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).
0.18 Carat Diamonds
0.18 carats refers to the weight of the diamond, which may also be expressed in terms of points - 0.18 carats is 18 points.
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Diamond carats, points and normal units of milligrams can all be converted between - this 0.18 carat diamond for example weighs 36 mg.
Diamonds that weigh 0.18 carats are typically 3.66 mm across their widest part.
Carat weight is not the be all and end all of picking a diamond which looks as big as possible. The diamond's girdle thickness will also play a role in affecting what the diamond looks like.
One trick for saving money when buying a diamond is to choose a diamond which has a carat weight just below a popular number, such as buying a 0.98 carat diamond instead of a one carat diamond. So how good do you think a 10 carat diamond which looks a horrible uneven black colour would appear on an engagement ring? Exactly - diamond buyers need to also consider other properties such as the colour of the stone, which is not picked correctly can negate any attractiveness of having a very large diamond.
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond. Mae West .