When it comes time to shop for a diamond ring for your sweetheart, or any other type of diamond jewelry for that matter the wisest thing to do is to buy a loose diamond because this is the single best way to know for sure that you are getting top quality for your money. In order to go with a loose diamond however you would first need to know what shape of diamond your sweetheart would love. From there the two of you can later shop for the perfect ring setting to suit her taste. The most common shapes for diamonds include round, marquise, oval, pear, heart, emerald, princess and radiant.

 The appearance and durability of a diamond is dictated by what is referred to as the  “Four Cs” or the four most important factors to diamond purchasing. When buying a diamond always consider the four Cs, which are the color of the diamond, the clarity of the diamond, the cut of the diamond and the carat weight of the diamond. The color of a diamond can be natural or it can also be modified by way of any number of treatments. Be aware that the color of a diamond can be affected due to fluorescence, which is a “characteristic that makes diamonds shift color in different lights.” The clarity of a diamond means the amount of flaws in the diamond and to what extent there are flaws. A diamond that has perfect clarity (also known as clearness) is extremely rare. There are only a few hundred completely flawless diamonds (or  “FL” diamonds) made across the globe on an annual basis. The flaws in diamonds must be observed by way of a jeweller’s magnifying loupe.

A clarity that is “IF” means that the diamond is a internally flawless and external flaw can disappear thanks to the process of polishing. If the diamond is VVS1 or VVS2 then only a jewelry expert can see the flaws with a 10X microscope. A VVS2 means that the flaw can be observed from the top of the diamond and a VVS1 can only be observed from the bottom. A VS1 or VS2 clarity means that it will take approximately ten seconds to see the flaws under a 10X microscope while a SI1-SI2 can easily be viewed with a 10X microscope. It is recommended that I2-I3 diamonds be steered clear of, as the flaws they have are visible to the naked eye.

Contrary to popular belief, the cut of a diamond does not refer to the shape of the diamond. Instead the cut of a diamond is the proportions of the gem, which means its depth, width and the uniformity. These are all elements that contribute to the beauty of the diamond as well as its brilliance and durability as the diamond is one of the hardest and toughest of all gemstones.

The carat weight of a diamond plays a significant role in the appearance of the diamond as well as its price. A one-carat diamond is 200 milligrams in weight. The majority of diamonds sold weigh less than one carat and therefore the carat is usually broken down into “points.” There are 100 points in a one-carat diamond ring. In that way a diamond that weighed ¾ carats would equal a 75-point diamond.

Diamond engagement rings come in a variety of different setting with some of them being the prong setting, the pave setting, the invisible setting, the bezel setting and the channel setting. The prong setting is by far the most popular setting that most women desire as it features four or six claws that carefully cradle the diamond and allow the maximum of light to reach the stone and enter in making the diamond appear as big and brilliant as it possibly can be. Other settings that are less common but are still used are the bar setting, the tension setting, the gypsy setting, the illusion setting, the flat-top setting and the cluster setting.

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