A good understanding of diamonds is necessary before you begin shoppping. We've put the basics together here to help guide you. Learning about diamonds is really learning about the "four Cs" of diamonds - cut, clarity, color and carat weight. These are the criteria jewelers use when grading diamonds, and they're the ones you'll need to understand to find the right diamond for you.

Cut
Cut is probably the most important, and most challenging, of the four Cs to understand. The brilliance of a diamond depends heavily on its cut. gddiamond carries only the better grades of diamond cut, to ensure that your jewelry is as beautiful as possible. This guide will show you how to select a diamond with the best cut that your budget allows.



Clarity
Most diamonds contain some inner flaws, or inclusions, that occur during the formation process. The visibility, number and size of these inclusions determine what is called the clarity of a diamond. Diamonds that are clear create more brilliance, and thus are more highly prized, and priced. This guide shows you how to find the best grade of clarity for you.


Color
Colorless diamonds are the most desirable since they allow the most refraction of light (sparkle). Off white diamonds absorb light, inhibiting brilliance. To ensure that your gddiamond jewelry is of the highest quality, we've preselected our diamonds to eliminate those of lesser color grades. Read on to understand how color affects a diamond and how to choose the best grade for your budget.



Carat
A carat is the unit of weight by which a diamond is measured. Because large diamonds are found less commonly than small diamonds, the price of a diamond rises exponentionaly to its size. Read this guide to get a better understanding of what a carat is and how it affects the appearance of a diamond.



Certificate
The diamond certificate, which is sometimes called a grading report, is a complete evaluation of your diamond that has been performed by a qualified professional with the help of special gemological instruments. Each stone bears its own recognizable, individual characteristics, which is listed on the certificate. This guide will help you understand why a certificate is so imporant when buying a diamond.