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, 1.01 Carat Diamond Size on Hand

To give you more of an idea of what's in this image, the ring pictured is a size six in the US sizing system, which is equivalent to an L 1/2 ring size in Britain or Australia. Consider the ratio between the width and length of your finger - this ratio can play an important role in how massive and suitable a diamond looks when it is slipped in a ring onto the hand. Diamonds almost always look larger when you place them on a woman's hand - so try to ask a woman in the shop to put one on rather than putting it on your hand, which is probably much larger.

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