Before buying a diamond, you will want to have an understanding of what you're buying. Shannon Fine Jewelry's Diamond Guide simplifies the four C's of diamonds — cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, so that you can select your diamond jewelry based on the same criteria jewelers use to grade them.

The cut of a diamond has the most effect on its sparkle, or brilliance. Even with perfect color and clarity, a poor cut can make a diamond look dull. Learn how to choose the right diamond cut with the most brilliance for your budget. Click here for more information.

Diamonds with very little color are the most highly valued and are priced accordingly. A little color can diminish a diamond's brilliance. Learn how to choose a diamond with no color noticeable to the unaided eye. Click here for more information.

Diamonds with few flaws, or inclusions, are very rare and highly valued. Clarity is graded based on the number, location, size, and type of the inclusions found in a diamond. Learn how to choose the right grade of clarity for your diamond. Click here for more information.

The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. Since larger diamonds are more rare than smaller diamonds, diamond value tends to rise exponentially with carat weight. Read more about carat weight and learn how to balance diamond quality with the size of your diamond. Click here for more information.

The most important step in choosing a diamond is reviewing the diamond certificate, referred to by diamond grading labs as a grading report. A grading report documents the characteristics of a diamond, like the four C's. Before purchasing a diamond, review a copy of its grading report, as this is proof that it has undergone an unbiased, professional examination. Learn more about the diamond grading report. Click here for more information.

Many people think diamonds are indestructible, but they do require care. Read how to keep your diamond sparkling, and securely set in your ring. Click here for more information.