Six Factors to Consider when Choosing a Diamond

When you buy a diamond, you need to consider cut, color, clarity, shape, carat weight, and certification. We'll explain more about these six factors here.

1. Shape. The shape of a diamond is the outline of the stone from an overhead view. The standards of quality for a diamond will vary according to its shape. Some common shapes offered by diamond warehouse affiliates include round, princess, emerald, marquise, heart, oval, and others. Diamonds that are non-round are often referred to as "fancy-shaped" stones. The princess shape is typically the most popular fancy-shaped diamond.
2. Cut. The cut of a diamond is especially important, as it determines the stone's finish, brilliance, and dimensions. The quality of a diamond's cut is graded according to how well the stone reflects light. When a diamond is perfectly cut, the light rays will strike it and reflect back completely. If the cut is too shallow, the light rays will exit out of the bottom, thus diminishing brilliance. If the cut is too deep, light rays exit from the sides, and the diamond appears dull and dark.
3. Color. At any diamond warehouse, the best and most expensive diamonds will be the stones with the least amount of color. When a diamond has color, the color serves as a filter that lessens the spectrum of color that shows through. A colorless diamond emits the full spectrum of color, also known as a diamond's "fire." The best color grade a diamond can receive is "D" for "absolutely colorless." If the stone has color visible to the naked eye, it is categorized as a letter ranging from K-Z. Most diamond retailers do not carry diamonds with visible color.
4. Clarity. How clear a diamond appears will depend on the number of inclusions, which are scratches or mineral traces. A diamond's clarity is graded according to the location, number, size, and kind of inclusions. At the top of the clarity grading scale is the "FL, IF" rating, which means the diamond is completely devoid of internal and external flaws. At the bottom of the scale are "I1, I2, & I3," which means the diamond's inclusions are large enough to be seen by the naked eye.
5. Carat weight. Carat weight doesn't have anything to do with a diamond's quality, but rather its size and value. The prices of diamonds rise exponentially as carat weight increases, so a 2-carat diamond is worth much more than just twice the value of a 1-carat diamond of similar quality. In choosing a carat weight from a diamond warehouse, buyers should consider their budgets and the size of the recipient's finger.
6. Certification. A respectable diamond warehouse will always provide certification with their stones. The certificate should come from either the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the American Gem Society Laboratories (AGSL). The certificate proves that the diamond has been inspected by a professional gemologist.