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Diamond Basics

Learn what matters most when choosing diamonds for custom jewelry—cut, clarity, color, and carat—plus tips for making confident, informed choices.

Diamond Color

Image: GIA

When we speak of a diamond's color, we are usually referring to the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. Diamonds are found in almost every color of the rainbow, but white-colored diamonds remain the most popular. Color is the result of the composition of the diamond, and it never changes over time.

Because a colorless diamond allows more light to pass through colorless diamonds emit more sparkle and fire. The Gemological Institute of America’s (GIA) professional color scale that begins with the highest rating of D for colorless and travels the alphabet to grade stones with traces of very faint or light yellowish or brownish color.

Diamond Cut

Many people confuse cut with the shape of a diamond. Cut refers to the angles and proportion of a diamond. Diamonds are cut with a full 58 facets. A precisely cut diamond with the appropriate proportion and angles is designed to give the maximum light reflection, refraction and sparkle.

There are ten principle diamond shapes for jewelry: round, princess, marquise, pear, heart, oval, emerald, cushion, radiant, and Asscher. Side stone options include these seven shapes as well as Baguette and Trillion. 

What are Carats?

Carat is often confused with size even though it is actually a measure of weight. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. One carat can also be divided into 100 "points". A .75 carat diamond is the same as a 75 point or 3/4 carat diamond.

Diamond Clarity

Diamond clarity refers to the presence—or absence—of internal and external imperfections, known as inclusions and blemishes. Inclusions are natural features that form within the diamond, such as tiny crystals or internal fractures. Blemishes are surface-level imperfections, like scratches or nicks. These characteristics are usually microscopic and don’t affect a diamond’s strength, but they can influence how much light passes through the stone and, as a result, how it sparkles.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grades clarity on a scale from Flawless (FL)—meaning no inclusions or blemishes visible under 10x magnification—to Included (I1, I2, I3), where inclusions are visible to the naked eye. Between those extremes are grades like Very Slightly Included (VS1, VS2) and Slightly Included (SI1, SI2), which offer excellent value and eye-clean beauty for most jewelry applications.

In recognition jewelry, clarity is often balanced with size, color, and cut to meet both budget and design goals. Many stones used in award programs fall within the VS to SI range—offering brilliance and quality while allowing for personalization or logo integration in the overall design.