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).
0.88 Carat Diamonds
Each carat in a 0.88 carat diamond is equivalent to 88 points, so a 0.88 carat diamond is the same as a 88 point diamond. Girdle thickness is a diamond property which many people never even think about, but which can critically affect how big the diamond appears to be.
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How big a diamond appears does not scale linearly with the carat weight of the diamond, which catches many people out.
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. Carat size is only one that property out of a number that you should be considering. You should also consider a diamond other properties such as cut, because this will have a drastic effect on how well the diamond sparkles.
Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, like diamonds we are cut with our own dust. John Webster .
