Diamond Selection

Key Points
Start by setting a budget that you are comfortable with for your diamond.
Diamond prices are greatly affected by quality and size.
When buying a diamond there is always a trade off between quality and size.
Diamond quality is certified by Independent gemmological laboratories.
The diamond's certificate sets out the diamond's carat(size), color, clarity and cut, know as the 4C's.
When evaluating the 4C's you will notice that color and cut do not affect price as much as carat and clarity.
Keep color high (G or better) and cut to Excellent or Very Good.
Clarity refers to any impurities, blemishes or other identifying characteristics within a diamond.
Pay close attention to clarity as clarity affects the diamonds beauty and price significantly.
If quality is your most important criteria a very high clarity is recommended (VVS1 or VVS2).
If size is your most important criteria a medium clarity is recommended (S11 or SI2).
If balancing size and quality is your most important criteria a high clarity is recommended (VS1 or VS2).

Quality vs Size
It is wise to have a known budget when looking to purchase a diamond. By starting with a know budget you can approach the purchase by seeking to buy the best diamond within your set limit. You are best to approach your diamond purchase from "how do I buy the best diamond for my budget" rather than focus on size alone.
Diamond prices are greatly affected by quality and size. It is advisable to avoid focusing on price and size alone in your purchase decision. Poor quality diamonds may seem cheap but this is because their beauty is significantly compromised.

Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut
Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut accurately describes the quality of a diamond. These are called the 4C’s. While every diamond is unique two diamonds with the same 4C’s can be largely treated as the same in terms of value.

Carat
Carat is the weight of the diamond. Carat has a very large affect on diamond prices.
The best approach is to decide of the other quality attributes then maximize the diamond size while staying within your budget.

Learn More about Diamond Carat

Color
High color gives you a vividly white diamond. Color is rated by a letter of the alphabet starting at D. We recommend that you keep the color at G or better.
Color affects prices less than clarity and size so we recommend that you keep the color at G or better.

Learn More about Diamond Color

Clarity
Clarity refers to the presence (or absence) of impurities, blemishes or other identifying characteristics within a diamond.
Clarity affects prices greatly and must be chosen carefully. We recommend that clarities of Very Slightly Included 2 (VS2) or Slightly Included 1 (SI1) as offering the best balance.

Learn More about Diamond Clarity

Cut
Cut is very important as a well cut diamond maximizes the light that reflects directly through the top of the diamond. A poorly cut diamond often looks like glass and dull.
Cut grade affects prices less than clarity and size so we recommend that you keep the cut level at Very Good or better.

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Diamond Certificates

Diamonds are independently certified by trained gemmologists at leading international recognized Gemmological Laboratories. The gemmologist’s certificate sets out in detail the quality of a diamond and in turn the quality sets the diamonds value.

The information on the diamond certificate is critical in determining the beauty and value of a diamond and what might seem only minor differences can change the beauty and value significantly.

Learn More about Diamond Certificate

Balancing Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut
There is an optimal range that balances quality versus size that is right for you.
When evaluating a diamond’s 4C's do not compromise on the diamond’s color and cut and carefully manage the clarity and size. This is because size and clarity cost more than color and cut. Pay close attention to clarity as clarity affects the diamonds beauty and price significantly.
If quality is your most important criteria a very high clarity is recommended (VVS1 or VVS2) but you will need to reduce the size of the diamond significantly to stay within your budget.
If size is your most important criteria a medium clarity is recommended (S11 or SI2). This will enable you to increase size of the diamond significantly and stay within your budget.
If balancing size and quality is your most important criteria a high clarity is recommended (VS1 or VS2). You will be trading some size but the diamond will be very beautiful and within your budget.
Lastly, carat has a very large affect on diamond prices. The best approach is to decide of the other quality attributes then maximize the diamond size while staying within your budget.

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