Choosing Your Diamond
Once you have an idea of what style of ring you want to purchase, you need to determine what you're going to put into it. Choosing just the right shape, size, and quality for the diamond may seem overwhelming, especially if you're not used to buying jewelry, but armed with some key information, you'll discover that diamond shopping needn't be a frightening task. This section explains all you need to know about choosing the perfect diamond for your engagement ring.
What Shape?
This is a piece of information you might be able to deduce on your own, or you may have to ask her in a roundabout way. If she already owns some gemstone rings, check to see if they are mostly round-cut, square, or some other shape. Or, since most women know just what they want in a diamond, you might want to try and get her to reveal her shape preference if she hasn't done so already.
One of the most popular, can't-miss diamond shapes is the classic round cut. This tried and true shape is a great fallback if you can't discover her diamond shape preference. From there, square shapes like the princess cut, emerald cut, Asscher cut or radiant cut are also very popular with modern brides and come in settings to satisfy just about any taste. If you are considering going with a marquise cut, pear-shaped, or heart-shaped diamond, we recommend that you first find out what your beloved thinks of these stylized shapes. The fancier shapes tend to be a bit taste-specific, so you want to make sure that you're choosing something she's expressed a clear interest in.
Click on a shape in the chart below to view more information about that diamond shape.
<image – diamond shape chart>
What Size?
The chart below includes price ranges for the various diamond sizes available to help you find a diamond size within your budget. When you select the quality of a given diamond size, you will narrow the price range even further.
Remember that a diamond of a larger size is no substitute for a diamond with a superior cut and clarity. Your first priority should always be cut; size is somewhat less important.
<diamond size/price chart>
Do you know the four Cs of diamonds?
The Four Cs of diamonds refer to the four crucial characteristics you must consider when purchasing a diamond. We take the mystery out of these shopping guidelines to empower you as a buyer and make shopping for a diamond fun and easy.
- Cut – A diamond's cut is a critical factor in influencing the diamond's ability to reflect light and create that telltale sparkle. Even diamonds with superior color and clarity will appear dull and drab with a poor cut. We only carry diamond cuts that will give you the best sparkle and value.
- Color – Most diamonds contain some traces of yellow or brown within them, which may or may not be visible to the naked eye. Completely colorless diamonds are highly sought after and extremely rare, therefore they are the most expensive. But we also offer near-colorless diamonds that look amazing and offer an incredible value.
- Clarity – As a product of nature, many diamonds contain trace amounts of other minerals or tiny imperfections within them. The measure of such inclusions is referred to as the clarity of a diamond. At the top end of the scale are rare diamonds without any inclusions whatsoever. However, you can find a bargain on diamonds that have miniscule inclusions only visible under high magnification. We offer a good variety of clarity grades to give you some flexibility, but we never carry the lowest clarity grade, which carries visible inclusions.
- Carat weight – It stands to reason that larger diamonds are more expensive than smaller ones, however the size must be balanced with the cut, color, and clarity to achieve an ideal diamond.
