Diamond Quality Factors

As you search for diamond engagement rings, please pay attention to their cut, colour, and clarity. Cut refers to how well a diamond reflects light. Generally speaking, larger diamond engagement rings will have a more shallow amount than smaller ones, which will help them retain their sparkle.

Light bounces off the facets of the emerald-cut stone differently than off the aspects of a buy round-cut diamond engagement rings. Still, many factors influence diamond brilliance other than cut alone.

Among diamonds that are cut well, colour is another important factor in value. A diamond's colour and clarity are two of a diamond's four Cs (carat, cut, color, and clarity).

A diamond engagement ring grade is denoted by letters: D for diamonds with no inclusions or blemishes and Z for rings with extreme inclusions or blemishes. Colour grades also use the notes: D for colorless stones and Z for yellowish-brown stones.

If a stone is nearly flawless but has faint inclusions (or none at all), it might receive a grade of SI1 or even SI2, signifying that its color is near perfect.

COLOR

It is widely known that engagement rings can come in various colours. Because engagement rings' color is only one aspect of their value, diamonds with brown, yellow, or grey undertones are less valuable than those without any colour.

If you're on a tight budget and looking for engagement rings under one carat, it is always better to go for higher colour. Once you start going above 1.00 carat, significantly if your budget exceeds $5,000 per carat, don't risk picking anything but D-E-F colour diamonds. They might be hard to spot, but they will make all difference in value and elegance.

Diamond engagement rings fall within a standard colour range from colourless to light yellow and brown. Still, they are usually not as good as engagement rings with no undertones.

For example, if you're on a budget of $5,000 per carat and plan on buying one or more diamonds, try your best to avoid coloured diamonds.

CLARITY

Most inclusions and blemishes are almost undetectable unless they are significant. However, the lower the clarity grade, the more noticeable they become.

For example, SI2-grade diamond engagement rings will have slight blemishes and inclusions that the untrained eye can easily overlook. However, if you were to go with an I1-grade diamond, your flaws would likely be very noticeable.

Always opt for SI2 diamonds or above when looking for yellow diamond engagement rings.

While they were first seen as undesirable imperfections, SI2 diamonds gained acceptance over time. In fact, most of today's diamond experts recommend purchasing an SI2-graded diamond engagement ring or higher.

Using words like small and invisible when describing clarity variations is often a way for vendors to trick customers into buying lower-quality diamond engagement rings. If you can see flaws with your naked eye, you will definitely be able to see them under 10x magnification.

CUT

The cut of a diamond is the most crucial factor in determining its beauty and value. The GIA Cut Grading System for the standard round brilliant diamond engagement rings evaluates seven components: length-to-width ratio, depth percentage, crown angle, pavilion angle, girdle thickness, table size, and polish. A combination of these factors determines the quality of a diamond's cut.

A diamond's proportions determine how the light performs when it enters and exits the diamond engagement ring. A square-shaped diamond with a 1:1 length-to-width ratio creates even reflections on both sides, making it appear brilliant and sparkly.

Light leaks out of one side of the stone if a gemstone has too high or too low measurements. In contrast, round diamond engagement rings have no specific measures for brilliance; instead, they are graded based on how closely they approach ideal proportionality.

CARAT WEIGHT

A diamond's carat weight refers to the actual weight and is measured using points or metric carats. One carat equals 200 milligrams (mg), so a 0.50-carat green diamond engagement ring weighs 100 mg.

This measurement is crucial because it helps determine how much the diamond engagement rings will cost—the higher the carat weight, the more expensive it tends to be.