purposes, (drill bits, saw blades, etc.) The rarest of all diamond colors are white (or colorless).

As prices of diamonds rise, the shift to diamonds with some body color increases. It is very common to find slightly brown (called "Top Light Browns") or yellow diamonds in today’s jewelry. The whiter the diamond is, the more valuable the stone is.

Diamonds are graded for color face down, against a white background. Graders are looking at the actual body tone (hue) of the stone and comparing it to a set of master stones graded by the Gemological Institute of America. The diamond is then assigned a letter grade as seen on the accompanying chart. Most diamonds used for jewelry purposes fall into the Near Colorless Category - G to J



The Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.) grades color alphabetically from D (totally colorless) to Z (yellow). For a diamond to be considered "colorless," the G.I.A. requires that it be a D, E, or F. However, the D-Z scale is continuous, so the difference between an F and G is very small. The average color for engagement diamonds in the United States is G to H.

Jewelers have two tools at their disposal to judge the color of a given diamond. The first is what’s known as a "reference set" of stones. A jeweler will compare the stone in question with a set of master stones of known color, and make a qualitative determination as to the color grading of the stone in question.

When judging the color of a diamond, it is crucial to see the diamond un-mounted. Ask the jeweler for a master set of stones to make the comparisons yourself. To do this, place the diamond in question next to the reference stones face down on a white piece of paper, and compare the color of the stones until you get the best match.

Perhaps the most important factor to consider when selecting color is the type of setting you plan on using. If you plan on mounting the stone on a platinum or white gold setting, consider a diamond in the D-G range. Yellow gold will be much more forgiving to a less than colorless stone, regardless of the setting, the diamond will start to appear yellow if the color grade is lower than about J.

Now lets proceed to learn about diamonds Clarity.

When we speak of a diamond’s clarity, we are referring to the presence of identifying characteristics on and within the stone. While most of these characteristics are inherent qualities of the rough diamond and have been present since the earliest stages of the crystal’s growth below ground, a few are actually a result of the harsh stress that a diamond undergoes during the cutting process itself.

If you think about the incredible amount of pressure it takes to create a diamond, it’s no surprise that many diamonds have inclusions -- scratches, blemishes, air bubbles or non-diamond mineral material -- on their surface or inside. Diamonds with no or few inclusions and blemishes are more highly valued than those with less clarity, not just because they are more pleasing to the eye, but also because they are rarer.

Diamonds are graded for clarity under 10x loupe magnification. Grades range from Internally Flawless, diamonds that are completely free of blemishes and inclusions even under 10x magnification, to Imperfect 3, diamonds, which possess large, heavy blemishes, and inclusions that are visible to the naked eye.

FL: Completely flawless

IF: Internally flawless; only external flaws are present, which can be removed by further polishing the stone

VVS1 - VVS2: Only an expert can detect flaws with a 10X microscope. By definition, if an expert can see a flaw from the top of the diamond, it is a VVS2. Otherwise, if an expert can only detect flaws when viewing the bottom of the stone, then it is a VVS1

VS1 - VS2: You can see flaws with a 10X microscope, but it takes a long time (more than about 10 seconds)

SI1 - SI2: You can see flaws with a 10X microscope

I1 - I3: You can see flaws with the naked eye. Consider avoiding I2-I3 diamonds.



REMEMBER: For grades IF through SI, a diamond’s clarity grade has an impact on the diamond’s value, not on the unmagnified diamond’s appearance.

While Flawless diamonds are the most rare, a diamond does not have to be flawless to be stunning. In fact, until you drop to the "I" grade, a diamond’s clarity grade has an impact on the diamond’s value, not on the unmagnified diamond’s appearance. Diamonds with VVS and VS grades are excellent choices for both value and appearance. More affordable (and still a great choice) are those diamonds which gemologists call "eye-clean" - diamonds with no inclusions visible to the naked eye. These diamonds are SI1 and SI2 and unless the recipient carries a 10X loupe (a strong jewelry magnifying glass), she won’t see the inclusions.

