Color
The most breathtaking diamonds typically have no color at all. Ranked on a ‘white’ scale from D-Z by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), diamonds range from completely colorless to light yellow. Unless you are shopping for a fancy color diamond, the ones with the most sparkle will be the clearest. While the visual difference between colorless and near colorless is hard for the untrained eye to see, you will notice a difference in price. However, you can feel confident that you are selecting a beautiful, radiant diamond if it falls anywhere on the scale from D-J; understand that D-grade diamonds are extremely rare, so a more common and affordable choice on the near colorless scale is perfectly acceptable.
Cut
If a diamond’s brilliance is the most important feature you’re shopping for, you should put the most emphasis on cut during your search. The cut grade of a diamond effects its beauty and ability to reflect light. Different from shape, cut is measured on the GIA scale from excellent to poor. An excellent cut grade means that the diamond has a perfectly even pattern of bright and dark areas that maximize shine, while a poor cut allows little reflection of light. As you might have guessed, excellent is the most expensive cut, but not the only grade that makes a diamond shine. The many factors of cut, including the diamond’s face-up appearance and design, can make a very good cut grade look close to excellent.
Clarity
Remember that naturally-made products are rarely perfect! The process through which diamonds are created can create both internal and external flaws. Inclusions, which are internal, are the result of crystal formation beneath the surface during the diamond’s creation and blemishes, which are external, are scratches and polishing lines that happen post-formation. Clarity is ranked by the GIA on a scale of flawless to included, identified under 10x magnification. Diamonds that are only slightly included may not be noticeable to the naked eye, but major flaws have a significant impact on brilliance. Selecting a less than flawless diamond will not only save you money, but you won’t have to worry about presenting your loved one with a visibly damaged diamond ring.
Carat
The simplest way to reduce the cost of your perfect diamond right off the bat is to sacrifice carats. A carat refers to the weight of a diamond; one carat is equal to two-tenths of a gram. Even a .10 difference can equal a thousand-dollar increase in price. This ‘C’ might seem the easiest to analyze, however the smaller scale size differences are less noticeable; one diamond to the next typically varies 2 mm in diameter. If you cannot afford more than one carat, consider strategically choosing the diamond’s shape. Longer shapes, like oval, pear and marquise, appear larger than the rounder shapes, even when the number of carats are the same. A simple trick of the eye can save you money and make your loved one happy.
Hannoush Jewelers CT is your destination for beautiful diamond engagement rings. To findthe perfect symbol of your love, contact us today.
