Color - Diamonds come in every color of the spectrum, but the most popular gems are white. Stones are graded by color and given designations dependent on how far they deviate from the purest white. Colorless stones are graded D, and continues down through the alphabet, with each letter designating a more yellow tint. Clarity - A diamond's clarity is affected by any external irregularities and internal imperfections created by nature when the diamond was formed. Inclusions are imperfections such as spots, bubbles or lines, that can interfere with the passage of light through the stone, diminishing the sparkle and value of the diamond.
Clarity is graded on a scale ranging from flawless to imperfect.
Cut - Each diamond is cut according to an exact mathematical formula. The most common cut, the round brilliant, has 58 facets, or small, flat, polished planes designed to yield the maximum amount of light to be reflected back to the viewer, known as brilliance. The widest circumference of a diamond is known as the girdle. Cut is also used to describe the shape a diamond, such as emerald, marquise, pear, oval and square. A diamond is completely surrounded by a precious metal border in this setting technique that resembles a picture frame.