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Diamond engagement ring selection basics
Diamond engagement ring selection requires a basic knowledge of the 4 C's.
Diamond.ie's quick guide to the 4 'C's
- Color : This refers to the color of the diamond. Diamonds are graded
from letters D to Z however most people choose a diamond
engagement ring within the D to J range. D is Colorless and as you move down the scale,
to J and below, yellow or
brown color hues become prominent. The colour of
the diamond is very important. But just as with clarity, there is a
mid range which is perfectly acceptable. The range is from D (colourless, exceptional
white+) E (exceptional white) F (rare white+) G (rare white) H (white)
I-J (slightly tinted white) K-L (tinted white) M-Z tinted colour.
It is important to realise that G, H, I diamonds do not look
coloured. It is widely accepted that the difference
between these diamonds and an F color is that the diamonds
draw in coloured light easier - provided you keep your stone
very clean it would be extremely difficult to see a
difference.
- Clarity : This refers to the inclusions inside a
diamond. Inclusions can be white feathers, white crystals or
carbon pinpoints.
The clarity of the diamond is
graded from IF, internally flawless to I3 or P3, which has many visible
inclusions. An internally flawless diamond is extremely rare and therefore
very expensive. There is a large range of flawed diamonds, which are
invisible to the naked eye. These are the VVS1, VVS2, (very, very
slightly included), VS1&2 (very slightly included), SI1&2 (slightly
included) ranges. These diamonds look perfect and represent real value! I1-I3 have
visible inclusions and may appear chalky.
- Carat : This refers to the size of the diamond. The bigger the
number the bigger the diamond. For some, size really does matter! However, as with the
shape of the stone, it is advisable to know what size suits your hand. The
average diamond engagement ring is between 0.5 and 1.00 Carat. To compare
prices for different diamond sizes
click here.
In the table below 'D' is the diameter in mm and 'H' is the
height in mm, for example, a 1 carat diamond is 6.5 mm wide.
- Cut : The cut of the diamond relates to
its proportions and finish. A well-cut diamond will have beautiful sparkle
and have great fire and lustre. We also talk about the shape of the stone
here, e.g. round, oval, pear, princess, emerald etc. This is the one ‘C’
that people are quite sure of as it is down to personal preference and also
hand shape. This refers to the quality of cut of a diamond. Diamond
prices can vary up to 40% depending on the cut so it is a very important factor.
The scintillation and fire in a diamond will be a function of the quality of
it's cut. Many people these days prefer to go for an average cut diamond
of over 1 carat in size rather than a much smaller perfect cut.
These are the basics of selecting the perfect engagement ring. Choose your diamond engagement ring here.
diamond engagement ring, ring
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