 How to buy
your diamond
The classic engagement ring comes in three main styles.
For the perfect ring, identify the setting you both love and then devote the remainder
of your budget to a beautiful, certified diamond.
The Engagement Ring Guide will assist you towards choosing
the perfect setting and assist you towards deciding on the right combination of
diamond size and quality. More
The 4Cs - Cut, Colour,
Clarity and Carat weight - are used throughout
the diamond industry to quantify the value of diamonds. Diamonds with the combination
of the highest 4C rating are rarer, very desirable and more expensive.
Many jewellers usually will not willingly discuss
cut-proportions unless the customer specifically asks. A stone heavy in carat weight
but poorly proportioned may be heavily discounted, giving the buyer a false impression
of a great deal. More
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 Diamonds
are cut into various shapes: round, square, pear, or heart, depending upon the original
form of the uncut diamond crystal, which is referred as 'rough'. The quality of
cut will hugely affect the brilliance of the diamond. The better the cut, the more
light the diamond will reflect - giving it that famous diamond 'sparkle'.
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 Diamonds
are found in various colours and hues.
White diamonds are graded for their lack of “colour”, D being the highest
grade, very rare and consequently extremely valuable.
Diamonds can also be found in fancy colours like pink, blue, green, amber or even
red. These rarely occurring colours are referred to as 'fancies' and are evaluated
by a different set of colour standards.
The average colour for engagement diamonds is from F to H.
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Selecting the grade of cut is really a matter of personal preference
The best cut diamonds are those that follow a strict set of formulae calculated
to optimise the brilliance and dispersion of the stone.
However, the variance in the proportions between an Ideal Cut and a Poor Cut can
be difficult to discern by the casual observer.
Since cut is so important to the 'face up' appearance of the diamond, several grading
standards have been developed to help consumers determine the cut of a diamond.
A 'Very Good' grade is considered by many as the best option, taking into account
both beauty and price.
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 Clarity
refers to the presence of identifying natural characteristics on the surface and
within the diamond. Diamonds with no or few inclusions and blemishes are more highly
valued than those with less clarity, not just because they are more pleasing to
the eye, but also because they are very rare.
However, whilst the clarity grade has a major impact on a diamond's value, grades
from IF to SI1 do not have an impact on a diamonds face up beauty.
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 Although
commonly thought to refer to the actual size of a diamond, a carat is a standard
unit of measure that defines the weight of a diamond. One carat is equivalent to
200 milligrams. Carat sizes are also expressed as "points", with one carat equalling
100 points.
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