Diamonds | How to Choose
How to choose the right diamond
Before you start diamond shopping, you want to have an understanding of what you're buying. This guide simplifies the four Cs of diamonds - cut, color, clarity, and carat weight, so you can select your diamond based on the same criteria jewelers use to grade them.
Cut
The cut of a diamond - its roundness, its depth and width, the uniformity of the facets - all determine a diamond's brilliance. Many gemologists consider cut the most important diamond characteristic because even if a diamond has perfect color and clarity, a diamond with a poor cut will have dulled brilliance. The width and depth have the greatest effect on how light travels within the diamond, and how it exits in the form of brilliance.
Color
Acting as a prism, a diamond can divide light into a spectrum of colors and reflect this light as colorful flashes called fire. Just as when looking through colored glass, color in a diamond will act as a filter, and will diminish the spectrum of color emitted. The less color in a diamond, the more colorful the fire, and the better the color grade. However, diamonds that exhibit intense color, such as natural pinks, blues and reds are extremely rare and highly sought after.
Clarity
Diamonds that are absolutely clear are the most sought-after and therefore the most expensive. But many diamonds have inclusions - scratches, trace minerals or other tiny characteristics that can detract from the pure beauty of the diamond. The GIA and AGSL use a detailed system of rules and standards to summarize the number, location, size, and type of inclusions present in a diamond.
Carat Weight
Once you've determined what cut, color, and clarity grade you're looking for in a diamond, it's easy to determine the carat weight of diamond that will fit within your budget.
