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).
Actual Size of 2.60 Carat Diamond
This article provides an illustrated example of the real size of a 2.60 carat diamond when set in a ring and put on a typical woman's hand. A typical round stone with a 2.60 carat weight has a diameter of 9.0 mm, although this can vary slightly if the cut is shallow or deep. The ring shown in the picture is a US size six, which is equivalent to an L 1/2 ring size in countries like Britain and Australia.
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Be careful of reading too much into just a picture - a picture alone won't be entirely representative of all finger and hand types - you are best off getting an idea in store with an actual ring.
Don't forget to take into account not just the size of your hand as a whole, but also if you have long and thin digits or short and pudgy ones.
If you have been stressed about the cost of diamonds but are still really set on getting one, here is one piece of good news - the diamonds invariably look bigger once put on a woman's hand, especially in cases where her hand is small and petite.
Go searching for diamonds this size at James Allen by clicking on the banner below and dragging the carat slider to the appropriate setting:
