The color of a diamond has the second biggest impact on the price, after carat weight.

Did you know that diamonds come in pink, yellow, blue, green and red as well as white? When discussing the topic of color in diamonds, you need to differentiate between “colorless” diamonds and “fancy color” diamonds. Grading “colorless” diamonds involves deciding how closely a stone’s body color approaches colorlessness. Most diamonds have at least a trace of yellow or brown body color. The reason colorlessness is most highly valued is that diamonds in these ranges act like prisms, separating white light passing through it into a wide spectrum of colors. The more transparent the diamond, the wider the spectrum of colors.

Diamond Clarity is a measure of a diamond’s internal flaws and impurities.

Practically all diamonds contain naturally occurring internal characteristics called inclusions. The size, nature, location and amount of inclusions determine a diamond's clarity grade and affect its cost. A diamond that is virtually free of interior or exterior inclusions (commonly referred to as flaws) is of the highest quality, for nothing interferes with the passage of light through the diamond. To determine a diamond’s clarity, it is viewed under 10x magnification by a trained gemologist. Small inclusions neither mar its beauty nor endanger its durability.

Carat weight is the most obvious factor in determining the value of a diamond.

The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. One carat is divided into 100 "points," so that a diamond of 75 points weighs .75 carats. Two diamonds of equal carat weights can have very different prices, depending on their quality. Diamonds of all qualities can be found in all size ranges.Since diamonds are measured by carat weight, and not size, two diamonds of the same weight could have different sizes.

A Certificate or Diamond Grading Report certifies a diamond as genuine.

Today, most fine diamonds are carefully evaluated prior to being set, by a respected laboratory such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and European Gemological Laboratory (EGL). The diamond grading report, or “certificate” certifies the diamond as genuine and describes it in detail, providing important information such as color grade, clarity grade, carat weight, measurements, cutting, proportions, symmetry, and polish. Most loose diamonds sold by IDC have been analyzed and graded by either the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL).

The IDC Quality Chart