There are many different types of flaws. The best way to become acquainted with them is to look at lots of diamonds. The more common ones are as follows:

Pinpoint: A very small white dot on the surface of the stone. By far, the most common flaw

Carbons: A very small black dot on the surface of the stone. Less common than pinpoints

Feathers: Small cracks within the stone, similar in look to broken glass. Small internal feathers are harmless (other than lowering the clarity rating of the diamond), but large feathers can become a problem because the crack can grow as the diamond ages

Clouds: Hazy areas within the diamond, actually made up of many small crystals that are impossible to see individually

Crystal Growth: A small crystalline growth within the diamond. Looks like a small diamond within the big diamond

Unfortunately, clarity is very difficult to judge accurately by an inexperienced consumer, so your best bet is to gain an education first by looking at lots of diamonds before making a purchase. Any good jeweler will spend the time you need to get comfortable judging the clarity of your stone -- ask different jewelers to point out the flaws in several stones until you can detect pinpoints and other flaws by yourself.

Many people make clarity the least "important" of the 4 Cs when purchasing their diamonds. The rationale is obvious -- when your partner shows the ring to all her friends, the likelihood that one of them will pull out a 10X microscope to examine the flaws on her diamond are very slim. Given that, why spend a lot of money on a VVS1 diamond when an SI2 will look exactly the same to the naked eye?

If you’re purchasing an emerald cut (or any other step cut), consider purchasing a diamond with clarity greater than SI1. Clarity flaws are much more readily visible in step cuts than in brilliant cuts.

Now lets proceed to learn about Carat Weight.

Most people think of a diamonds carat as size. The diamond carat is more accurately defined as a measure of weight. The carat is a standard unit of measure that defines the weight of a diamond, which is equivalent to 200 milligrams. Carat sizes are also expressed as "points", where a one-carat diamond equals 100 points, a one-half carat diamond being 50 points, a three-quarter carat diamond being 75 points. The GIA certified diamond report specifies the carat weight to two decimal places (ex. 2.25 carats).

Diamonds of the same carat weight can optically look different sizes. Since a carat is a unit of measure and not size, two diamonds of the same carat weight may appear to be different sizes depending on how the diamond is cut. Some diamonds will have extra weight on the bottom part - or pavilion - of the stone, and therefore appear smaller. A shallow cut diamond will have a larger diameter and will look larger from the top than a correctly proportioned diamond. Also diamonds with a larger table size will look optically larger when viewed from the top. However the proportions of the diamond are vital to the fire and brilliance of the diamond. The cut grades should be checked for any diamond certificate to ensure proper sparkle and brilliance. On a GIA diamond certificate the best grade is an "excellent" proportion.

Larger diamonds are much more rare than smaller ones. Hundreds of tons of rock and ore must be mined to uncover a single one-carat gem quality diamond. A 1 carat diamond will be much more expensive than a half carat, much more expensive than double. This is due to the fact that there are fewer 1-carat diamonds available.

Buying the largest diamond without consideration of the other value factors will likely end up with a stone of such inferior quality that it will simply look glasslike when your partner compares it to her best friend’s diamond. Side by side a diamonds’ cut is what gives the diamond FIRE is crucial brilliance.

Diamond wholesalers have long known that you should not buy your diamond alone based on carat weight. Other factors will play into the value and beauty of the diamond. The difference between your GIA excellent cut diamonds vs. inferior diamonds is the difference between a WOW diamond and a low quality glass-like diamond.

Gold

The word gold, used by itself, means all gold or 24 karat (24K) gold. Because 24K gold is soft, it’s usually mixed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability. If a piece of jewelry is not 24 karat gold, the karat quality should accompany any claim that the item is gold. The karat quality marking tells you what proportion of the gold is mixed with other metals. Fourteen karat (14K) jewelry contains 14 parts of gold, mixed in throughout with 10 parts of base metal. The higher the karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry. Most jewelry is marked with its karat quality, although law does not require marking.

