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).
2.78 Carat Diamonds
Diamond carats, points and normal units of milligrams can all be converted between - this 2.78 carat diamond for example weighs 556 mg. The width of a diamond with a weight of 2.78 carats is about 9.22 mm.
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Adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with. Thomas Carlyle .
This average width of 9.22 mm for a 2.78 carat diamond only tells some of the story, because this width is variable depending on how deep or shallow the diamond shape is. If you're willing to try a few things to get a bargain, one thing you can try is searching for a diamond which has a strange carat weight, such as 0.96 carats. Often diamonds with these strange carat weights can be picked up for a bargain because they are not as sought-after even though they are practically the same size as the more popular 1.00 carat diamonds.
One thing that surprised me when i bought an engagement ring, is how much bigger the diamond appeared on a female finger compared with when viewed alone.
Although it is of limited usefulness, a lot of people wonder what the average size of a diamond is (about one third of a carat) when they are searching for a diamond themselves.
Note when looking at total diamond weight, some of the online stores such as blue nile will give a total diamond weight for a pair of stud earrings, but the actual total diamond weight will only approximately be what is specified - check the fine print to avoid being caught out. In terms of diamond properties, the carat weight of the diamond should be considered alongside the many other characteristics of the diamond, in order to find a diamond which is balanced and hence not let down by being of poor quality in one of these departments.