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 1.30 Carat Diamond
This page has a useful picture that gives you the apparent size of a 1.30 carat size princess shape diamond, when viewed in place on the hand of a woman. Carat weight isn't the be all and end all - the depth of the diamond's cut will also play a role in the apparent size of the rock - for a 1.30 carat princess like this one, the size would be around 6.1 mm typically.
The illustration on this page shows an L 1/2 ring size, which is typical or perhaps on the small side of typical for a female ring. The dimensions of a woman's hand vary a lot between women - just look around you when you're next in public - so this illustration can only provide the apparent diamond size for one particular ring size.
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Long slender fingers will affect how a diamond appears as much as the diamond's carat weight - so look beyond just considering the 1.30 carat weight of this princess diamond. There's no need to freak out if diamonds and the dollars involved are making you worry - because the diamond will appear larger on her hand, you may not need to spend as much to get your desired effect.
