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).
Actual Princess Shape Diamond Sizes on Hand of a 0.81 Carat Diamond
Carat weight isn't the be all and end all - the type of cut will also influence the apparent size of the rock - for a 0.81 carat princess like this one, the size would be around 5.3 mm typically. The illustration in this page has a ring of L 1/2 ring size, which is typical or perhaps on the small side of typical for a female ring. Pictures can sometimes be a little dependent on the viewer - I've tried to make this one as clear as possible, but don't forget seeing the stone in person will give you a very different impression of size to viewing it on the web.
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If you're a male trying to work out the appropriate size of diamond to buy for your partner, don't forget that the stonewill invariably appear much bigger on the hands of a woman, which are typically smaller.
