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, 1.31 Carat Diamond Size on Hand
Carat weight does not mean much until you witness it in person - this page provides a human hand as "context" for the apparent size of a 1.31 carat size diamond with a princess shape. A princess shape stone with a carat weight of 1.31 is usually about 6.2 mm long on a side; this can of course vary depending on cut. While this picture will give you an approximate idea of how massive a diamond will appear viewed on the hand, remember that the ring size you pick or need could be quite different in size to that shown in this image.
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Some advice for how to use the information on this page is to initially narrow down your size range, and then to go into stores and try diamonds out in person, armed with this prior knowledge. Fingers that are long and slender will change how a diamond appears just as much as the diamond's carat weight - so look beyond just considering the 1.31 carat weight of this princess diamond.
