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, 1.81 Carat Diamond Size on Hand
The exact size of a 1.81 carat weight princess shape diamond depends on other factors such as cut, but is usually in the ballpark of around 7.5 mm along one square edge. The picture in this page shows an L 1/2 ring size, which is typical or perhaps on the small side of typical for a female ring.
A good tip to follow is to use pictures like this one to initially narrow down your size range, and then to go into stores and actually try a few different sized princess shape diamond rings on, armed with this prior knowledge. Fingers can vary in terms of their apparent width and breadth, which should factor in to your decision regarding diamond size and shape.
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If you're a male trying to calculate the right diamond size to buy for your other half, don't forget that the stonewill invariably look much bigger on her smaller, more petite hands.