Solid Gold refers to an item made of any karat gold, if the inside of the item is not hollow. The proportion of gold in the piece of jewelry is still determined by the karat mark. Jewelry can be plated with gold ion a variety of ways. Gold Plate refers to items that are mechanically plated, electroplated, or plated by any other means with gold to a base metal. Eventually, gold plating wears away, but how soon will depend on how often the item is worn and how thick the plating is. Gold -filled, gold overlay and rolled gold plate are terms used to describe jewelry that has a layer of at least 10 karat gold mechanically bonded to a base metal. If the jewelry is marked with one of these terms, the term or abbreviation should follow the karat quality of the gold used (for example, 14K Gold Overlay or 12K RGP). If the layer of karat gold is less than 1/20th of the total weight of the item, any marking must state the actual percentage of karat gold, such as 1/40 14K Gold Overlay. Gold Electroplate describes jewelry that has a layer (at least .175 microns thick) of a minimum of 10 karat gold deposited on a base metal by an electrolytic process. The terms gold flashed or gold washed describe products that have an extremely thin electroplating of gold (less than .175 microns thick). This will wear away more quickly than gold plate, gold-filled or gold electroplate.

Platinum

Platinum-a precious metal that costs more than gold-usually mixed with other similar metals, known as the platinum group metals: iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium and osmium. Different markings are used on platinum jewelry as compared with gold jewelry, based on the amount of pure platinum in the piece. The quality markings for platinum are based on parts per thousand. For example, the marking 900 Platinum means that 900 parts out of 1000 are pure platinum, or in other words, the item is %90 platinum and %10 other metals. The abbreviations for platinum - Plat. or Pt. - also can be used in marking jewelry.

Items that contain at least 950 parts per thousand pure platinum can be marked simply platinum. Items that have at least 850 parts per thousand pure platinum can be marked with the amount of pure platinum and the word platinum or an abbreviation (for example, 950 Platinum, 900 Plat. or 850 Pt.). Jewelry that contains less than 850 parts per thousand pure platinum, but has a total of 950 parts per thousand platinum group metals (of which at least 500 parts is pure platinum), may be marked with both the amount of pure platinum and the amount of other platinum group metals in the piece. Foe example, the marking 600 Plat. 350 Irid. means that the item has 600 parts per thousand (60%) platinum, and 350 parts per thousand (35%) iridium, totaling 950 parts per thousand of platinum group metals, and 50 parts per thousand (5%) other metals.

Silver

The words silver and sterling silver describe a product that contains 92.5% silver. Silver products may sometimes be marked with 925, which mean 925 parts per thousand are pure silver. Some jewelry may be described as silverplate: a layer of silver is bonded to a base metal. The mark coin silver is used for compounds that contain 90% silver.

AGS
The American Gem Society, or AGS. This group is recognized by the jewelry industry as an authority for grading gemstones.

AGTA
The American Gem Trade Association is recognized in the jewelry industry as an authority for grading gemstones.

Bezel Set
Bezel set is the use of a metal tube that is wrapped around the stone. Metal is pulled down over the stone to hold it.

Blemish
A flaw, such as a scratch or an abrasion, on the surface of a diamond.

Brilliance
White light reflected up through the surface of a diamond. Brilliance is maximized by cutting a diamond to the correct proportions. See also Fire and Sparkle.

Brilliant Cut
A 58-facet round diamond.

Carat
A unit of weight for a diamond, equivalent to 200 milligrams, or 0.2 gram.

Center Stone
The central, dominant stone in a piece of jewelry set with multiple stones. In a ring set with one stone, the center stone is also called the solitaire.

Certificate
A diamond certificate is a blueprint of the diamond. It describes, maps and grades everything about the diamond including: proportions, color, clarity, shape, cutting style, carat weight, location, size, and type of inclusions, fluorescence, and other lab comments. It does not state the retail value of the stone. An appraisal is needed to confirm the full market retail value.

Channel Set
Channel set refers to the setting of gemstones in a grooved channel between two bars of metal. The stones are set flush to each other.

