The cut is one of the most important "C" of the 4Cs; it determines the shape and beauty of a diamond. The breathtaking sparkle of a diamond is almost entirely due to the cut of a diamond. 

Diamonds must be cut in a way that allows light to reflect off of the tiny facets in the stone.

If a stone is cut too shallow, light escapes out the bottom, and if a diamond is cut too deep, light escapes through the side. However, when the diamond is the perfect proportion, light reflects brightly. This light reflection is what makes a diamond sparkle!

The second factor that contributes to a diamond's sparkle is colour. Diamond colour refers to the hue of a diamond. This can range from colourless (D) to a light yellow hue (Z). 

You will often hear the words colourless, and near colourless mentioned when talking about diamond colour. 

Colourless: This refers to diamonds that are rated a D, E or F according to the GIA Diamond Colour Scale. 

Although a D-colour diamond is the only truly colourless diamond, an E or F- colour rated diamond only contains a very minute trace of colour, emitting a high level of brilliance.

Near Colorless: This refers to diamonds that are rated G, H, I, or J. 

Diamonds that are rated G or H in colour are a great value because they only contain noticeable colour when compared to diamonds coloured F and above. 

I and J coloured diamonds have a slightly detectable colour; however, most people still cannot detect colour.

The clarity refers to the diamond's tiny markings. Any marks or "inclusions" in a stone subtract from its clarity, and therefore, the value and perceived beauty.

When looking to buy diamonds, you may hear the terms like Flawless, VVS1 or VVS2, VS1 or VS2, and SI1 or SI2. 

These terms refer to the grading scale that is used when determining the clarity of a diamond. 

A flawless diamond has no visible flaws under a 10X microscope. These diamonds are incredibly rare since all diamonds have some imperfections due to how diamonds are formed. 

Next, there are VVS1 and VVS2; these terms refer to diamonds that have very tiny inclusions that are difficult to see under a 10X microscope. A VVS1 is slightly better than a VVS2.  

After VVS1 and VVS2, there is VS1 and VS2, diamonds with this rating, still, only have minor inclusions that you cannot see without 10X magnification. Similar to VVS1 and VVS2, VS1 has fewer inclusions than VS2. 

SI1 and SI2 refers to diamonds that have more noticeable inclusions at 10x magnification, with some having inclusions that are visible to a keen eye without magnification. The difference between S1 and S2 is the location of the inclusions, with SI2 usually being visible from the pavilion, the lower portion of the stone, and the top. 

Finally, I1, I2, and I3 are all considered included diamonds that have inclusions that are visible to the eye. 

TIP: When looking to buy a diamond, always ensure you view your diamond under a 10X Gemscope, so you can make an informed choice. 

Did you know shape impacts clarity? A round, princess, oval, marquis, pear and heart-shaped diamond naturally hide many inclusions because they are cut with a multifaceted pattern, which reflects light from different angles. For these shapes, colour, carat or cut could be prioritized. 

In contrast, emerald and asscher-shaped diamonds are cut to emphasize transparency, which can make imperfections more visible. For these shapes, it is important to prioritize higher clarity.

Carat is the "C" that most people already know. This term refers to the carat weight or size of a diamond. The higher the number of carats, the bigger the stone. Alone, carat weight does not determine the value of a diamond. Two, three-carat diamonds can differ widely in price and value when the other "C's" are taken into consideration. 

As well, the shape of the diamond impacts how large a diamond appears. For example, a one-carat marquise or pear-shaped diamond may appear larger than a round or princess shaped diamond. This is primarily due to the pear and marquise shape spreading out the weight.