Buying a diamond ring can be a huge investment. You want to get one with the perfect diamond in it, so you may be intimidated if you are a first time buyer. Buying a diamond means investing in a piece forever. Every person buying a diamond seeks out the best they can afford. When buying a diamond, consider your budget and where the stone will be worn to help determine the ideal carat size. Keep in mind the four Cs of buying diamond jewelry. In order to determine the best price for your ring, you need to be familiar with the four Cs: cut, color, clarity, and carat. These are all important features in a gem.
Diamond Cut and Clarity
The color of a diamond is one of the gem’s most important features. A diamond’s color will determine, to a great extent, how the diamond will look, regardless of its other features. In truth, the term “color” is a misnomer. It is actually the absence of color in a diamond that adds value to it, although in recent times, some particular colors have been gaining popularity as being desirable. Ideal cut diamonds are graded as such because they fall within the ideal cut grade parameters specified by the diamond grading labs. The better cut grades of diamond jewelry are likely to display more fire and brilliance, and since their appearance is more desirable, they are priced accordingly.
Diamond Clarity and Carat
A diamond’s clarity is determined by the number, nature, position, size and color of internal characteristics, called “inclusions” and surface features, called “blemishes.” The weight of diamonds is measured in carats. Since a carat is a measure of weight, not size, one diamond of the same carat weight may look bigger than another, depending on the cut. A premium cut diamond of lower carat weight may actually appear bigger than many diamonds of a higher carat weight.
