Can you buy a diamond in Denver, make your fiancé happy and still afford luxuries like food? Sure … just do a little homework.

This section of our Web site is designed to help you make some sense of the way diamonds are graded. No, this isn't a gemological course, but it's a whole lot easier to understand than that pamphlet you pick up in a store. Most of the information contained in this explanation of grading practices is directly from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), but we've translated in into English for you.

If you're purchasing a diamond for something like an engagement ring in Denver, focus your efforts on finding a stone that is brilliant and don't worry so much about making sure the diamond meets the GIA text book definition of percentages and angles. Some people really lose touch with reality and get caught up in the quest for the perfect diamond. Believe me, I've seen people make full-time careers out of this. I'm begging you, use your common sense. This isn't rocket science — ask yourself, how does the diamond look to you? Is it brilliant and beautiful or not? A basic understanding of the GIA grading system will ensure you get the most for your money and don't get cheated.

	Color

While most diamonds appear not to have any color at all, gases and other elements present at the time they were formed result in slight traces of yellow or brown in some diamonds. The less color a diamond has, the more valuable it is. Many times the color differences are so slight they can only be detected by comparing them to other diamonds.

Color differences are measured by the internationally-accepted Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grading scale, and the highest grade for a diamond with absolutely no color is D and letter grades are assigned alphabetically all the way to Z. The farther away from the letter D a grade is, the more traces of yellow or brown it appears to have.

	Clarity

When diamonds were formed billions of years ago under intense heat and pressure, traces of other gemstones, minerals or gasses may have been trapped inside the diamond material as it cooled. These elements may turn up as tiny specks or crystals that may look like feathers or clouds inside each diamond. These are called inclusions and are often referred to as Nature's fingerprints or a diamond's birthmarks. They are part of what makes each diamond different and unique from the next.

The fewer and less visible these birthmarks are, the more valuable a diamond will be. Clarity is also measured by the GIA's grading scale, and the most valuable and rare grade is F, or flawless. The following chart illustrates the varying grades for Clarity.

	Cut

When diamonds were formed billions of years ago under intense heat and pressure, traces of other gemstones, minerals or gasses may have been trapped inside the diamond material as it cooled. These elements may turn up as tiny specks or crystals that may look like feathers or clouds inside each diamond. These are called inclusions and are often referred to as Nature's fingerprints or a diamond's birthmarks. They are part of what makes each diamond different and unique from the next.

The fewer and less visible these birthmarks are, the more valuable a diamond will be. Clarity is also measured by the GIA's grading scale, and the most valuable and rare grade is F, or flawless. The following chart illustrates the varying grades for Clarity.

Cut is the only C that is controlled by man — all other characteristics of the diamond were determined by Mother Nature billions of years ago, and the Cut of a diamond can be the single most important characteristic that determines its value. Two diamonds of the exact same size with similar clarity and color grades may appear dramatically different to the eye, and have significantly different values.

This is because the Cut unlocks the beauty that lies within each diamond, and the quality of the cut determines how well a diamond will reflect and refract light. In other words, the better the quality of the cut, the more scintillation, brilliance and fire a diamond will have.

There is a set of mathematical proportions for diamond cutting that is accepted as "ideal." The closer a diamond is cut to these proportions, the more it will sparkle. Our diamonds are painstakingly polished to an exacting set of cutting and proportion standards that exceed even those considered ideal.

Regardless of the carat weight, color, or clarity, you can be assured that a diamond from Sonny's Rocks will appear more beautiful and brilliant than any other diamond with similar characteristics.