At Diamonds Forever, we know that buying a diamond can seem daunting. That’s why we rigorously inspect each diamond to make sure it is of the best quality. All our diamonds are sourced from conflict-free zones, and many carry additional EGL or GIA certification. Our knowledgeable diamond experts with years of industry experience assess each diamond based on the 4 C’s- Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat- to ensure that we are able to bring you the highest quality diamonds at the best prices. Come visit us in store to view our full selection of diamond merchandise!

THE 4 C’s

CUT

The cut of a diamond is a key to its magical brilliant glow. The diamond is cut to maximize its natural sparkle. A diamond may have a perfect color and clarity but a poor cut dramatically worsens the diamond’s brilliant appearance. A diamond may be cut in many different shapes: round, princess, baguette etc, but any shape it may be turned into must be of perfect proportions. The diamond shines and sparkles the most when it is ideally cut, allowing the light to travel through the diamond and exit in a heirloom radiance of a colorful rainbow. If a diamond is improperly cut, the light is lost and the diamond appears dark and dull and doesn’t sparkle.

• Shallow cut: When a Diamond is shallow, the light is lost out the sides and the Diamond looses its captivating brilliance;

• Deep cut: When a Diamond is cut deep, the light escapes out the bottom and the Diamond appears dark;

• Ideal cut: Allows the light to travel freely through the Diamond and exit in a rainbow of sparkles.

POLISH AND SYMMETRY

Just like a cut, polish and symmetry dramatically affect the appearance of a diamond. Poor polish will leave a diamond’s facet dull and that will have a diamond appear blurry and sparkling poorly. Symmetry allows the light to travel freely through the diamond and poor symmetry will dramatically subtract from the diamond’s appearance.

COLOR

Diamonds differ in color. Some appear naturally colorless and are considered to be the most precious because of their rare find while others are not colorless. The diamond’s color is defined according to a scale from D to Z.

D is an absolutely colorless and a rare Diamond.
E is also a colorless Diamond can be detected by an expert gemologist, also a rare Diamond.
F is considered to be colorless, however very slight color can be detected by an expert gemologist.
G-H, these are near colorless Diamonds. The color is noticeable only when compared to Diamonds of higher grade, at the same time these Diamonds provide the greatest value. 
I-J quality Diamonds are near colorless. Color is slightly detectable.

CLARITY

Just like color, clarity defines the natural quality of a diamond. Absolutely clear diamonds are rare and therefore are most expensive. Clarity means that the diamond may or may not have the natural inclusions such as scratches, trace of minerals or other characteristics that can detract not only from the beauty but also from the value of the diamond. There is also a scale on measuring the clarity of a diamond:

FL, IF means Flawless, with no internal or external flaws. These Diamonds are rare.
VVS1, VVS2 means Very Very Slightly Included. It is very difficult to see inclusions even under a 10x magnification. These diamonds are considered of excellent quality.
VS1, VS2 means Very Slightly Included. The inclusions are not visible to the unaided eye, and barely visible under 10x magnification.
SI1, SI2 means Slightly Included. Inclusions are not typically visible to the unaided eye, although they are visible under a 10x magnification. These diamonds provide the best value.
I clarity means that there are slight inclusions to the diamond that are visible to the unaided eye.

CARAT

The Total Carat Weight (ctw.) determines the total weight of Diamonds that you have in your Diamond jewelry. There can be one diamond or many diamonds. For example: If you have 5 diamonds in your ring each weighting 0.50 carats, then total carat weight of diamonds in your ring is 2.50 carats.