Diamonds are graded and priced according to what is universally referred to as the "4C's. They are Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat weight. Each is a description of the various characteristics of a diamond. For example, Cut refers to the shape of the diamond, which affects its fire and brilliance, Color refers to the amount of color in the diamond, Clarity is based on any tiny natural identifiers found within a diamond, and Carat Weight is simply a measurement of the diamond's weight (not its size).

A karat is the unit of measurement used to indicate the purity of gold (since gold is in fact a mixture of gold and other metals). Pure gold is 24-karat (24K), 18-karat is 75% pure, and so on. Carat is a term used to measure the weight of a diamond, e.f. 1-carat, 2-carat, and so on.

'18 karat' means the metal is 75% pure gold, whereas '14 karat' means the metal is 58.5% pure gold. Both purities are used primarily for quality jewelry and are durable for everyday use. 18 karat purity produces finer quality gold and a richer color when used to create yellow gold. When creating white gold, the two purities will not yield significantly different colors.

18-Karat gold is more pure, meaning it contains a higher percentage of gold. Pure gold is 24-Karat (24K), 18-Karat gold is 75% pure, and so on.

If your jewelry has a number and a "K", this denotes its Karat amount, or the purity of the gold in the piece (gold is actually a mixture of gold and other metals). Pure gold is 24- karat (24K), 18-karat gold is 75% pure, and so on.

January – Garnet

February – Amethyst

March – Aquamarine/Bloodstone

April – Diamond

May – Emerald

June – Alexandrite/Moonstone/Pearl

July – Ruby

August – Peridot/Sardonyx

September – Sapphires

October – Pink Tourmaline/Opal

November – Citrine

December – Topaz