Choosing a beautiful diamond means narrowing down the shape and choosing the 4Cs of quality options. What exactly are the 4 C’s? They are the markers of a quality stone that are used by diamond retailers all over the world today. If you follow the rule of the 4 C’s, chances are you will end up with a great diamond your future wife can be proud to wear for years to come. 

• Cut Quality: According to GIA, “Cut is probably the most important of the 4 C’s.”
• Color
• Clarity
• Carat Weight

Diamond Shape Selection

The shape of the diamonds are the starting point for ring design. No shape is better than the other. It is all up to your personal (or your partner’s) preference. The round brilliant cut diamond is the most popular one for engagement rings and is the most visibly brilliant of all of the diamond shapes.

It is important to select the desired shape first, as it sets the target parameters for cut quality, color and transparency. Select a shape to narrow your search and compare diamonds.

Choose The Weight Of The Carat

Is your future fiancée expecting a 1 or 2 carat diamond? Looking for a stone that stands out, but is not too flashy? There is no “perfect” carat weight for diamonds. So, this part of the process is entirely up to personal preference.

Select the carat weight range you wish to consider. Diamonds from 0.95 to 1.08 ct. are very popular when it comes to engagement ring diamond sizes.  As the carat weight increases, so does the price.

Carat weight affects the visible size (and quality of shape and cut) of a diamond. For more common carat weights and diamond sizes, read an average diamond size guide to help you make an informed buying decision.

Narrowing Down The Cut Quality Of Diamonds

Cut quality is the most important factor in determining the beauty of a diamond. Cut grades are not standardized by all retailers, but are generally rated as Excellent, if the diamond has its GIA (https://www.gia.edu/stones – GIA) certificate, and Ideal Cut Diamond, if graded by AGS, is recommended.

Cut quality is not unimportant. This simply means that many jewelers do not correctly report the quality of their fancy cuts, so you do not need to exclude many results from your search to make the right choice.

Determining The Correct Color Range For A Diamond

The goal of diamond color is to select a diamond that appears white. However, contrary to popular belief, you do not have to pay for a D or E rated color range diamond to get a colorless stone. Diamonds in the G to I color range generally appear colorless to the naked eye, but are much less expensive.

It is important to remember that different shapes reflect colors to different degrees. So choosing the best color to balance diamond appearance and diamond price is highly dependent on the shape of the diamond you choose.

Choosing A Clarity Grade

To improve clarity, you should look for a diamond that is eye clean, meaning that it has no blemishes or inclusions visible to the naked eye. Depending on the shape, you can usually find eye clean diamonds in the VS1 to VS2 range. Why pay for FL/IF diamonds when you can get lower grade diamonds much cheaper?

Eye clean diamonds are one of the most important tips on buying a diamond. That is because they do not necessarily have to be flawless in order to appear that way, which will save you a great deal of money. 

In general buyer opinion, the consumer’s goal is to find the cheapest, but prettiest diamond they can find for their budget.

Compare Similar Diamonds

Once you have narrowed down your diamond’s preferred specifications, compare similar stones to decide what to buy. Aspects such as diamond brilliance, eye quality, and price compared to similar diamonds should be considered.

Other properties such as fluorescence, brilliance and symmetry affect a diamond’s value and appearance to some extent, but not as much as the 4 C’s. For more information on how to buy according to the 4 C’s, you can find diamond buying guides that will assist you further once you’ve picked a shape and cut. 

Check The Certificate

Diamonds are inspected and graded by specialized laboratories called grading units. These are the entities that give each diamond a specific cut quality, clarity, and color grade (and many others). Make sure to for GIA certified diamonds and AGS certified diamonds from reputable companies like Your Diamond Teacher who are rigorous and consistent.

Choosing Your Engagement Ring Setting

Engagement ring settings can range from elegant and simple like a solitaire setting to glamorous and statement making like a halo setting. Each ring setting has its own unique identity and distinct strengths and weaknesses.

For example, a simple setting like a solitaire ring is very affordable and perfect for adding visual focus to the center diamond itself, while a setting with a halo diamond can create the appearance of a larger diamond. The ring setting is very important to the overall look of the diamond. 

Buy The Diamond

When you are finally satisfied with your diamond selection options, shop online with your preferred engagement ring setting.

Buying online has several advantages. The biggest advantage is that the economics of e-commerce compared to retail buying make it much more cost-effective. Stationery retail, in a lot of cases at least, shows most brick-and-mortar jewelers charge him 30% to 100% more for diamonds than trusted online retailers.

A second advantage of buying online is access to a much larger inventory of diamonds and settings. Click here to read more on diamond settings. This wide selection makes it easy to find a diamond that meets your specifications.

Diamond Ring Insurance 

A diamond ring is a big investment and, like any other valuable possession, should be insured.

If you have homeowners or renters’ insurance, you may be able to add an engagement ring to your existing policy. Most insurance agents recommend contacting your insurance company to see if your diamond ring is covered and if not, if it can be added to your existing policy for an additional fee.

Some diamond dealers offer insurance at the time of your purchase, you just need to ask about it. Remember to do so to avoid any issues with claims in the future. 

Remember Your Engagement Ring Size

Although it is possible to resize your engagement ring after purchase, do not forget that you check your partner’s ring size before purchasing your engagement ring.