Certifications

To receive certification, a gemological institute (GIA, HRD or IGI) must accredit fancy colored diamonds. Carats is one of a few diamond distributors in the world authorized to sell diamonds from primary sources.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) system for color grading is based on the attributes:
   - Hue (the characteristic color)
   - Tone (the color's relative lightness or darkness)
   - Saturation (the strength or weakness of the color)

A Carat Diamond expert will determine the stone's color from one of 27 hues, using controlled viewing conditions and color comparators. The fancy grade describes the stone's tone and saturation using terms such as Fancy Light, Fancy Intense and Fancy Vivid.

The GIA grades colored diamonds in this order:
Faint
Very Light
Fancy Light
Fancy
Fancy Intense
Fancy Deep
Fancy Vivid (the highest color grade)