Clarity
A grade given to a diamond to describe how many inclusions are within the diamond. The clarity scale ranges from FL (flawless), meaning a diamond has no internal or external flaws, to I3 (severely included), meaning a diamond has many flaws clearly visible to the naked eye.

Cleavage
An internal imperfection which runs in the direction of the grain of the diamond. It sometimes extends to the surface of the diamond, or is "healed" inside the diamond.

Cloud
A cluster of microscopic white or crystalline inclusions or pinpoints inside a diamond.

Color
A grade given to a diamond to describe the color tones of the stone. The color scale ranges from D, meaning completely colorless, to Z, fancy yellow. As the scale moves from D to Z, it indicates increasing levels of yellow and brown tone.

Comfort Fit
The rounded finish on the inside of a ring’s band. This design does not pinch the skin of the finger as much as other ring bands and provides comfort for constant wear.

Crown
The edges of a gemstone above the girdle and surrounding the table. Colored light escapes through the crown in the form of fire.

Culet
A facet on the very bottom of a diamond. If the culet is medium to large, when the diamond is viewed from the table, it will look like there is a hole in the bottom of the stone.

Cut
Generally, cut refers to both the shape of a stone (round, marquise, princess cut, oval, etc.) and the proportions and finish of a diamond also known as "make". The make of a stone is the most important factor in determining how much sparkle comes from a diamond.

Depth
The height of a diamond (measured from the culet to the table).

Depth %
The height of a diamond (measured from the culet to the table) divided by the width of the diamond. The depth % is critical to creating brilliance and fire in a diamond; a depth % that is too low or too high will cause a diamond to lack sparkle.

EGL
European Gemological Laboratory. Widely respected in the trade offering independently grading certificates.

Eye-clean
A diamond that has no inclusions visible to the naked eye.

Facet
The flat polished surfaces on a diamond. A round brilliant diamond has 58 facets.

Feather
A common naturally occurring white feather shaped inclusion, which is not visible to the naked eye.

Fire
Colored light reflected from within a diamond. Fire is maximized by cutting a diamond to the correct proportions.

Fluorescence
A glow, usually of a bluish color, which emanates from certain diamonds when exposed to ultraviolet light. Faint fluorescence usually does not affect the appearance of a diamond. Strong, very strong and sometimes medium blue fluorescence may slightly improve the color appearance of diamonds rated "H" in color or below (I,J,K etc).

Fracture
An internal or external imperfection which may have developed three million years ago or last week as a result of trauma (usually a hard impact).

GIA
Gemological Institute of America, the single most widely accepted diamond authority. An independent, third-party grading service offering diamond grading certificates.

Girdle
The outermost edge of a diamond, it can be unpolished, polished, or faceted. Usually where the diamond is held in a setting.

Head
The part of the setting that holds the center stone or solitaire in place.

Inclusion
A naturally occurring imperfection often referred to as a feather, pinpoint or cloud in the diamond that may or may not be visible to the naked eye. Inclusions visible to the naked eye are usually graded SI2 clarity and below.

Invisible Set
Invisible set refers to a particular square cut of stone which has been cut with slats that are fitted into a metal grid formed by the mounting’s undercarriage. Each stone is "snapped" into its rail. Two or more row styles may be fashioned in this manner to emphasize an "all diamond" look. The stones on the outside are usually channel set in the mounting.

Make
The proportions to which a diamond has been cut. A good make will have proportions that maximize the brilliance and fire of a diamond. A poor make will lead to a diamond that has little sparkle due to the inability of the cut to properly reflect light.

Melee
Diamonds which weigh less than 1/5 of a carat (20 points) are known as melee. They are usually side diamonds or accent diamonds in a larger piece of jewelry.

Metal, precious
Three metals are generally used in fine jewelry: gold, platinum, and silver.

Millimeter
The unit of measure used to determine a pearl’s diameter, equal to about 0.04 inch.

Natural
An external characteristic on or near a diamond’s girdle, a natural is actually an unpolished portion of the "skin" of the rough diamond.

