Settings:
There is a large variety of settings to choose from when setting diamonds. These are some of the most common.

Know the Difference:

• Natural/Genuine
  • any stone that occurs naturally that has not been altered or enhanced.
• Synthetic/Lab Created
  • these stones have the same appearance and physical characteristics of their natural counterpart, but have been man-made and created in a lab.
  • also sometimes referred to as "Chatham".
• Imitation
  • these stones have been man-made to look the same as their natural counterpart, but do not have the same physical characteristics.

4. Carat Weight:
Carat weight (ct) describes the size of the diamond. The more carats, the larger the stone. 

3. Clarity:
Clarity describes the flaws in a diamond. The scale ranges from F (flawless) to I3 (included #3). Stones above I1 have inclusions that can only be seen through magnification. Stones I1 and below have inclusions that can be seen with the naked eye. All diamonds; including colored diamonds, follow these guidelines for clarity.

Take the confusion out of buying diamonds.

There are many terms used to describe the quality of a stone. These charts and explanations should help take away some of the confusion. There are 4 very important things to consider when buying diamonds and each one plays a major role in value and cost. These 4 C's are explained here as well as other information about diamonds and the different types of settings.

1. Cut/Shapes: 

These are some of the more popular shapes. The image on the right shows what the diamonds would look like in those shapes.        

2. Color:
Diamonds come in a variety of colors. The closer to white, the higher quality the diamond is. Diamonds also come in colors such as black, chocolate, champagne, or blue. In the case of a colored diamond, this color scale does not apply.