Diamonds come in various varieties in terms of colour, ranging from pure white to a palette of colours like blue, red, pink etc. Each diamond is a beauty in itself that it leaves one awestruck and confused thinking which one to buy.

The colour factor with regards to the diamond industry never means colour in literal terms, but the transparency or colourlessness of a diamond. The colour factor is considered the second most important features after Diamond Cut while selecting a diamond. This is credited to the fact that human eyes tend to notice the sparkle of a diamond first; then comes the colour factor.

The colour in diamonds is caused due to the presence of certain elements or impurities. The white diamonds do not have any impurities, thus they are colourless. The Gemological Institute of America's grading system is the standard colour grading system. As per its grading system the whitest or the most transparent ones are represented by ‘D'. The following grades goes on till Z, having slight traces of colour ranging from almost colourless to light yellow.

When shopping for a diamond it is advisable to go for diamonds with least amount of colour. Diamond colour is broadly categorised into the following sections:

• D: They are 100% colourless. This is the highest colour grade a diamond can obtain. D graded diamonds are extremely rare and very expensive.
• E, F: E-F graded diamonds are colourless and extremely transparent. It is tremendously difficult to detect traces of colour in this grade of diamond. These diamonds are also rare and expensive.
• G, H: They are practically colourless. Unless the diamond is compared with a master stone of higher colour grade, its colour is nearly undetectable. These diamonds are rare, but slightly less expensive and are considered of a good value.
• I, J: These grade diamonds are almost colourless. The colour in these diamonds is slightly visible. The slight amount of colour is unnoticeable by the unaided eye and therefore is majorly used for ornaments such as engagement rings, earrings, pendants etc. These diamonds are of superior value and less costly.
• K-M: Diamonds under this grade are of Faint Yellow colour with the colour being noticeable. Yet some diamonds in this range can be stunning and beautiful.
• N-Z : With easily perceptible colour, diamonds in this grade range varies from very Light to Light Yellow colour. These diamonds are not appropriate to be used as gemstones, unless one would like to have a diamond with an amber colour.

In contrast to the light yellow sorts, diamonds of various other colourations like pink and blue are very rare thus adding to its expensiveness. A multiplicity of impurities and structural flaws cause different colours in diamonds, including yellow, pink, blue, red, green, brown, and other hues. Such diamonds are labelled as ‘Fancy Diamond' and is categorised into a separate section known as ‘Z+

Diamond Clarity refers to the internal defects, impurities or blemishes present within a diamond. It is referred to as ‘inclusion'. Inclusions can be anything ranging from a crystal of foreign material to structural imperfection. Of all the four C's clarity is the most easy characteristic used to appraise a diamond's quality.

The total clarity of a diamond is affected by the visibility of the inclusions, its size, number, alignment etc. The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and other organizations have developed a clarity grading system accepted across the globe. The system is based on the inclusions in the diamonds being inspected under 10x magnifications by trained professionals to examine and determine the diamond clarity.

Diamonds of higher clarity rate are very rare. Researches have proved, of all the diamonds mined around the world only 20% are considered appropriate to be used as a gemstone; the other 80% are demoted to industrial use. Of the 20% a significant percentage of diamonds contains one or more visible inclusions. But the ones without any visible inclusion are known as ‘eye-clean' and are the most sought after ones.

A diamond's clarity is graded by the major organizations on a scale ranging from flawless to imperfect.

Clarity Chart for your reference:

• Flawless (FL) Diamonds:No internal or external inclusions or blemishes.
• Internally Flawless (IF) Diamonds:Slight or insignificant impurities, removable by polishing. No internal flaw.

Diamonds graded as FL or IF are very rare and expensive.

• VVS1/ VVS2 Diamonds: Very very trivial inclusions or impurities hard to detect even under 10x magnifications by trained professional. The diamonds are rare, of excellent quality and equally expensive.
• VS1/ VS2 Diamonds: Contains minor inclusions, detectable under 10x magnification but invisible to naked eyes. Less expensive compared to above mentioned grades.
• Sl1/ Sl2 Diamonds: Such diamonds include slight impurities easily visible under 10x magnification and at times visible to unaided eyes too. Considered as good quality and less costly.
• I1/I2/I3 Diamonds: Diamonds comprising adequate number of inclusions clearly noticeable by the trained professionals & even visible to naked eyes. These flaws may negatively affect the transparency or brilliance of a diamond.

Which Clarity Grade to Choose?

It's always advisable to go for diamonds that does not have any inclusions to maintain the complete beauty and performance of the diamond. But owing to its rarity, budget also matters.

But one can go for VS1 or VS2 diamonds as comparatively they are of good quality and won't burn a whole in your pocket.

