How to Choose a Diamond

Are you looking for a diamond engagement ring, or just buying a ring for yourself or someone important? Sounds easy, but it could be difficult if you know nothing about diamonds. You might get undecided once you come face to face with the various shapes, colors, sizes and the prices of diamond rings. If, at the end of the day, you really want to get what you want, let your knowledge about diamonds overcome the sales hype of jewelry store sweet talkers. Don't let them talk you into buying something that will not be to your liking afterwards. So, consider a few things first before buying so you can make the best buy, like finding an accommodating jeweler who listens to you and understands what you want. To be able to talk about diamonds, you have to know exactly what you want and say it straight. But, how do you know what diamond ring is right for you? Better take the following steps.

Before the First Step

You buy a diamond ring to express love, appreciation or adoration for someone, or you buy it to please yourself but certainly not because you think it is an investment. Therefore, you want to get the best your money can afford.

The First Step

First of all, decide on how much exactly you want to spend. This will determine your choices of a diamond ring. Once you know your limit, you can search the market for the diamond that can match your budget. Let your fingers do the walking on the Internet where there is a ton of information available as to the product and its prices. Actually, the biggest slice of your budget will pay for the stone, therefore, it is important to know what you like as to its setting. Then you'll know exactly how much you have left to pay for the diamond. An idea of the cost will show the jeweler that you know what you are looking for.

The Second Step

A basic knowledge of how diamonds are valued will make it easy for you to select your diamond. There are four C's to remember about diamond quality that determines price. These are cut, color, clarity and carat. Determine which of the four C's is most important for you and look at them in descending order from first priority to last priority. For a better understanding of these factors, here are some important points to remember. The cut determines the shape of the diamond and how well it is cut. The cut is responsible for its fire of rainbow colors that flash inside the stone as well as its brilliance. You may choose from either the classic round, the "new" classic, the square shape, known also as the "princess" cut, or you might want to go with an elegant European classic like the emerald shape or the asscher cut.

The color is very influential in the valuation of the diamond. As the amount of visible color decreases, the price of the diamond increases, meaning, the less color in a diamond, the more valuable it becomes. Its color ranges from colorless which is the most expensive to light yellow which is the least expensive. The setting has to be properly selected. Do you prefer a white metal such as platinum or white gold or will you be going for a yellow gold ring? In a yellow gold ring the diamond that is colorless will reflect the yellow of the ring to some extent which will make the diamond look darker than it really is. It really doesn't make sense to spend extra for a colorless diamond when it will be set in a yellow gold ring. If you really prefer the yellow gold ring, the diamond with an H, I, or even a J color which are near colorless will look great in the ring. If you are going for a white metal, you have to go with the colorless and the near colorless like the H or higher.

As in color, higher clarities in a diamond cannot be seen by the naked eye. But, you can try anyway. At arms length by extending your arm down the side of your body and bending back your hand as in admiring a ring on your finger, if you can tell its clarity, then it is in the clarity scale of slightly included 3 (SI3) to included 1 (I1) where there are inclusions of tiny crystals, feathers or clouds. These inclusions affect the brilliance of the diamond. If at elbow range (approx. 12 inches away) you see no flaws, you can go with an SI2 to SI3 clarity range. At nose length and you don't see anything then you'll need to go with SI1 clarity or a very good SI2. If you don't see anything under magnification such as a jeweler's loupe then you'll have to go with VS2 clarity or a very good SI1 clarity. Actually, there are 11 clarity scales of a diamond, these are from the highest to the lowest - flawless (F), internally flawless (IF), very very slightly included (VVS) 1 and 2, very slightly included (VS) 1 and 2, slightly included (SI)1 and 2, and included (I) 1, 2 and 3. The problem is that the human eye can barely, if at all, see the difference, but clarity likewise dictates the price of the diamond.

The Last Step

Once you have decided about the shape, color and clarity of your diamond, and you have decided on your budget, there is still one factor to consider - the weight or carat of the diamond. Remember though that the cut of a diamond may make it appear larger or smaller than its actual weight. Suppose you want a round diamond that has an H color and SI1 clarity and let's also assume that you wanted to spend $5,000 on the diamond only. Ask your jeweler the following question: "I am interested in buying an H/SI1 round diamond. What is the largest diamond I can get for up to $5,000?" But, remember that if you are looking for a diamond that is of high clarity get only diamonds certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). All diamond experts and jewelers know that the GIA's grading is recognized throughout the jewelry industry as the most accurate and unbiased opinion when it comes to grading diamonds, especially if the diamonds are over 1 carat in size.

Alternative option in order to get what you want

If after getting quotes from several sources and you still don't like the sizes presented to you, you have the option of choosing a clarity enhanced diamond. With clarity enhanced diamonds, you will typically be able to get a 30% to 40% larger diamond for the same price as a non-enhanced diamond. Or, if you like the size you were presented in a non-enhanced size you will be able to get the same size for 30% to 40% less cost in an enhanced diamond.

A word about Ring Sizing

If you want to surprise someone with a gift of a diamond ring and you don't know her or his ring size, you just cannot ask that person about it, so, to be sure that the ring fits, here are some ideas to know a person's ring size without asking her or him:

-- Ask her/his mom or sisters if you think they can keep a secret.
-- Pay attention to the ring(s) she/he usually wears and when she/he takes it off trace it on a piece of paper. Make sure you trace the inside of the ring not the outside.
-- If she/he doesn't wear rings, simply take a piece of string and wrap it around her/his ring finger when she's/he's asleep. Mark the length of the string without squeezing it too tight. Measure the length on a typical ruler in either inches or centimeters. Give your jeweler this measurement and they'll convert it to the proper ring size.
-- Always keep in mind that the ring has to make it past the knuckle first.

In case the ring doesn't fit exactly right it can always be resized. Most jewelers charge between $25 and $75 depending on how many sizes up or down is necessary.

For more information on this topic visit our Diamond Education & Resource Center

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