Whether shopping for an engagement ring or a pair of diamond earring studs, there are certain elements you must consider before making a diamond purchase. Although engagement ring shopping is a bit more intense than buying diamond jewelry for yourself, the process for choosing the right piece is the same as is picking the diamonds it bears. From the diamond’s cut to the intricate details that adorn your diamond accessory, it’s essential that you follow certain guidelines for buying a diamond. Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind when purchasing diamonds.
What’s Your Jewelry Style?
Since you’re most likely to wear your diamond on a number of different occasions, you’re going to want to get something that matches your jewelry style. Start by establishing the basics: what types of metals you typically wear, whether you prefer dramatic, ornate jewelry or more simple, conventional pieces, and if you have any specific type of gem or cut of diamond in mind. Remember to consider any other piece of jewelry that you frequently wear such as a wedding set or significant necklace.
Diamonds pair well with just about any style of clothing, so whether you’re wearing business attire from Ann Taylor or jeans and a simple blouse, your diamond piece will go with just about anything. If this is your first piece of valuable jewelry or you commonly don’t wear expensive accessories, peruse 77Diamonds for some inspiring diamond designs as well as the option to customize your own embellished piece.
Consider the 4 Cs
The ability to distinguish a high-quality stone from those of lesser value and having a clear grasp of the 4 Cs—cut, color, clarity, and carat weight—is crucial to diamond shopping.
Cut:
Though people often think the cut is synonymous with a diamond’s shape, the cut is actually used to distinguish the reflective qualities of the diamond. A nicely-cut diamond can come in a number of shapes, such as the pear or the princess, but its surface is crafted in a way that causes it to effectively reflect light, which makes the stone sparkle.
Color:
Although it’s commonly believed that a perfect diamond is a white stone, diamonds have a small amount of natural color, such as yellow, or canary, pink, or blue. Because it enables more light to pass through it, a colorless diamond has more shine than a diamond with color; therefore, the whiter the diamond, the better its quality. As a result of the diamond formation process, only a few diamonds are naturally colorless, but not all colored diamonds follow this rule—diamonds that are blue, green, and bright yellow are more valuable due to their color.
Clarity:
When one refers to a diamond’s clarity, they are referring to the imperfections or flaws in the diamond, which can cause it to appear cloudy or dull. Clarity also measures the blemishes in a diamond, so a high-clarity diamond will have less scratches and deficiencies, making it much more visually appealing.
Carat Weight:
A carat is a measurement unit used to weigh a diamond. While the carat has little to do with the quality of the stone, it’s still a significant part of the stone and needs to be considered during your diamond search. Of course, large diamonds are much more rare, thus stones bearing a higher carat are typically more expensive, even if they’re flawed.
Sara Zielinski says
It is a big decision thanks for the article