The 4 "C's" of Diamond Shopping - Engagement Ring edition

An engagement ring is a long-lasting symbol of your love, commitment and honor. To choose a quality diamond, informed shoppers refer to the 4 "C's" when they begin their search for the perfect ring.

CUT ~ many people believe the cut of the diamond refers to the shape, but it actually refers to the way the light reflects off of it. A well cut diamond lets light enter and reflect back to the viewers eye.

The grades of diamond start from: (best quality to poorest)

• Ideal

• Premium

• Very good

• Good

• Fair

• Poor

CARAT ~ refers to the size of the stone. Bigger isn't always better though.

CLARITY ~ this term refers to the stones lack of blemishes and inclusions. The fewer the blemishes, the more valuable and brilliant it is. Most diamonds have small flaws; air bubbles, scratches, nicks, etc., so its wise to inspect the stone for imperfections.

The clarity scale is:

• Flawless - no internal or external inclusions

• Internally flawless - no internal inclusions, slight external inclusions

• Very very slightly included - minute inclusions only detectable by the trained eye

• Very slightly included - minute inclusions seen only under a magnifier 10x

• Slightly included - easily seen by experienced graders

• Included - visible to the naked eye and included enough to affect brilliance

COLOR ~ the less color a diamond has generally means its worth more. Jewelers grade diamonds on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow). Anything lighter than yellow is considered a fancy amber diamond and is much more expensive.

In a diamond the best stone is one without color, allowing the stone to cleanly reflect and refract light. Understanding what makes each diamond different ensures that your engagement ring will be as unique as your love.