Pavé Set
Pavé set is a two-dimensional form of strip setting in a honeycomb pattern. The stones are patterned very closely together. The metal is pulled up to hold the stones. The only metal visible is what is actually used to hold the stones in place.

Pavilion
The faceted portion of the diamond which is below the girdle.

Pinpoint
A very small inclusion inside a diamond.

Point
A weight measure equal to one one-hundredth of a carat. (A 0.50 carat diamond is said to be 50 points.)

Polish
A grade given to the external finish of a stone. The polish scale ranges from poor to excellent.

Prong Set
Prong Set is the use of metal wire to hold a gemstone in place by tension. A notch is cut out on the inside of the prong to seat a stone into its place. The prongs are pulled over the top of the stone to hold it.

Ring setting
Collective term for the shank and the head of a ring which contains no center stone.

Ring size
A measurement, generally between 4 and 13, determined by two factors: the diameter of the finger on which the ring will be worn and the knuckle, which the ring must slip over comfortably.

Semi-Mount
Engagement rings set with only the side stones. The center stone is sold separately to accommodate the individual’s preference in the size, shape, etc. of the stone.

Shank
The part of the ring that encircles the finger. Strictly speaking, the shank of the ring does not include the head.

Side stone
A gemstone set alongside, or as part of a group of gemstones encircling a center stone.

Solitaire
A single diamond set in a mounting which shows off the simplicity and elegance of the diamond.

Sparkle
Refers to the brilliance of a diamond or the amount of light which reflects from a diamond. See also brilliance and fire.

Symmetry
The overall uniformity of the cut of a diamond. Graded from poor to excellent, it is based on the diamond’s proportions and the relation of one facet to another. Poor symmetry will hurt the sparkle of a diamond.

Table
The largest facet on a diamond, located on the top of the diamond facing out from the setting.

Table %
The width of the table divided by the total diameter of the diamond. The table % is critical to creating sparkle in a diamond; a table % that is too low or too high will cause a diamond to lack sparkle.

Convert your ring size to the ring size used in other countries.

USA size	Diam. inch.	Diam. mm	Circum. mm
0000 00 0 1/2 3/4 1 1 1/4 1 1/2 1 3/4 2 2 1/4 2 1/2 2 3/4 3 3 1/8 3 1/4 3 3/8 3 1/2 3 5/8 3 3/4 4 4 1/4 4 1/2 4 5/8 4 3/4 5 5 1/8 5 1/4 5 3/8 5 1/2 5 3/4 5 7/8 6 6 1/4 6 1/2 6 3/4 7 7 1/4 7 1/2 7 3/4 8 8 1/4 8 1/2 8 5/8 8 3/4 8 7/8 9 9 1/8 9 1/4 9 3/8 9 1/2 9 5/8 9 3/4 10 10 1/4 10 1/2 10 5/8 10 3/4 11 11 1/8 11 1/4 11 3/8 11 1/2 11 5/8 11 3/4 11 7/8 12 12 1/2 12 3/4 13	.390 .422 .454 .474 .482 .487   --- .503   --- .520   --- .536   --- .553   ---   ---   --- .569   ---   --- .585   --- .601   ---   --- .618   ---   ---   --- .634   ---   --- .650   --- .666   --- .683   --- .699   --- .716   --- .732   ---   ---   --- .748   ---   ---   --- .764   ---   --- .781   --- .797   ---   --- .814   ---   ---   ---   --- .830   ---   --- .846 .862   --- .879	9.91 10.72 11.53 11.95 12.18 12.37 12.60 12.78 13.00 13.21 13.41 13.61 13.83 14.05 14.15 14.25 14.36 14.45 14.56 14.65 14.86 15.04 15.27 15.40 15.53 15.70 15.80 15.90 16.0 16.10 16.30 16.41 16.51 16.71 16.92 17.13 17.35 17.45 17.75 17.97 18.19 18.35 18.53 18.61 18.69 18.80 18.89 19.10 19.22 19.31 19.41 19.51 19.62 19.84 20.02 20.20 20.32 20.44 20.68 20.76 20.85 20.94 21.08 21.18 21.24 21.30 21.49 21.89 22.10 22.33	31.1 33.7 36.2 37.5 38.3 38.9 39.6 40.2 40.8 41.5 42.1 42.7 43.4 44.0 44.3 44.6 44.9 45.2 45.6 45.9 46.5 47.1 47.8 48.1 48.4 49.0 49.3 49.6 50.0 50.3 50.9 51.3 51.5 52.2 52.8 53.4 54.0 54.7 55.3 55.9 56.6 57.2 57.8 58.4 58.4 59.0 59.1 59.4 59.7 60.0 60.3 60.6 60.9 61.6 62.2 62.8 63.1 63.5 64.1 64.3 64.7 65.0 65.3 65.7 66.0 66.3 66.6 67.9 68.5 69.1

