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).
2.82 Carat Diamonds
When someone describes a diamond as being 2.82 carats, they mean it is a 282 point diamond.
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Each point in a diamond's weight is worth 2 mg, so a 282 points diamond weighs 564 mg. 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 2.82 carats of diamond will not always be synonymous with 9.26 mm of diamond.
A way of using numbers to help you compare diamonds is to calculate the cost per carat of diamond. 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.
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. Ruby and sapphire are two gemstones which are significantly denser than diamond, which is why a one carat ruby or sapphire will generally looks smaller than a one carat diamond, if you've ever been confused in a store.
When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure. Peter Marshall .
There are no firm statistics that are universally applicable, but it is generally agreed that the average size of a diamond is around a third of the carat, perhaps a little more. 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.