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).
1.42 Carat Diamonds
Searching for 1.42 carat diamonds? Well, make sure you also use the term "142" point diamonds when you look on the internet using google or other search engines.
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Don't be fooled into considering only the carat size, because other factors such as the size of the diamonds girdle can significantly impact on the apparent size of the diamond, which is more important than the carat weight (apart from for bragging rights). How big a diamond appears does not scale linearly with the carat weight of the diamond, which catches many people out.
You are, at this moment, standing, right in the middle of your own 'acres of diamonds. Earl Nightingale .
There are hundreds of thousands of diamonds available online, which can be quite a daunting prospect if you're trying to narrow your choices down. One tip is to add another property of the diamond to the phrase that you're entering into your web browser - you could enter vs1 clarity alongside 1.42 carat diamonds. God forbid that this should be a problem for anyone, but it may be that the diamond, once it actually put on the fiance's hand, may appear to be too big and unwieldy. Make sure to take this into account when you're shopping around.
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. 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.