Quick and Easy Buying Guide
Carat weight: 1 carat = 200 milligrams = 6.5 mm diameter. Doubling weight doesn't double diameter.
Diamond clarity: FL/IF/VVS/VS = super expensive, near perfect. SI = best value if you can check a photo for obvious inclusions (defects).
Color: D-G = colorless, expensive, only if you have money to burn. H-J = best value. Can go lower in gold metal settings than white metal.
Cut: Better cut ratings let more light into a diamond, making it sparkle more. Very important property, don't skimp here.
Set a budget and minimum cut (Premium). Go J color for gold and I/H for white metals. Go searching for SI1/SI2 clarity diamonds at James Allen. Pick a diamond with small/no inclusions. Choose a ring setting and buy it risk-free (60-day returns).
0.12 Carat Diamonds
Each carat in a 0.12 carat diamond is equivalent to 12 points, so a 0.12 carat diamond is the same as a 12 point diamond. If you're interested in the normal metric weight of a 0.12 carat diamond, it is 24 mg.
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One thing that surprised me when i bought an engagement ring, is how much bigger the diamond appeared on a female finger compared with when viewed alone.
A shop assistant may show you a one carat diamond and a one carat emerald stone next to each other, and point out how much larger the emerald stone is. This is because emerald is a much lighter material, so for a given weight of it, it will appear much bigger than for an equivalent sized diamond.
A half carat diamond is a typical size for the average diamond engagement ring, but of course sizes can vary hugely between couples, depending on economic status and personal preference. There are two tricks to avoid when comparing total diamond weight with the weight of an individual diamond - individual smaller diamonds are cheaper even if they add up to the same total weight as the single diamond, and smaller diamonds are often of poorer quality.
Let us not be too particular; it is better to have old secondhand diamonds than none at all. Mark Twain .
People say the four cs for a reason - diamond carat size is just one of the four cs and the others are arguably just as important in determining how 'attractive' and 'good' a diamond is.