How To Buy A Diamond

It’s been said time and time again, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” and I personally, have to agree with that sentiment. There’s something to be said about the brilliance and luxury of buying yourself or receiving diamond jewelry, especially if it’s in the form of an engagement ring.

If you have a special occasion coming up, if you’re shopping for a extra special gift for someone or if you want to point your significant other in the right direction (subtly, of course!) – it’s best to know the basics before you buy.  There’s a science to selecting the perfect diamond.  So today, we’ll discuss how to buy a diamond.

Image: Blue Nile

First, let’s start with the basics! There are the famous 4 Cs to keep in mind when you’re diamond shopping.

CUT
The “cut” of a diamond is the most important trait. It determines the overall shine and sparkle. When a diamond is cut correctly it allows the light to be reflected from one facet to another. There are five different ‘cuts’ to keep in mind:

Image: Blue Nile

Ideal cut — This cut reflects the most light and is very rare (and also the most expensive). Only about 3% of the diamonds on the market today are ideal cut.
Very Good cut — This cut reflects a little less light than the Ideal Cut and such is usually priced lower. 15% of the diamonds you’ll see will fall under this category.
Good cut — This cut has about the top 25% of diamonds on the market. It reflects most of the light that enters a diamond and is less expensive than a ‘very good’ cut diamond.
Fair cut — 35% of the diamonds available are fair cut. These are still quality diamonds but they do not sparkle as much as the other three cuts.
Poor cut — These diamonds reflect hardly any light.

Generally, if the cut of the diamond is too deep only some of the light it reflects will escape through the opposite side. If the cut is too shallow, the light escapes through the pavilion before it can be reflected. Do note, the “cut” of a diamond is not the same thing as the “shape” (more on that in a minute!).

CLARITY
The clarity of a diamond has to do with the often minuscule details that can’t be seen with the naked eye. You will need a jewelers loupe (10x magnifying glass) to see into the diamond. The ‘clarity’ of a diamond quantifies the tiny imperfections that all diamonds have.

Image: Blue Nile

FL, IF (Flawless, Internally Flawless) — Diamonds that fall under this category are very rare and very expensive. Diamonds that are FL or IF have no internal or external imperfections
VVS1, VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included) — Under a 10x magnifying glass it is very difficult to see imperfections. Diamonds that fall under this category are excellent in quality.
VS1, VS2 (Very Slightly Included) — Under this category, these diamonds have imperfections you might not be able to see unless magnified. These are also less expensive than the VVS1 and VVS2 grades.
SI1, SI2 (Slightly Included) — Imperfections on diamonds are visible under 10x magnification and may also be visible with the unaided eye.
I1, I2, I3 (Included) — Imperfections are very noticeable without the help of a magnifying glass.

What you need to keep in mind is, diamonds with little to know internal or external imperfections are give off more sparkle, shine and brilliance.

COLOUR
The colour of a diamond ranges from clear to faint yellow. There are also rare (and expensive) diamonds, called “fancy”, that are available in pinks, blues and greens. The colour grades are alphabetical from D (colourless) to Z (yellow-brownish)

Image: Blue Nile

D-E-F — Colourless.
G-H-I-J — Nearly colourless.
K-L-M — Slightly tinted with usually yellow that’s hardly noticeable unless when compared with another diamond.
N-O-P-Q-R — Lightly tinted, usually yellow that can be seen with the naked eye.
S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z — Yellow tinted to brownish. Visible to the naked eye.

The best colour for a diamond is no color or clear. A diamond with no colour allows all the light to pass through and be reflected. When looking at a diamond you may notice some of them give that pretty ‘rainbow’ effect, that’s due to the combination of the cut, clarity and colour.

CARAT
Most people thing the size of a diamond determines the carat, which is incorrect. The carat is the weight of a diamond by itself (not within a setting). When you’re shopping for a diamond you’ll either see points or the actual weight listed. To make it simple, a 1 carat diamond is equal to 100 points,  so 50 points is equal to 1/2 carat etc.  Got it?   Obviously, the other three C’s are involved when pricing a diamond, but generally the heavier the diamond the higher the cost.

Image: Blue Nile

Now that you’re well informed with the ins and outs of a diamond, let’s discuss how to buy a diamond engagement ring or otherwise known as, how to score lots of brownie points with your significant other and make all her friends totally jealous. (I’m kidding! ).

BUDGET
Determine your budget! Know how much or how little you have to spend. We all know diamonds are not cheap and establishing a guideline or cut-off is the best way to shop. Choose a diamond within your budget that has a good ovrerall value and quality.

SHAPE
The shape of a diamond is highly subjective. When you’re shopping for an engagement ring, knowing the shape of the diamond you want (or she wants) will make narrowing down your choice that much easier.

Image: Blue Nile

The most popular and traditional diamond shapes are the Round (also know as Brilliant) and Princess (or square) cuts.

SETTING
The setting of a diamond is also subjective but it also has to do with what the best way is to showcase a diamond. You don’t want a setting that will overwhelm or detract from a diamond’s brilliance.   There are a number of settings to choose from. The most popular are the traditional ‘claw’ or Prong, V-Prong and Common Prong settings.  Gaining popularity are the Bezel, Channel and Pave settings.  There are also less common settings like the Bead, Cluster, Flush and Ballerina settings.

Also another variable is if you want to add side stones or other embellishments.Along with the setting, you should determine if you want Platinum, White-Gold or Yellow-Gold metals. Some women (and men!) might be very picky when it comes to certain metals. Often it’s based on what they think looks best on them.  Your jeweler will inform you of the best way to ’set’ the diamond you choose.

RING SIZE
It’s best to get an exact ring size. Although most rings can be sized up or down, certain rings, like a diamond eternity ring, cannot be resized (without a hefty price).

Finally, think of a great way to propose! It doesn’t have to be over the top, as long as it’s heart-felt and sweet.

Whether you’re shopping for an engagement ring or treating yourself, it’s beneficial and smart shopping to know what you’re looking at and get a sense of what to look for.