The Four C's
Before you start diamond shopping, you want to have an understanding of what you're buying. This guide simplifies the four Cs of diamonds - cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, so you can select your diamond based on the same criteria jewelers use to grade them.
After reading through this guide, you'll be ready to choose the diamond that's right for you.
Cut
The cut of a diamond has the most effect on its sparkle, or brilliance. Even if the diamond has perfect color and clarity, a poor cut can make a diamond look dull. Blue Nile carries only the highest grades of diamond cut, for the most sparkle. Learn how to choose the right diamond cut with the most brilliance for your budget.
Color
Diamonds with very little color are the most highly valued and are priced accordingly. A little color can diminish a diamond's brilliance. To help you choose the most brilliant diamond, Blue Nile offers diamonds with the highest grades of color. Learn how to choose a diamond with no color noticeable to the unaided eye.
Clarity
Diamonds with few flaws, or inclusions, are very rare and highly valued. Clarity is graded based on the number, location, size, and type of the inclusions found in a diamond. Blue Nile has some of the clearest diamonds available. Learn how to choose the right grade of clarity for your diamond.
Carat Weight
The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. Since larger diamonds are more rare than smaller diamonds, diamond value tends to rise exponentially with carat weight. Read more about carat weight and learn how to balance diamond quality with the size of your diamond.