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, 0.50 Carat Diamond Size on Hand
A princess shape diamond with a carat weight of 0.50 is usually about 4.8 mm long on a side, although this can depend on the depth of the cut. The photo on 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. The visual size for this 0.50 carat weight princess diamond will be affected not only by the carat weight but as well on the length to width ratio of the ring finger the diamond ends up on.
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If you're a male trying to work out the right size of diamond to buy for your partner, don't forget that the diamond will usually look much bigger on the hands of a woman, which are typically smaller.
