If you are contemplating purchasing a diamond ring, the most critical element in your decision, is the cut of the diamond. When comparing two diamonds that are priced equally, unless you know the rating of the stone’s cut, there is no way to really know which is the better deal. A diamond’s brilliance is determined by the way it refracts and reflects light, therefore, the meticulousness of every cut made in a diamond, carries great weight. Failure to reflect light back to the surface of a diamond is caused but cuts which are too shallow or too deep, thus allowing light to escape the opposite side or the bottom.  These are marks of a poorly cut diamond. The objective is to prevent any light from being lost, as it bounces off all of the cut sides of the diamond, and eventually reflects back through the surface, and this is accomplished when the proper number of facets and precision angles are cut in the proper proportions, as in a well-cut diamond.

The use of the term “good color” usually conjures up visions of rich bright colors however, with diamond rings, this is not the case. In diamonds, being colorless is both rare and costly thus making these the most highly prized. For a more reasonably priced diamond ring, you may choose the yellow ones which are more prevalent. A diamond’s inner characteristics are referred to as its clarity, and a jeweler’s microscope is necessary to make a proper inspection of them. Flaws within a diamond and known as inclusions include specks, ripples and indentations. A diamond that has less inclusions will be more expensive, but, if you choose a stone with a good color and cut, a slightly included stone will look just as attractive as a diamond that has no imperfections at all.

Diamonds weighing under a carat are defined by “points”, with one carat (the unit of measure of weight for diamonds) being equal to 100 points. When determining price, a single stone of one carat is far more expensive that several stones with a combined weight of one carat. It is helpful to educate yourself about the true cost of the diamond, by knowing the ‘cost per carat’, but you should realize that the biggest diamond is not necessarily the one that has the most value. The clarity, cut, and color of a diamond will have to be analyzed in order to determine a diamond’s actual value, with a large carat weight being of secondary concern.

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