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).
1.09 Carat Diamonds
When you see a 1.09 carat diamond, expect to see about 6.72 mm worth of diamond. Be careful of assigning too much importance to the carat weight of the diamond while neglecting other properties such as the girdle thickness, which is to wide can make the diamond appear smaller than other diamonds of the same carat weight.
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Because diamonds with the carat weight of one or two carats are very very popular, it's common for shops and online stores to raise the prices. You can save money by looking for diamonds which don't have the sizes.
One thing to consider that may stop you overspending on a diamond is how large the diamond will appear when it is finally placed on the woman's hand. Often the buyer of the diamond is happily surprised by how large the diamond appears when it is finally placed on the hand.
There is a growing feeling that perhaps Texas is really another country, a place where the skies, the disasters, the diamonds, the politicians, the women, the fortunes, the football players and the murders are all bigger than anywhere else. Pete Hamill .
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.
Don't forget to think about other diamond characteristics such as diamond cut, which plays a critical role in determining the amount of light that gets into the diamond and the degree to which the diamond sparkles in light.