Diamonds come in a variety of colors, some of them highly prized (pinks, blues, even yellow). However in a white diamond, the presence of a yellow tint will lower the price of a diamond. The less body color in a white diamond, the more true color it will reflect, and thus the greater its value.

Every Diamsty Diamond has been assigned a color grade by the GIA in a viewing environment specially designed to eliminate color from surrounding surfaces as well as the light source itself. This allows the color of the diamond to be accurately measured. Minor differences in diamond color detected in this environment are very difficult if not impossible to detect in a normal environment. The diamond industry has adopted the GIA diamond color scale; almost every diamond sold today is rated using the GIA color scale, whether it was actually certified by the GIA or not.

Because they are formed deep within the earth, under extreme heat and pressure; virtually all diamonds contain "birthmarks"; small imperfections inside the diamond (called inclusions), or on its surface (called blemishes). Clarity refers to the degree to which these imperfections are present. Diamonds which contain numerous or significant inclusions or blemishes have less brilliance because the flaws interfere with the path of light through the diamond.

The position of an inclusion affects how easily it can be seen. Diamond cutters make every effort to cut a stone so that inclusions are not visible through the table of the finished diamond. The preferred position for inclusions is under the bezel facets or near the girdle because they are harder to see there.

Determines Diamond's beauty, brilliance, fire & sparkle. A diamond's cut refers to its shape as well as its interaction with light i.e. how the diamond's facets reflect light, it depend on balance of proportion, symmetry & polish. An excellent cut diamond will have enhanced brilliance and make the diamond sparkle. GIA grades the cut of a diamond from excellent to poor.

Virtually all diamond cuts sold for use in jewelry are one of ten round or fancy diamond shapes. The most popular diamond shapes are:

Once cut and polished, all diamonds possess a shared set of characteristics, often referred to as the anatomy of the diamond. While the individual proportions, angles and placement of these common characteristics vary for diamonds of different shapes, their definition is the same.

Before being purchased, many diamonds, and all Diamsty Diamonds (with the exception of our diamond stud earrings) are sent to a third party laboratory for a comprehensive evaluation; a process known as diamond certification. A reputable lab is one staffed by professional gemologists who specialize in diamond grading. Each diamond certificate issued is uniquely numbered, and corresponds to one individual diamond. From that point forward, the diamond and certificate (laminated to prevent tampering or damage) will travel together from seller to buyer.

Laboratory certification provides an impartial judgment of the characteristics and quality of each diamond. This certification (called a grading report, or dossier by GIA) gives the purchaser added confidence that the diamond received is as described by the seller. The diamond certificate is also valuable for insurance purposes, as it provides a professional, independent evaluation of the diamond.

A laboratory certification is not an appraisal. An appraisal seeks to establish the value of an item, mainly for insurance purposes. A diamond certificate does not evaluate a diamond's market value, only its characteristics and quality. That said, diamond certification from a reputable laboratory is invaluable in generating an accurate appraisal.