| Buying a diamond ring can be a huge investment | | | | systems (GIA and AGS) which rate diamonds on |
| and you want to get one with the perfect | | | | a scale from Ideal to Poor. If you get a diamond |
| diamond in it, so you may be intimidated if you | | | | ring with a Good or Very Good rating you will |
| are a first time buyer. What do you look for? Is | | | | probably be very pleased. |
| more expensive always the better choice for | | | | Clarity: This deals with the amount of inclusions (or |
| your diamond ring? The quality of the diamond in | | | | flaws) in the ring-the fewer the inclusions the |
| the diamond ring will make the difference in the | | | | better. Although there are a few flawless |
| luster and look of the ring. Jewelers have come | | | | diamonds out there they are very expensive. A |
| up with a system of 4 C's (Cut, Clarity, Color, and | | | | rating of I1-toI3 will have visible flaws on the |
| Carat) to help people understand the different | | | | diamond, but anything higher than that you will |
| aspects of diamond quality. Before you go ring | | | | need magnification to see. |
| shopping you should make yourself familiar with | | | | Color: A colorless or pure white diamond is very |
| each of these factors. | | | | rare and expensive. But many jewelers cannot |
| Cut: This is not the shape of the diamond in the | | | | even tell the difference between a colorless and a |
| diamond ring. It actually refers to the angle at | | | | nearly colorless diamond. White diamonds are |
| which the diamond is cut to obtain the most | | | | rated from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow). You |
| brilliance. Sometimes a jeweler will cut a diamond | | | | can also buy diamonds that are other more |
| wider and flatter (shallow) in order to make the | | | | exotic colors like pink or blue as well but you will |
| diamond look bigger. This results in the light going | | | | pay more. |
| straight through the diamond ring rather than | | | | Carat: This is the size or weight measurement. |
| bouncing back to the eye. On the other hand if | | | | One thing to remember is that if you drop even a |
| the diamond is cut too deep (or tall and narrow) | | | | .10 down in size you will save a lot of money and |
| the light will escape out the side of the diamond | | | | you won't notice the size difference. Take into |
| ring. There are a couple of non profit certification | | | | account the recipient's hand size when choosing. |