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).
0.56 Carat Diamonds
Although it would seem so, the carat weight of a diamond and the diameter of a diamond have an interesting relationship - as the carat weight of the diamond increases, the diameter of the diamond grows at a much slower speed. Savvy diamond buyers have learnt to search for diamonds that do not have round numbers in their carat weight - for example, these buyers will search for a diamond with the carat weight just below one or two carats.
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My crown is in my heart, not in my head, Nor decked with diamonds and Indian stones, Nor to be seen; my crown is called contentment; A crown it is, that seldom kings enjoy. William Shakespeare .
Remember while the diamond may disappear into insignificance compared to a man's hand, women generally have significantly smaller hands with thinner fingers - the diamond will appear a lot larger when placed on their hand.
Not all gemstones have the same density, leading to an often confusing fact that when you look at a one carat diamond and a one carat ruby, apart from differences in cut they will probably appear different in size due to the difference in their density.
Buying a diamond should really be about what you and your partner want, but if it's really important to you, know that the average diamond size in an engagement ring is about half carat, give or take. Five small diamonds that add up to one carat are generally not as valuable as a single diamond that weighs one carat, so be short not to compare a single diamond of carat weight 0.56 with a ring which has a total diamond weight of 0.56.
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.