When purchasing something as unique and valuable as a diamond, it is necessary for one to have a basic background education regarding its quality and brilliance. Commonly referred to as the "Four C's", these consist of the diamond's: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat.

The cut of a diamond is what determines its shape (whether it will be round, oval, pear…). It also influences how well the diamond can reflect light and its ability to sparkle by its proportions. A well-cut diamond is symmetrical in both size and depth.

Herein lies the astronomical difference in the prices of diamonds. A diamond with no inclusions or imperfections is worth more than one that has flaws, even though many of these inclusions cannot be seen with the naked eye. Since inclusions can interfere with the light passing through a diamond, clarity is something to consider for it will lessen the sparkle in the stone.

The color of a diamond depends on its capacity of absorbing light rays. In the absence of color, a diamond is absorbing the rays equally. Therefore, a colorless diamond is the most valuable. Diamonds range from colorless to yellow and are graded according to a letter scale: "D" being colorless and "K-Z" with hints of yellow to very yellow.

Carat refers to the weight of a diamond. Generally, larger diamonds are more expensive, however there are the other 3 C's to consider. Some smaller diamonds have better cut and clarity and are worth more than large, imperfect ones.