You already know that the "Four Cs" are Color, Clarity, Cut and Color. Learn more about color grading here, then click on the buttons to the right for information about the other Cs.

COLOR: A diamond's color is graded on an alphabetical scale from D-Z to describe how much or how little color a diamond possesses. With very few exceptions, diamonds that are graded as colorless are considered to be the most valuable. Truly colorless stones, graded D, are extremely rare and very valuable.

D-F: Colorless, perfect or almost perfect color.

G-J: Near colorless, good to very good color. This diamond may "face up" colorless when mounted.

K-M: Light but noticeable yellow or brown tint. May "face up" near colorless when mounted, especially when mounted in yellow gold.

While many diamonds appear colorless, or white, they may actually have subtle yellow or brown tones that can be detected when comparing diamonds side by side. Diamonds were formed under intense heat and pressure, and traces of other elements may have been incorporated into their atomic structure accounting for the variances in color. A single change in color grade can significantly affect a diamond's value. Although the presence of color makes a diamond less rare and valuable, some diamonds come out of the ground in vivid "fancy" colors--well-defined reds, blues, pinks, greens, and bright yellows. These are highly prized and extremely rare.