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).
2.50 Carat Diamonds
A diamond with a weight of 2.50 carats is equivalent to a 250 point diamond.
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Diamond carats, points and normal units of milligrams can all be converted between - this 2.50 carat diamond for example weighs 500 mg. This average width of 8.89 mm for a 2.50 carat diamond only tells some of the story, because this width is variable depending on how deep or shallow the diamond shape is.
Carat weight is not the be all and end all of picking a diamond which looks as big as possible. The diamond's girdle thickness will also play a role in affecting what the diamond looks like.
If you're willing to try a few things to get a bargain, one thing you can try is searching for a diamond which has a strange carat weight, such as 0.96 carats. Often diamonds with these strange carat weights can be picked up for a bargain because they are not as sought-after even though they are practically the same size as the more popular 1.00 carat diamonds.
Not all gemstones have the same density, leading to an often confusing fact that when you look at a one carat diamond and a one carat ruby, apart from differences in cut they will probably appear different in size due to the difference in their density.
Buying a diamond should really be about what you and your partner want, but if it's really important to you, know that the average diamond size in an engagement ring is about half carat, give or take. A large diamond which has a huge crack down the middle, or alternatively a big yucky looking inclusion, is not a good look - it looks like someone has gone for size and sacrificed all the other desirable properties of the diamond. Clarity, for example, can be just as important in picking a diamond.
Diamonds are nothing more than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs. Malcolm S. Forbes .
