How to Buy a Diamond Engagement Ring

Before you start shopping for a diamond engagement ring, you should have a complete understanding of what you're buying. Ready to be educated?

This section of the Groom's Corner simplifies the four Cs of diamonds - cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. Take some time and educate yourself so you can select your perfect diamond based on the same criteria jewelers use to grade them.

The Four C's of Diamonds

Diamond Cut
The cut of a diamond has a tremendous effect on its sparkle, or brilliance. Even if the diamond has perfect color and clarity, a poor cut can make a diamond look dull.

The proportions of a diamond's cut are calculated and applied in a cut grading scale that makes it easy to understand how well a diamond will reflect light; Ideal Cut, Very Good Cut, Good Cut, Fair Cut, Poor Cut.

For the best value in a brilliant diamond, choose a diamond with a cut grade of good or very good, and polish and symmetry grades of very good or good.

In an ideal, or very-good cut diamond with very good or good polish and symmetry, consider less expensive grades of color and clarity — look for a diamond with G or H color and SI1 or SI2 clarity.

Diamond Color
Acting as a prism, a diamond can divide light into a spectrum of colors and reflect this light as colorful flashes called fire. Just as when looking through colored glass, color in a diamond will act as a filter, and will diminish the spectrum of color emitted. The less color in a diamond, the more colorful the fire, and the better the color grade.

For the purist, look for a colorless diamond with a grade of D-F and a fluorescence rating of faint, inert, none, or negligible. For an excellent value in a diamond with no noticeable color to the unaided eye, look for a near-colorless grade of G-I, and a fluorescence grade of medium or strong blue.

Or, if you'd rather not compromise on color but would like to stay on budget, choose a diamond with a good cut, SI1–SI2 clarity, and consider going with a strong fluorescence. It will still be beautiful to the unaided eye and you may prefer the unique effect of a strong fluorescence.

Diamond Clarity
Diamonds completely free from internal flaws, or inclusions, are very rare and highly valued. Clarity is graded based on the number, location, size, and type of the inclusions found in a diamond.

We recommend that you select an "eye-clean" diamond — one that has no inclusions visible to the unaided eye. An excellent value, diamonds of this clarity are much less expensive than IF (internally flawless) or FL (flawless) grade diamonds and typically do not contain visible inclusions that detract from the beauty of the diamond. If you're considering an SI (slightly included) grade diamond, make sure to double-check that the inclusions are not visible with the unaided eye. But, if you'd rather not compromise on clarity yet are budget conscious, choose a diamond with a good cut and G or H color.

Diamond Carat
Once you've determined what cut, color, and clarity grade you're looking for in a diamond, it's easy to determine the carat weight of diamond that will fit within your budget. To choose the best carat weight of the diamond, consider her style, the size of her finger, the size of your setting, and your budget.

If you have a set budget, explore all your options and you'll find that there is a wide range of diamond carat weights and qualities available in your price range.

If your recipient is very active or not used to wearing jewelry, she may find herself bumping or nicking her new ring. Consider a smaller size diamond or a setting that protects a larger diamond from getting knocked against doors and counters.

Also keep in mind that the smaller the finger, the larger the diamond will appear. A 1½-carat diamond solitaire looks much larger on a size 4 finger than a size 8.

Finally, if a large carat weight is important to you, yet you're working within a budget, consider a diamond with a good cut, SI1–SI2 clarity, and an I or J color grade.

Proposing Marriage with a Diamond Engagement Ring

Now that you've chosen the perfect engagement ring, its time to start planning the proposal. Learn how to propose marriage with wedding proposal ideas and advice for those who haven't completed this important first step.

Duties of the groom presented by STL Weddings - Groom's Corner.