It is also a suitable to balance the clarity grade of the diamond with its colour. If you opt for a diamond in the D-F range, better to go for VS2 or higher clarity grades. Else combine the Sl clarity grade with G-I colour range to get excellent value of the diamond.

Like any measurement unit used, Carat refers to the unit denoting the weight of a diamond. The word is derived from the Greek work ‘carob', a seed used in olden times to weigh the diamonds. These seeds were used as a weighing instrument due to its uniformity in size & weight. Thus the word ‘carob' gave birth to the present day usage, ‘carat'.

By the early 1900s, the carat size was standardized against the metric system and adopted internationally: 1 carat (1ct) is equal to 200 mg (.2 grams or .007 ounces). Another way of expressing the weight is by means of points. One carat is equal to 100 points; therefore a .25 carat diamond can also be referred to as a 25 point diamond.

The size of a diamond is proportional to the carat weight of a diamond. When the rough diamonds are cut and polished about 2/3 of the total carat weight may be lost.

But carat weight never defines the actual shape of a diamond. It is possible to have two diamonds of the same carat weight with entirely different look owing to the difference in cut and shape.

As it's rare to find larger rough gems of high quality compared to the smaller rough gems, a single two carat diamond can be more expensive than 2 one carat diamonds of the same quality.

The Right Carat Weight?

Tough question to be answered as it varies from person to person. When planning for the perfect piece for oneself or even as a gifting option just keep in mind the taste and preference of the person, budget, the style & setting of the ornament.

A must point is, correct ring size in case of selecting the engagement ring or the wedding band.

You may also refer to the below shown Carat Weight Chart before buying a diamond.

Of the diamonds mined only 20-25% is gem-quality diamonds usable for ornaments. But even they require modification to certain extent.

The art of shaping and polishing a diamond from its crude form of a rough stone to its final gem proportions is referred to as Diamond Cutting. A diamond cut is a style or design guide used while shaping a diamond. The Cut does not refer to shape (pear, oval), but the symmetry, proportioning and polish of a diamond. The cut enhances the diamond's ability to reflect back the light effectively to make it appear brighter.

Factors Influenced by Diamond Cut:

Brilliance: Brilliance refers to the white light reflections from the external and internal facet surfaces of a diamond. When light hits the diamond's surface, some light enters it and is reflected back. The most immediate light reflected back is returned by the crown's angles.

Scintillation: Scintillation refers to the small flashes or sparkles of light that are seen when the diamond, light source or the viewer is moved. The light that isn't immediately reflected back enters the diamond and reflects from the inside walls toward the centre of the diamond. This light, which bounces off the internal walls of diamond, is the quality described as scintillation.

Fire: Fire refers to the spectral colours which are produced as a result of the diamond dispersing the white light. Once the light is bounced off the inside walls towards the centre of the diamond, it then shoots back through the top of the diamond. Because the light is slightly bent by the diamond, a colour spectrum is visible when light exits the top of the diamond.

Anatomy of a Diamond:

To have proper understanding about a diamond's cut, it is necessary to understand the terminology of basic diamond structure.

• Diameter:The width of a polished diamond from one side of the girdle to another is referred to as the diameter.
• Table:The flat facet on the top of the diamond. It is the largest facet on a cut diamond.
• Crown : The crown refers to the top part of the diamond measured from the surface of the table upto the girdle.
• Girdle: The widest edge of the diamond where the crown ends and meets the pavilion is called girdle.
• Pavilion: The pavilion is that portion of a diamond that that begins at the girdle and extends downward to the point of the culet. It is the bottom part of the diamond.
• Culet: Culet is the tiny flat facet at the bottom tip of the diamond. It is the diamond's smallest facet.
• Depth: The total length of a diamond, measured from the culet to the table is referred to as the depth of a diamond.

CUT Grades:

After having understood the basic terminology about the structure of a diamond, here's a quick glance into the various grades of the Diamond Cut. The cut grade is determined based on light performance, proportion and final finished features of a diamond. Based on these factors, the grades are:

• Ideal/ Excellent (EX): The light performance is excellent. The light entering the diamond is reflected back to the maximum. A diamond with this cut will be extremely beautiful and rare.
• Very Good (VG): It has very good light performance. It reflects back almost all of the light that enters the diamond. Diamonds with Very Good cuts are of outstanding value.
• Good: Diamonds with ‘Good' cut have good light performance. They reflect most of the light that enters but less than diamonds with ‘Very Good' cut. Good diamond cuts are far less priced than Very Good cuts.
• Fair: These diamonds are not as brilliant as diamonds of Good cuts or above grade but still are considered as good quality diamonds.
• Poor: Diamonds cut either too shallow or too deep causing much of the light to leak out of the diamond's sides and base are categorised as ‘Poor' cut diamonds.