So you decided to take the leap of faith and move your relationship with that special someone to the next level. Now you are stuck in deciding what diamond engagement ring you want to get your loved one. I am pretty sure you have already gone to some stores to take a look at rings and spoke to the sales person. I bet you didn’t understand any of the jargon they were talking about. Cut, clarity, carat and color – what does it all mean and how does it affect the price? Let me help you out!

When finding the perfect diamond engagement ring for the perfect person, you have to take four things into perspective: cut, clarity, color and carat. Depending on what you choose, it can cost you between less than $1,000 to what the rich and famous can afford ($1 million+ anyone?)

The cut is what gives the diamond the shape. Top to bottom, a diamond is comprised of a crown, girdle, and pavilion. If the pavilion angle is cut too deep, the stone will look dark. If it is too shallow, a diamond will look watery. The standard round-cut is the most popular cut. Many of cuts include: Pear cut, Oval cut, Princess cut, Radiant cut, etc.

Color is graded against a D-Z color scale. Absolutely coloeless diamonds are defined by a D grade. Diamonds with an I-J grade begin to emit colours detectable to the naked eye. Most diamonds embody some yellow to brown tinting. A diamond darker than Z is considered a Fancy Colored Diamond and is priced considerably higher due to its rarity.

Diamonds have internal features called inclusions, and surface irregularities called blemishes. The clarity characteristic of a diamond is determined by the relative absence of inclusions and blemishes. Clarity is measured with: IF: No inclusions and minor blemishes, VVS1-VVS2: very minute inclusions to see under 10x magnification, VS1-VS2: minor inclusions to see under a 10x magnification, SI1-SI2-SI3: Noticeable inclusions and I1-I2-I3: significant inclusions you can see.

Diamond weight is measured with more precision using metric carats, abbreviated “cts”. One metric carat is 1/5 of a gram, just over 0.007 of an ounce. You can get a carat as low as .33 to as high as 2.50. Pricing diamonds per carat is how most wholesalers quote diamond prices. For example, one might say he has a 1.25-carat diamond for $3000.00 per carat. To find the total cost, multiply the per-carat price by the weight. In this case, $3000.00 X 1.25ct = $3750.00.

Now that you have the information, you will have the confidence to go to any jewelry store and get the engagement ring that is well in your budget but yet looks like it is worth over a million bucks.

Article written by Kole for Custom Design Jewelry.