Buying Right: 7 Need-to-Know Tips to Remember When It Comes to Buying Diamonds

Getting engaged is one of the most exciting moments of your life. A beautiful moment with your intended bride all culminating the start of your life together. The biggest part of that moment, besides her saying yes, is finding the perfect ring to complete it.

Discover more about buying an engagement ring by reading these seven tips to remember when it comes to buying diamonds.

  1. Carat (Size)

How big the ring should be is all in personal preference. Take into consideration both the size of the person’s hand, whereas something too big will look a bit awkward, and what you can afford. The size of the diamond is probably the most prominent factors in its’ price tag, so determine the size first. The bigger diamonds are more expensive because of how rare they are. Some diamonds may look larger or smaller based on their setting, so make sure you have a nice balance between the two.

  1. Cut (Shape)

There are many different types of diamond cuts or shapes. Nearly every jewelry store is taking one of the cuts already known and adding a slight twist of their own and calling it a new name. The most popular cuts are: round, oval, marquise, pear, heart, emerald, asscher, radiant, cushion, and princess. No cut is better than another, but most people have a distinct impression of what they do or don’t like or want. If you are going more traditional, a round stone is always timeless and classy. The cushion cut is very popular recently and gives a timeless quality in that it looks very retro, almost a throwback to the roaring twenties. Many elegant styles are available and one for all characters.

Although cut mainly refers to the shape of the diamond, it also tells us how the light will bounce off that particular diamond. More light will give that sparkle that many of us desire, and the light reflecting the quality that bounces off every wall in the sunshine in a beautiful way.

  1. Color (Clear or Not)

Did you know that all diamonds aren’t the clear, sparkling pieces of an icicle that we typically see? Diamonds of different colors are becoming more and more popular.

What we think of as a “colorless” diamond aren’t colorless at all. They are graded on a scale of D through K with D being the most crystal-clear diamonds that have absolutely no residual color in them, down to K which still retain a slight tinge of brown in them as a result of graining inside the diamond. The brown tint is barely visible to the naked eye and most people won’t even notice this color in their diamond.

  1. Intensity (Color Grade)

Intensity involves the grading of diamonds that have a visible color to them, like yellow, blue, or pink. A scale of how that color shines and the rarity places them in one of the following categories: fancy vivid (also called fancy deep or fancy dark), fancy intense, fancy, fancy light, light, very light, faint. The further along that scale the diamond is, the deeper and more intense the color becomes. A yellow diamond, for example, maybe the intended recipient just wants a faint wash of that yellow hue so something on the faint or light category would be just perfect.

  1. Clarity (Perfectness)

All diamonds come with some measure of “imperfections” found within them. This happens when diamonds are made, which is under pressure within the deep ground of Earth’s surface. Each imperfection, called an inclusion, is in a different spot depending on the diamond, so some may be closer to the surface of the diamond and some may lie further within the center.

Inclusions are also rated just like color is. The rating system for inclusions ranges from FL or Flawless down to I1-3 which have visible flaws to the naked eye. Those that range in the middle have imperfections that would only be seen under intense magnification. Keep in mind, having a small imperfection can save you in the long run and it won’t even be visible without a microscope or loop.

Again, the more towards Flawless range that the diamond you pick lies, the more expensive it is going to be since a Flawless rating would be extremely rare. Finding inclusions you can live with will retain the budget you desire.

  1. Setting (The Ring and Band)

Buying a loose diamond gives you the flexibility to customize your ring and get the best possible diamond your budget allows and place it in a setting that both works for that particular diamond shape, and within a setting that the couple both loves. This allows a choice in the color of the metal that will become the band. It can allow spaces for any side diamonds to flank the middle diamond, such as a “past, present, future” ring where three stones represent the couple’s life together. Bands can also have diamonds all around the band in different sizes and shapes. Choosing your own diamond and settings allows this level of customization that walking into a mall jewelry store wouldn’t compare to.

  1. How to Buy

Buying rings used to involve going to a local jeweler, the shopping mall, or even a big trip to the nearest city to the diamond district. With the upgrades to modern technology, you can research and buy diamonds online now. Buying online gives you the capability f browsing on your own time, and without the eyes of someone, you might want to surprise. All the possibilities will be right at your fingertips without traveling to the store, and everything is labeled so you can really get an idea of what you are after without staring at a huge case of rings.

You can always learn more about buying engagement rings online or ask a trained jeweler to help you with your selection.  There is plenty to choose from, and truly a diamond to fit every personality.

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