Cut is not the shape of the diamond — it's how well the stone was proportioned, polished, and finished. A well-cut diamond catches light, bounces it around inside, and returns it to your eye as brilliance and fire. A poorly cut diamond, even one with perfect color and clarity, looks dull and lifeless.
Cut grades run from Excellent to Poor. If you prioritize only one of the 4 Cs, make it this one: an Excellent cut makes a smaller or slightly warmer stone look more beautiful than a bigger, poorly cut one.
Diamond color is graded on a scale from D (completely colorless) to Z (noticeable yellow or brown tint). The differences between neighboring grades are subtle — most people can't distinguish a D from a G side by side once the stone is set.
Colorless grades D–F are the rarest and command premium prices. Near-colorless grades G–J look virtually identical to the naked eye in most settings and offer exceptional value — this is where we guide most of our clients.
- D–F: Colorless — rarest, icy white
- G–J: Near colorless — excellent value, faces up white
- K–M: Faint warmth — pairs beautifully with yellow gold
- N–Z: Noticeable color — rarely recommended for engagement rings
Nearly every diamond has inclusions — tiny internal characteristics formed as the crystal grew deep in the earth. Clarity grades run from Flawless (FL) down to Included (I1–I3), based on the size, number, and position of inclusions under 10x magnification.
Here's the insider truth: an SI1 or VS2 diamond with inclusions invisible to the naked eye — what jewelers call 'eye clean' — looks identical to a Flawless stone in everyday wear, at a fraction of the price. We'll show you stones under magnification so you can see exactly what you're buying.
- FL–IF: Flawless / Internally Flawless — no visible inclusions under 10x
- VVS1–VVS2: Very, very slightly included — minute, hard to find
- VS1–VS2: Very slightly included — minor, invisible to the eye
- SI1–SI2: Slightly included — often eye clean, best value
- I1–I3: Included — visible to the naked eye
Carat is a measure of weight: one carat equals 0.2 grams, divided into 100 'points' (a half-carat diamond is 0.50ct). Bigger is rarer, so price jumps at whole-carat marks — a 1.00ct diamond costs meaningfully more per carat than a 0.90ct of the same quality.
A smart tip: buying 'shy' — 0.90ct instead of 1.00ct — saves significantly, and the size difference is nearly impossible to see. Cut quality also affects how large a stone appears: a well-cut 0.90ct can face up bigger than a deep, heavy 1.00ct.
Every diamond we sell is independently graded by a respected laboratory such as GIA, so you know exactly what you're getting. Bring your questions — comparing two stones side by side in person teaches you more in ten minutes than hours of reading online. Visit us at Old Town or Uptown, or call (505) 883-8078.
