1. Cut

The cut of a diamond refers to how well it has been shaped and faceted. It impacts how brilliantly the diamond reflects light—often the most important factor in its overall beauty. A well-cut diamond will sparkle more, even if it has lower color or clarity grades.

2. Color

Diamonds are graded on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown). The closer to colorless, the rarer and more valuable the diamond tends to be. Subtle color differences can significantly affect price but may be invisible to the untrained eye.

3. Clarity

Clarity measures the presence of internal flaws (inclusions) or surface blemishes. Most are microscopic and don’t affect the diamond’s beauty, but fewer flaws usually mean higher value. The clarity scale ranges from Flawless (no imperfections) to Included (visible flaws).

4. Carat Weight

Carat refers to a diamond’s weight, not its size—though the two are related. Larger diamonds are rarer and more expensive per carat. But two diamonds of the same carat weight can look different in size depending on their cut.