A diamond's cut determines how it will sparkle.

If you’re looking to knock your loved one off his or her feet this Valentine’s Day, nothing does it quite like high quality jewelry, and more specifically, diamonds. But, given the fact that few businesses are as shrouded in mystery as the diamond trade, how can the average gift buyer shop for diamonds with confidence, sure in the knowledge that a chosen stone or item of jewelry is really worth the asking price? Well, judging the quality of a diamond is as simple as remembering four little words, all of which happen to begin with the letter C.

Philip Press began his jewelry career at the age of 15 as an apprentice to a master European craftsman and platinumsmith. Now 37, Press is chief designer of Renaissance Platinum and CEO of Philip Press Inc. in Los Angeles. As Hollywood’s premier platinum jewelry designer, he has many loyal clients, including leading celebrities and discerning jewelry aficionados. His handcrafted Renaissance Platinum line has been featured in countless fashion and entertainment magazines as well as other national and local media outlets. Here he offers a basic guide to determining the quality of cut diamonds using the famous "four Cs:"

• Cut.
  The first of the four Cs that Press describes is the cut. When a master craftsman cuts a diamond, he or she turns it from a raw stone into a thing of extraordinary beauty. The proportions of the cut are the number one factor in giving the diamond its unique sparkle. Different shapes of cuts include round (also known as brilliant), marquise, oval, pear and princess.

• Color.
  Color refers to the hue or tint of the diamond. Many diamonds can have very subtle brown or yellow tones when examined closely, owing to other elements being present when they were formed. The most valuable and desirable diamonds are completely devoid of color, and these are called white diamonds. In the trade, white diamonds are given a color grade of D.

• Clarity.
  When you talk about clarity, you’re talking about inclusions, sometimes called flaws. Inclusions are tiny traces of non-crystallized carbon, many of which are only visible under magnification. The fewer or smaller the inclusions a diamond has, the higher the clarity and value.

• Carat.
  The fourth and final C that Press describes is the carat, or weight of the diamond. It’s a common misconception that carat refers to the size of a diamond, but in reality, it’s purely a measurement of weight. As with all things, a heavier high-carat diamond is worth far more than a low carat one.

Renaissance Platinum
www.platinumrings.com

Diamonds.net
www.diamonds.net/

Diamond Review.com
www.diamondreview.com

Diamond Cutters International: Diamond Education
www.diamondcuttersintl.com/diamond_education/index.html

Buying an Engagement Ring
www.pricescope.com/ring_edu.asp

Diamond Engagement Rings Guide
www.thediamondbuyingguide.com/diamondengagementringsguide.html

Next: Diamond Certificates