The Four C’s
The value of a diamond is most significantly influenced by rarity. A diamond’s rarity is dependent on a wide variety of factors The most common of these factors are carat weight, color, clarity, and cut. These characteristics are referred to as the 4 C's The 4 C's help explain why one diamond is rarer than others. Click on each of the terms below to learn more.

Carat weight
Color
Clarity
Cut
See All 29 Factors that Affect the Price of a Diamond

How Diamonds Are Made
Diamonds are rare because of the way they are formed: diamonds come from deep within the Earth's crust. A diamond is formed under intense heat and pressure from soft, black, worthless carbon. This carbon becomes the hardest of all known substances: the diamond. Created more than 3 billion years ago and thrown to the Earth's surface through volcanic eruptions or mining, diamonds are truly a wonder of nature. Diamond is the birthstone for April.

Kimberly Process