About Diamond Ring

The giving of Rings is one of the most enduring memories of any relationship.  Therefore, it is important to choose jewelry that is eternal and high quality.  While many occasions qualify for ring giving, it is when it comes to that one person in your life; a diamond ring is the most popular option.  You need to have something very special for this special person in your life.  It really matters because it will be in your life forever.  It is the diamond ring we are talking about.  It is that symbol which will mark both of you as husband and wife.  Almost the world over, across cultures, the marriage bond is intended to last forever, in sickness and in health for ones entire lifetime.  So, it is important to choose the diamond ring correctly.  The ring must be high quality and design, reflecting the love, affection and warmth of this life time bond.

There are several aspects you need to be aware of when selecting a diamond ring.  While choice of metals and the settings are discussed elsewhere, here we give you the basics of choosing a diamond, for the diamond ring.

The Four C's

The Four C's apply to every diamond.  It refers to Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight.  These four considerations enable you to make an informed choice when it comes to purchasing your diamond ring.

Diamond Cut

This one of the hardest properties to judge, plus there are a number of factors to consider.  The first one has to do with the brilliance of the gem.  The pavilion facets of the gem are intended to act as mirrors, to reflect the light entering the stone, back towards the observer.  However, the angle they are cut at has a lot to do with how effectively they work.  Don't be misled into believing that a cut refers to the shape of a diamond.  Shape merely means the outer contours of a diamond.  A good cut is intended to maximize the brilliance and fire of a diamond.

Diamond Clarity

The clarity of a diamond is determined by the size and number of inclusions inside it.  An inclusion could be another mineral, or a fracture.  An inclusion is anything that interferes with the free passage of light.

Just as with color, there are many clarity grades.  They are judged by what can be seen at 10x magnification.  The highest grade a diamond gets is Flawless.

Diamond Carat

A carat equals 1/5 of a gram.  Each carat is further divided into points, each point representing 1/100th of a carat.  While weight is the least important of the four Cs in determining value, it may be the easiest of the four Cs to gauge.  As diamonds increase in size, their cost increases geometrically.  Thus, a one-carat diamond may cost more than twice as much as a half carat stone of same quality.

Diamond Color

The closer a diamond is to being colorless, the greater its value.  The current system begins color grading with the letter D.  Colors D, E and F are the highest grades.  They are described as nearly colorless.

Colors G, H, I and J come next.  They are described as -white.
The colors from K to Z have tints (usually yellow or yellowish brown).  Diamonds that are just lightly tinted, K, L and M are often said to be -- set white.  It means that they are lightly tinted and they will appear white if set in yellow gold.

Highest value is accorded to colorless diamonds, unless one is moving into the category of colored diamonds, where the value relates proportionately to the intensity of color.

There are combinations to the above characteristics that affect value in a given diamond, but these are the basics.  For in depth analysis of these and to be more aware, visit our diamond buying guide.