British	French	German	Japanese	Swiss
---   ---   --- A A 1/2 B B 1/2 C C 1/2 D D 1/2 E E 1/2 F F 1/2   --- G   --- G 1/2 H H 1/2 I  I 1/2 J   --- J 1/2 K   --- K 1/2 L   --- L 1/2 M M 1/2 N N 1/2 O O 1/2 P P 1/2 Q Q 1/2   --- R   --- R 1/2   --- S   --- S 1/2   --- T   --- T 1/2 U U 1/2 V   --- V 1/2 W   --- W 1/2   --- X   --- X 1/2 Y Z Z 1/2   ---	---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   --- 41 1/2   --- 42 3/4   --- 44   ---   --- 45 1/4   ---   --- 46 1/2   --- 47 3/4   --- 49   ---   --- 50   ---   --- 51 3/4   ---   --- 52 3/4   --- 54   --- 55 1/4   --- 56 1/2   --- 57 3/4   ---   --- 59   ---   ---   --- 60 1/4   ---   ---   --- 61 1/2   ---   --- 62 3/4   --- 63   ---   --- 65   ---   ---   --- 66 1/4   ---   --- 67 1/2 68 3/4   ---   ---	---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   --- 13 1/2   --- 13 3/4   --- 14   ---   ---   --- 14 1/2   ---   --- 15   --- 15 1/4 15 1/2   --- 15 3/4   ---   ---   --- 16   ---   --- 16 1/2   --- 17   --- 17 1/4   --- 17 3/4   --- 18   --- 18 1/2   ---   ---   --- 19   ---   ---   --- 19 1/2   ---   --- 20   --- 20 1/4   ---   --- 20 3/4   ---   ---   --- 21   ---   ---   --- 21 1/4 21 3/4   --- 22	---   ---   ---   ---   --- 1   ---   ---   --- 2   --- 3   --- 4   ---   --- 5   --- 6   --- 7   --- 8   ---   --- 9   ---   --- 10   ---   ---   --- 12   --- 13   --- 14   --- 15   --- 16   --- 17   ---   ---   --- 18   ---   ---   --- 19   ---   --- 20 21 22   ---   --- 23   ---   ---   --- 24   ---   ---   --- 25 26   --- 27	---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   ---   --- 1 1/2   --- 2 3/4   --- 4   ---   --- 5 1/4   ---   --- 6 1/2   --- 7 3/4   --- 9   ---   --- 10   ---   --- 11 3/4   ---   --- 12 3/4   --- 14   --- 15 1/4   --- 16 1/2   --- 17 3/4   ---   --- 19   ---   ---   --- 20 1/4   ---   ---   --- 21 1/2   ---   --- 22 3/4   --- 23 3/4   ---   --- 25   ---   ---   --- 26 1/4   ---   --- 27 1/2 28 3/4   ---   ---

Select a ring size in one category, the rest will change to match.

How to determine your ring size

1. Wrap a piece of string or a strip of paper around your finger.
2. Mark the point where the two ends meet.
3. Measure the string or paper against a ruler to get the circumference of your finger.
4. Divide that by 3.14 to get the diameter of your finger.
5. Look up your ring size using the form above.

Ring Size Finder
View and print our Ring Size Finder PDF