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).
This Evening's Diamond - 0.45 Carat F Color VS1 Clarity Ideal Cut Round Cut Diamond
F color VS1 clarity - what else could you want? Not much I think, except perhaps a better cost, as there is an increased cost associated with getting such good qualities in this diamond.
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Shape: Round Carat weight: 0.45 Cut: Ideal Color: F Clarity: VS1 Price: $1230 Certificate: GIA Depth: 62.3% Table: 58.0% Polish: Excellent Symmetry: Excellent Culet: None Fluorescence: None Measurements: 4.88*4.86*3.04 Item number: 1323037 |
Click here to search for other diamonds at James Allen.
Although not quite as perfect a cut as Hearts & Arrows, the Ideal cut of this particular diamond results in it being significantly cheaper, because you're not forking out money for a "perfectly" cut diamond. If you eyeball this 0.45 carat stone and think to yourself, "that carat size is too small", think about whether it's possible to compromise by reducing other properties, for example clarity so you can get for a bigger diamond. Typically VS1 clarity diamonds are the best value "safe" clarity grading in terms of purchasing online without a photo - you can go to a lower clarity grading but then you need to see a high quality photo showing the diamond to analyze the inclusions for yourself. For more information on the "" girdle of this diamond, have a read of the article I wrote on girdle thickness. This diamond's pricetag of $1230 puts it firmly in the least expensive group of stones which might be used in an engagement ring setting.
The chance in color between any adjacent colors in the D-E-F color range is only detectable in a lab, meaning this F color diamond is not distinguishable when compared with diamonds rated only one color grade differently.