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).
0.80 Carat Diamonds
Carat size does not equate exactly to a certain width of diamond, because the diamond may be short and fat, or tall and lanky, meaning 0.80 carats of diamond will not always be synonymous with 6.05 mm of diamond. Girdle thickness is a diamond property which many people never even think about, but which can critically affect how big the diamond appears to be.
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He who finds diamonds must grapple in mud and mire because diamonds are not found in polished stones. They are made. Henry B. Wilson .
One trick for saving money when buying a diamond is to choose a diamond which has a carat weight just below a popular number, such as buying a 0.98 carat diamond instead of a one carat diamond. If you're considering a number of gemstones, not just diamonds, bear in mind that different types of stone have different densities, so a one carat diamond may appear quite different in size to a one carat emerald.
Some unethical store assistants will talk about average diamond size in trying to pressure couples into buying a diamond ring more expensive than they can afford - even though the average is around half carat, you should be buying a diamond based on what you can afford, and what you as a couple would feel comfortable buying. It can be humbling to compare the 0.80 carat weight with famous diamonds such as the akbar shah diamond, which came in at a final cut carat weight of 72 carats.
If you're in a store and you've found a ring which you're interested in, but only the total diamond weight is marked, don't hesitate to ask a shop assistant. They should give you the individual diamond weights, and if they don't just walk away - it's not worth your time dealing with unscrupulous sellers. So how good do you think a 10 carat diamond which looks a horrible uneven black colour would appear on an engagement ring? Exactly - diamond buyers need to also consider other properties such as the colour of the stone, which is not picked correctly can negate any attractiveness of having a very large diamond.