| When you buy a diamond ring, the first thing to | | | | characterize diamonds. |
| consider is the budget. Once you decide on your | | | | Clarity: it tells you how clear or clean the diamond |
| budget there are two approaches to buying | | | | is. Usually most diamonds will contain some sort of |
| diamond ring. In the first approach, you pick a | | | | blemishes (imperfections outside of a diamond), |
| loose diamond that fits your budget and then you | | | | and inclusions (imperfections inside a diamond). |
| find a ring design and setting that enhances the | | | | The clarity grades established by Gemological |
| beauty of the stone. In the second approach, you | | | | Institute of America (GIA) are FL, IF, VVS1, |
| decide on the design first and then you find the | | | | VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2,I1, I2, and I3, where |
| appropriate stone and setting for it. Here are few | | | | the best is Flawless (FL) and the worst is I3. In |
| tips that will help you in buying diamond rings: | | | | general, it is recommended people buy diamonds |
| 1. Diamond Design:Diamond Rings come in many | | | | with at least SI1 clarity. If you shop around, you |
| designs: solitaire ring, a ring with a number of | | | | can buy SI1 for the same price that most I2 |
| stones, or an open-work lattice ring in which the | | | | stones are sold for. . |
| diamonds flow along the lines of the setting. You | | | | Color: Diamonds come in all colors of the rainbow, |
| can also add gemstones sapphires or emeralds to | | | | from violet to shades of blue, brown, gray, and |
| the ring. Depending your personal style modern, | | | | orange. The colored diamonds are rare and very |
| vintage, floral, romantic or more contemporary, | | | | expensive. The chances are that the diamonds |
| you may pick different design. | | | | you will see in your shopping will be white or |
| 2. If you have a design in your mind. It will be | | | | yellow, the whiter the diamond the better it is. |
| easier for you to decide what shape of diamond | | | | The yellow color comes from nitrogen, and as a |
| you want. Diamonds come in various shapes: | | | | rule the more yellow the stone, the less value it |
| round, princess, emerald, radiant, oval, pear, | | | | has. The color grading scale changes from D to X |
| marquise, heart, Escher, and cushion. If you decide | | | | for white and yellow diamonds and Z is the |
| to pick the stone first by focusing on the 4Cs of | | | | grading for color diamonds. D is the whitest and |
| diamond quality, you can pick the shape which | | | | the most valuable, X is dark yellow and least |
| provides you better quality diamond for the same | | | | expensive. Z grade and beyond is for the colored |
| price. | | | | diamonds, which are rare and most expensive. It |
| 3. When you select the diamond stone, you need | | | | is recommended to go for color grades H or I. |
| to focus on the 4Cs of diamond quality and make | | | | Once mounted they will look as good to the |
| sure that the merchant provides a certificate for | | | | average person as the higher grades, without |
| it. | | | | costing a bundle. The average diamond purchased |
| 4.Once you have decided on the design, shape, | | | | in the US is color grade M or N, but the customer |
| and 4Cs of diamonds, the final thing to consider is | | | | is usually told it is higher. |
| the setting for the diamond. You want the setting | | | | Cut: This refers to not only the shape of the |
| to show off the beauty of your diamond and | | | | stone, but proportions, factors which determine |
| goes well with the design that you have in mind | | | | the sparkle of the diamond. The GIA grading |
| for your diamond ring. | | | | system for cut is Ideal, Very Good, Good, and |
| The price of diamonds depends on their beauty | | | | Fair. It is recommended going for Very Good cut, |
| and rarity. In technical terms, four factors Clarity, | | | | which is pretty good and does not have the hefty |
| Color, Cut, and Carat Weight are used to | | | | price tag on it as an Ideal cut will have. |