As the name suggests, shape (round, princess, radiant, etc.) describes a diamond's form, primarily as viewed from above. All diamond shapes have different attributes, but overall the beauty of the individual shapes is a matter of personal taste.

A diamond's colour grade actually refers to the lack of colour. In other words, diamonds that are white, containing little or no colour, receive higher quality grades than those with visible colour.

This is the term with which people are most familiar, but bear in mind that carat is specifically a measure of a diamond's weight.

Almost all diamonds have tiny imperfections. Diamonds with few or no imperfections receive the highest clarity grades.

The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance. Put simply, the better a diamond is cut, the more sparkle it will have.

Fluorescence is the reaction of trace minerals within the diamond that cause the diamond to glow when exposed to ultraviolet light.