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You have said yes and now it is time for one of the most important purchases of your life, an engagement ring. This is one of the most exciting types of shopping but much like buying a luxury handbag or a car, that is well above your budget, diamond engagement rings also have a vocabulary of its own. You need to know about diamond carats and types, clarity and shapes to be happy with your choice. You don’t need intensive research to select the ring you need, just our guide that will empower you in your decision.
The Four Cs in Diamond Engagement Rings
The qualities that determine the diamond’s value and appearance are the color, cut, carat, and clarity. This is what these 4Cs mean:
Color: A diamond that is structurally perfect, has no hue and the colorlessness of a white diamond is also graded from D to Z. A colorless diamond is of the highest quality while a pale yellow hue, for example, is lower quality. A D grade is incredibly rare, but G and H grades are very close to being colorless but lower priced than a D, which makes them outstanding value diamonds. As you move towards Z the grade is lower and the yellow hue will be more apparent. As well, I-J grades are most suitable for yellow gold and rose gold. You also have colored diamonds but they are just as rare with only one in 10,000 with natural color, which makes them the highest valued diamonds.
Cut: The cut of the diamond refers to the facets of the stone and the way light reflects on it. The shape is also closely interrelated to the cut. You have a myriad of shapes that can run gamut from square, emerald, oval or teardrop and brands like Brooklyn Lilly tailor diamonds to your preference. Designers embrace unique shapes and go outside the typical shapes to include anything from a rose hexagon to an elongated lozenge. Therefore, take into consideration that the cut isn’t the shape or size but the proportions and angles. While nature determines the rest of the Cs, this is an important decision as it will determine the internal and external brilliance.
Carat: The carat of a diamond is the weight measurement, irrespective of the cut. The carat is certainly the most important consideration as the increased carat size indicates rarity and price. An important factor that you need to know is that the actual size does not necessarily mean it is a higher carat. When you have a diamond with a shallow cut and a lower carat size, it could be larger in appearance compared to a deeper cut and bigger carat size. A diamond’s size appearance will also depend not only on shape but the mounting and design that you choose. For example, an emerald or pear-shaped design will give the appearance of a larger diamond with the larger surface area as well as a halo will also give the appearance of a larger diamond when it is indeed small.
Clarity: You could have heard of a flawless diamond, which is extremely rare and also graded like color. A diamond with fewer inclusions or impurities is more expensive and clearer. For example, SA1 is 100% eye clean. The diamond’s inclusions are natural and happen during its formation in the earth and crystallized under pressure and heat. When you get a diamond graded in SI1 and SI2 ranges their imperfections could be visible to the naked eye.
We trust that we made it easier for you when you shop for diamond engagement rings and keep in mind that your jeweler choice is just as important as choosing your diamond.
