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).
Princess Shape, 0.42 Carat Diamond Size on Hand
This article has a handy picture that gives you the apparent size of a 0.42 carat size princess shape stone, when it's actually on a typical woman's hand. If you search around on the web to find the actual size of a 0.42 carat weight princess shape diamond, you may pick up that the numbers are slightly different across different sites - this is because the size (4.6 mm for this particular diamond) depends on things like cut as well.
To give you more of an idea of what the picture is showing, the ring shown is a size six in the US sizing system, which is equivalent to an L 1/2 ring size in Britain or Australia.
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You'll become more knowledgeable looking at diamond sizes online such as this 0.42 carat weight princess shape diamond, but nothing beats seeing it in person. Later after the diamond is purchased, it's likely you may be pleasantly surprised because the diamond appears larger on a woman's hand than you first thought, compared with when seen in isolation.
