There are many ideas behind what makes a diamond valuable.  Depending on who you ask, it may be that they believe that its beauty makes it desirable and valuable.  It could be the rarity of the diamond or the time (millions or billions of years) that it takes to create a diamond.  It may also be that they believe that it is what a diamond represents that makes it valuable.  For others, it may be that they take the commercial approach and list the 4C’s (cut, clarity, carat, and colour) as the definition of what makes a diamond valuable.  As such, it seems there are a number of ways to interpret the value of a diamond regardless of who is asked.  For the jewellery enthusiasts, it is the beauty of the diamond that makes it valuable.  That beauty, however, may be determined not just by the diamond itself, but by the design of the diamond and its setting, which adds to its appeal.  In many cases, the larger or more rare a diamond is, like a coloured diamond, the more valuable it is because it is more appealing to the market.

Generally, when it comes to assessing whether or not a diamond is valuable, the 4C’s of the industry are the key measurements.  Almost everyone, even those who do not know much about diamonds, rely on the cut, clarity, colour, and carat weight of a diamond to determine its value.  While a large diamond can look beautiful from a distance, if it does not offer a high quality of clarity or colour and does not have the right cut, it will not be as valuable as a smaller diamond that does have the right clarity, colour, and cut to make it shine across the room.  What is important, size or shine, will determine the overall value of a diamond to each...