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).
2.43 Carat Princess Shape Diamond Actual Size
A princess shape diamond with a carat weight of 2.43 is typically about 8.7 mm long on a side; this can of course vary depending on cut. The picture in this page shows an L 1/2 ring size, which is typical or perhaps on the small side of typical for a female ring. A good tip to follow is to use pictures like this one to initially narrow down your size range; then you can go into stores and actually try a few different sized princess shape diamond rings on, armed with this prior knowledge.
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Fingers can vary in terms of their apparent width and breadth, which should influence your decision about what shape and size of diamond to get. Later after the diamond is purchased, it's likely you might be pleasantly surprised because the diamond appears larger on a woman's hand than you first thought, compared with when seen in isolation.
