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1. W H AT SH A P E L O O K S B E ST O N Y O UR
H A N D S?
Although I never recommend picking a cut
without trying it on your hand first, here are
some general tips, coming from a girl
who struggles from a set of chubby fingers.
I H AVE SH O RT FINGERS
 Oval, pear or marquise diamonds help lengthen the appearance of your finger.
 Rectangular emerald-shaped diamonds can lengthen short fingers, as long they aren’t so big they
overwhelm.
 Go with a slender, narrow-width bands to the illusion of length.
I H AVE WIDE FINGERS
 Generally diamond stones make wide fingers look even wider. If you pick an oval, marquise, or
emerald, look for a diamond that is "chubbier" versus "skinny"
 Square-cushions and round diamond in a larger setting flatter wider fingers.
 Choose a medium to thick band.
 Angular shapes and asymmetrical designs both minimize the width of the finger.
I H A V E S K I N N Y F I N G E R S
 Slender hands shouldn't be overwhelmed by a huge diamond. Pick a size that is proportional to your
hand.
 Oval, marquise and pear cut diamonds tend to make the fingers look skinnier and longer. Avoid
these shapes if you don't want the illusion of longer and skinnier fingers.
 Round, rectangle cushion, princess and emerald cuts all look flattering on a skinny band.
 Stick with a thinner band
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L E T' S GE T D OWN TO THE B A S I CS : THE
4 Cs
I. C U T
Ever seen a ring that caught your eye from across the room because of it’s sparkle? That's most
likely not because of the ring's size, but because of the ring's cut.
Although cut is often overlooked, if done well, a diamond’s cut can be the most important C. A
diamond's cut is graded on the stones brightness (how light is reflected from the diamond), fire
(how the light scatters through the diamond to create a rainbow of light), and scintillation (the

2. amount of intense sparkle or flash that occurs across the surface of the diamond as it moves
under light) which are determined by the diamond’s proportions.
Diamond cuts are graded from ideal to poor.
Ideal or Near Ideal
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor
II. C O L O R
The industry grades a diamond’s color on a scale from D to Z. "D" represents a completely
colorless diamonds. As you go through the alphabet, diamonds will have more and more of a
yellow or brown undertone. The closer a diamond is to colorless, the higher the value.
Why does color matter? After a diamond’s cut, the diamond’s color is the first thing someone
will notice to the naked eye. A white diamond looks bigger, brighter, and sparkles more.
Here’s a little cheat sheet:
D, E, F = “Colorless”
G, H, I, J = “Near Colorless”
K, L, M = “Faint Color” and is usually more easily detected by the naked eye.
Insider tip: to the untrained eye it is extremely difficult to see the difference between a G or
H colored diamond to a “Colorless” (D,E,F) Diamond. This is what makes G and H the
most popular color grades.
III. C L A R I T Y
A diamond’s clarity is determined by the number and size of natural imperfections and/or
blemishes found in and on the stone. In the industry, these imperfections are referred to as
“inclusions.” Most of these inclusions are so tiny, they require a 10x magnification to see them,
and you would never see them with a naked eye.

3. The clarity grading scale goes from Flawless to Included. Flawless stones are incredibly rare, and
therefore, incredibly expensive. A diamond graded VS2 or higher is generally an eye-clean
stone. When you go below VS2, you can still be able to find an eye-clean diamond depending on
the placement on the inclusions.
The importance of clarity also differs between diamond shapes. It is easier to see inclusions on
steep cut diamonds, such as Emerald or Asscher cut. It is more difficult to see inclusions in
brilliant cut diamonds, such as Round, Cushion and Radiant cuts.
Flawless (FL) - No inclusions or surface marks are visible to a skilled grader using 10x
magnification
Internally Flawless (IF) - No inclusions and only superficial surface marks are visible to a
skilled grader using 10x magnification.
Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) - Inclusions are difficult for a skilled
grader to see under 10x magnification.
Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) - Inclusions are minor and range from difficult to
somewhat easy for a skilled grader to see under 10x magnification.
Slightly Included (SI1 and S12) - Inclusions are noticeable to a skilled grader under 10x
magnification. SI2 stones may have inclusions visible to the naked eye.
Included (I1, I2, I3) - Inclusions are obvious under 10x magnification which may affect
transparency and brilliance.
Insider Tip: SI1 is the most popular diamond clarity purchased by consumers. This is
because most SI1 stones have inclusions that require magnification or a trained eye to see.
IV. C A R A T
If all else is equal (cut, clarity, and color), a diamond’s price increases with diamond carat
weight because larger diamonds are more rare and more desirable. However, two diamonds of
equal carat weight can have very different values depending on the other 3 C’s.
Insider tip: “Magic Sizes,” as they are called in the diamond industry, are sizes that are
particularly popular, and therefore more expensive. These weights are half carat, three-quarter
carat, and carat. For example a 2 carat stone may be significantly more expensive than a 1.90
carat stone that looks very similar.
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