Whether you're planning to become engaged, or you're just buying a gift for that special someone, diamonds are a lovely, traditional choice. You've heard that "Diamonds are forever," but how do you choose a diamond that your beloved will want to keep forever?

There are several factors affecting diamond quality, often called the four Cs: cut, carat, color, and clarity.

A diamond's cut is not the same thing as its shape. A diamond can be cut into any shape so that the maximum amount of light is reflected back from the diamond.

By polishing and grinding flat panes, known as facets, the diamond's brilliance, sparkle, and fire are partially determined. These three aspects of the diamond decide how well and how much the diamond shimmers and reflects light.

Carat is a word that we are probably all familiar with; however, most people don't understand what it means. Carat is actually a measure of weight, NOT size. It does, however, relate to size.

One carat is divided into 100 points and a 1.00-carat diamond weighs .20 grams. Thus, a half-carat diamond is equal to 50 points. Although we hear this term most often, this is not necessarily the most important; a diamond cut for beauty may weigh less instead of more.

Color is a concept about diamonds that many people are not familiar with; every diamond has a color and that color is a partial determinant of shimmer and shine. The majority of diamonds range in color from near colorless to very light yellow or brown. However, they can also range in color from pink to blue or green.

The more color a diamond has, the less it will seem to shine because the color blocks some of the light from passing through the stone. Colorless diamonds allow the most light to pass through the stone creating a maximum brilliance; however, these diamonds are very rare and very valuable.

Clarity is probably the least-heard term before you begin shopping for a diamond. Most diamonds contain inclusions, tiny natural birthmarks, which are not usually visible to the eye but can be seen with magnification.

Inclusions affect the dispersion of light and affect a diamond's brilliance. Less expensive stones often have more and/or larger inclusions.

When choosing your diamond, remember to ask about all these four aspects of the stones. They work together to create either dull diamonds or those with extraordinary brilliance and sparkle - diamonds that will be cherished forever.