Last Updated on March 5, 2024
Diamonds are elegant and timeless. You may have heard Marilyn Monroe’s song, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” and she wasn’t wrong. Women just love diamonds and if you need to buy a gift, always try to buy a diamond for her as she will be eternally grateful. Diamonds, like any other stone, come with their own challenges. Unscrupulous people may pass off a low grade stone that’s highly polished to be a diamond. By the time you realize, it’s too late. Choosing the right stone is always important, especially in one special situation – an engagement.
Nothing shouts, “Engaged,” like a diamond ring. An engagement ring is normally worn with a wedding band and is meant to last a lifetime. So choosing diamonds for an engagement ring is extremely important. You want something that lasts forever, and can even be passed down from one generation to another. Here are some basics to keep in mind when you buy diamonds.
Even if you’re a diamond novice, you may have heard of the four Cs. Carat, Clarity, Cut and Color. The knowledge of the four C’s is a good way to start your diamond purchase.
Carat
A single carat weighs 200 milligrams. The bigger the carat count, the bigger the size of the diamond. Carat is often considered to be the most important element in diamond buying because of the idea that bigger is better. You can make a huge statement with a huge diamond. This isn’t always true. For instance, a rare diamond, even if it’s small in size, is more valuable. Besides, the stone is just a stone till it gains significance because of the giver and the receiver.
Clarity
As the word suggests, clarity means how free of blemishes and inclusions the diamond is. Both can mar the appearance of the diamond. Blemishes are chips in the stone, or scratches. Inclusions are more internal – crystals and pinpoints that look attractive, but actually bring down the quality of the stone. The best clarity quality is FL or flawless. Look out for that.
A point to consider here is that not every flaw is visible. So even if you buy a VS2 grade diamond, it will look fine. But take a call on this, depending on how you feel. What matters here is the sturdiness of the stone. If you buy something with cracks or chips, it may break and not last as long as you would want it to.
Cut
Cut shows off the quality of your diamond in every shining facet. The better the diamond is cut, the better the diamond will look. This is because the light of the diamond is reflected out and the diamond itself catches the light that shines on it. The facets do the magic – they are the cuts that create the sparkling finish we associate with the quintessential diamond.
Certainly the cut will improve its color, magnify its size, and tone down any defects there are. It can make the stone symmetrical and give it shine and brilliance. Diamonds are fiery, like sparks of light, and nothing shows it off as much as cut does. Look for a well-cut diamond that does justice to the carat it holds.
Color
While white is the most popular commonly seen color in a diamond, the stone actually comes in every possible color imaginable. Pink, yellow, red – you name it. In fact, even the white diamond carries some trace of color in it. Color diamonds, are gorgeous indeed, but they also reduce the absorption of light, making for less sparkle. Grey and brown diamonds have this problem. The colors that do sparkle are a fabulous blue or orange, among others. That’s why the white diamond is so popular. It shines and shows off its glory to its best advantage.
Apart from the 4Cs, the shape of the diamond is another thing to consider. While the round shape is eternally in vogue, the princess cut, with its square clean finish and the baguette with its many facets is also something to ponder about. The solitaire is a single stone and the pave is a large stone with small ones around it. Do take into consideration the occasion when the diamond will be used. If you’re going to wear it every day, or only to events, what kind of clothes you normally wear and more importantly what kind of person you are. You can even consider a heart shaped diamond, an oval, or a marquis cut – there are limitless possibilities.
Set a stone in a plain gold or platinum band, or surround a large stone with smaller ones – think about what highlights the diamond to the best of its abilities. Make sure the diamond is well-set, the prongs are flush against the stone and hold it in place. A yearly visit to the jewelers, to make sure the stone is in place is a good idea.
A few more things to keep in mind – choose a jeweler with care. The person must be trained and certified. They should be able to tell you everything you need to know and guide you, with good advice. A trained jeweler will also ensure that you walk out of the store with a grading report for the diamond. This is a certificate for the authenticity of your stone. Consider insurance for your diamond too.
Once you have your diamond ring, you need to ensure that you take care of it well. Store it separately so it does not get scratched, keep it clean and don’t let it come in contact with chemicals and corrosives.
A diamond is truly forever. What it needs from you is that you put in time and effort selecting it. Once you do your research and find the right stone, it will not only be about a firm commitment but about a fine investment as well.