Carat Refers to the measure of weight of a diamond. 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. (See The 4C's for more info)

Certification (or Diamond Grading Reports) These are many recognized gemological laboratories that can grade your diamond for a fee. (See The Certified Diamonds for more info)

Channel Setting Used most frequently for wedding and anniversary bands, a channel setting will set the stones right next to each other with no metal separating them.

Clarity A diamond often has natural imperfections, commonly referred to as "natures fingerprints." These inclusions contribute to a diamond's identifying characteristics. Inclusions are found within the diamond. Inclusions can be white, black, colorless, or even red or green. Most inclusions are undetectable by the human eye, and can only be seen with 10X magnification. Inclusions are ranked on a scale of perfection called clarity. The grades of clarity vary from F (flawless) and (internally flawless) through to I (included). Clarity scale I can be seen by the human eye without magnification. The position of these birthmarks can affect the value of the diamond. (See The 4C’s for more info)

Cluster Setting This setting surrounds a larger center stone with several smaller stones. It is designed to create a beautiful larger ring from many smaller stones.

Color Diamonds are graded on a color scale established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The scale ranges from D (colorless) to Z. Fancy colors refer to diamonds with hues like pink, blue, green, yellow and very rarely red. Fancy colors are not included in this color scale and are considered extremely rare. (See The 4C’s for more info)

Crown This is the upper portion of the top of the diamond

Culet The bottom point of the diamond. It may be polished in some stones. Please note that sometimes the cutter may choose to make the culet a surface instead of a point.

Cushion Cut A mixed-cut diamond shaped like a square pillow

Cut Cut refers to the angles and proportions a skilled craftsman creates in transforming a rough diamond into a polished diamond. Based on scientific formulas, a well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone. This results in a display of brilliance and fire. Diamonds that are cut too deep or too shallow lose or leak light through the side or bottom, resulting in less brilliance and ultimately value. (See The 4C’s for more info)

Cutting Style Cutting styles are different than diamond shapes. The simplest and most common way to explain cutting style is to categorize it into the following three basic types: Step-cut, Brilliant-cut, and Mixed-cut.