Raw diamonds, mined from the earth, are cut and polished into various shapes.Shape refers to the view from the top.Choosing your shape is a matter of preference.

Diamonds weights are measured in "carats" or "points" before to being set into jewelry. Carats and points are units of measure, like pounds or ounces.

Clarity describes the natural birthmarks that formed within the diamond as the carbon into a diamond crystal. Think of a diamond’s clarity like a fingerprint.

Diamonds form in nature in different colors. The differences in color are very subtle. Color variation is more like the difference between crystal clear spring water and lemonade.

Cut describes the design and workmanship of transforming a "raw" diamond from the earth, into a vibrant gemstone.How a diamond is cut, or designed, accounts for its Brightness, Fire, and Sparkle and all three characteristics are incorporated in the cut grade.  

Brightness, often called brilliance, is the level of light radiating up from within and off the surface of the diamond.When a ray of light reaches and passes through the surface of a diamond,it bends like a light ray passing through a prism.

Fire, also called dispersion, describes the colors-of-a-rainbow that appear in a diamond.Diamonds behave like prisms but since its shape is different than prisms the colors don’t appear in straight rows but more like shards of color as in a kaleidoscope.

Sparkle, sometimes called scintillation, describes the twinkling effect given off as diamonds move about,as if there are white flashes of fireworks within the diamond.The sparkle, or flashes-of-light, come from rays of light reflecting off the diamond’s multiple surfaces.

Polish is the quality of a diamond's surface. Diamonds have many polished surfaces, called facets. The facets resemble either a triangle or a stretched or contorted kite.

Symmetry describes the how perfect the facets align. Perfectly aligned facets appear more beautiful. Symmetry also describes how perfect the shape is.

Fluorescence describes the "glow-in-the-dark" effect diamonds emit when exposed to invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays. The sun emits these UV rays.

Diamonds are the hardest material in the world but that doesn’t mean they can't break or chip. Hardness is simply the resistance to scratching.