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).

Diamond Carat Size on Hand - The Most Common Diamonds - 0.5 to 0.99 Carats

When I first started looking for a diamond engagement ring, I really had no idea what size I would be willing to pay for, because quite frankly I didn't even know how big a one carat diamond looked on a woman's hand.

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That's where webpages like these ones come in very handy – they give you an idea of what a diamond of a certain carat size is going to look like one woman's hand, without you having to do it for the first time in a high-pressure sales environment.

The diamonds on this page are in the carat range from half carat to just under one carat – this is probably the most common diamond size purchased for an engagement ring. You get a stone which is a good size, without having to pay many many many thousands of dollars for it. A budget half carat stone will come in well under $1000, which is quite affordable for many people.

So browse through the pages below and see how changing the carat size affects how the diamond looks on the hand.

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