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).

1.00 Carat F Color VS1 Clarity Premium Cut Round Cut Diamond

This VS1 clarity diamond is a slight improvement over a VS2 clarity diamond, the step up in clarity grading comes from there being fewer or smaller inclusions, or when the inclusion is positioned such that it is more favourable to the presentation of the diamond (for example if it is hidden from sight).

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The Premium cut grading of this diamond is a balance between cut quality and diamond price. If you're buying blind online, then VS1 clarity is basically the lowestclarity rating you should consider without running a significant risk of getting a diamond with eye-visible defects. To the unassisted human eye, this F color diamond standing alone appears pure white - there is no way to detect any color in it utilizing just the naked eye and no other nearby diamonds, or to identify the differences between it and others within the colorless range. Throwing $8310 on a stone nets one a diamond well above the cut, like this one. A tip: sanity check that you're happy spending this amount of money on a diamond. If you look at this 1.00 carat stone and immediately say, "that carat size is too small", think about whether it's possible to compromise by lowering another property, for example clarity so you can get for a bigger diamond.

Girdle thickness (for this diamond the girdle is "Thin to slightly thick, faceted") can play an important role in the size presented by the diamond, which is detailed in my girdle thickness article.

Shape: Round

Carat weight: 1.0

Cut: Premium

Color: F

Clarity: VS1

Price: $8310

Certificate: GIA

Depth: 60.9%

Table: 57.0%

Polish: Good

Symmetry: Very Good

Girdle: Thin to slightly thick, faceted

Culet: Very Small

Fluorescence: None

Measurements: 6.47*6.44*3.93

Item number: 1243923

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