Diamonds for Dummies.

The Every Man (or Woman’s) Guide to selecting the perfect ring and making your partner proud. So you want to buy an engagement ring that looks great. The recommendations below are sure to help you find a stellar, stunning stone. Avoid common mistakes. They say that hindsight is 20/20. These essential tips and observations come from diamond buyers who were just like you. Learn from their experiences because once the bright lights of the jewelry stores fade it’s just you and the ring. Be confident, find an engagement ring that hits all the check boxes for you and your future spouse. That's what's most important. In the end it’s simple, you want something nice for a fair price. Skip the stress. This should be a happy time so enjoy it with your special someone. Use this info so that you will be educated and well informed. Click on the links for more in depth analysis.

1. Size matters. Ask any jeweler their experience and they will tell you, when provided with a set of options, the customer will almost always go with the larger stone. That being said, when you propose you will most probably do it with one ring. How we view diamonds when shopping for diamonds is not how we view diamonds in real life. With this in mind you will have a more enjoyable diamond buying experience and not get too hung up on the wrong things. Keep your eye on the ball here. The point is to get a beautiful diamond.

Maximizing carat weight is not the same as maximizing perceived size. Sacrificing on proportions in order to optimize carat weight is often done and not to benefit the buyer. This is why verifying the specific proportions of a brilliant round diamond such as depth, table size, crown and pavilion angles is super important. If you want the biggest looking ring don’t get overly hung up on carat size at the expense of missing much more important variables about how the diamonds dimensions work in concert. If you pay attention to this advice and stay focused, you will be on one knee in no time. Put the specific differences between carat weight and size aside for the time being and assume you have 2 super ideal cut diamonds each with identical proportions, color and clarity and that the only distinguishable variable is carat weight. If one is .70 carats and the other .80 carats or if one is 1.35 carats and the other 1.45 carats the difference in carat weight will not be overly noticeable unless compared directly.

Have you ever met a celebrity and they didn't quite look how you would have expected in person? Well diamonds can be sort of the same. What you see online is exaggerated and staged for your ultimate viewing pleasure. Sorry to say but in real life diamonds are kind of small. That is not to say that their impact on the eyes is small, just to point out that minor variations in carat weight and perceived size are not as great in real life compared to on the internet.

For those readers who are in tune with their mathematical sides you should also consider that as you move up in carat size you will see an increase in per carat price, unlike a progressive tax bracket where you pay more on an amount above a certain tier, with diamonds you pay the greater per carat price on the entire stone. Simultaneously as you move up in carat size it gets more and more expensive to see a noticeable difference in diameter. As a side note, a larger table on its own will probably not make a diamond look bigger. The proportions must all be in sync not just one factor.

If you have a bit of wiggle room on carat, a slightly smaller stone with superior cut quality will have brilliance, fire and sparkle. That will stand out more than a slight variation in diameter. The same thing goes for color and clarity. 1 or 2 shades of color is not going to be apparent to the average viewer especially in real life lighting conditions, nor is the difference between a VS1 vs VS2 or VVS1 to VVS2. Stay flexible and find something that looks great within your desired price range. In my experience no one is going to ask about the color or clarity of the diamond once it is set in a ring and on a finger. That is the reality of every day life.

2. Get some help. Discuss potential ring styles with your hubby. If shopping with your special someone is not in the cards and a surprise is what's on your agenda, consider enlisting help from a trusted friend or family member of your mate. You can just ask if they know what you should consider if you were to look. Everyone has an opinion but the point here is to find out if there is anything such as a metal type, setting style or diamond shape that may be important to your better half. Buying a ring with a no hassle return policy will also keep things flexible if what you pick is not exactly what your fiancée has in mind.

3. Get more help, advice from an independent specialist is really valuable and often free to you. Having someone unbiased to review available inventory and make suggestions will more than likely provide you with better choices and peace of mind. Think of a real estate agent for homes. They help you identify, examine and rule out options, they help you navigate a process that is perhaps new to you but familiar to them. Finally the agent helps you to understand the fair market value of the item you are interested in. Should you desire to negotiate the agent helps you understand what is realistic and what is not.

4. Cut is king! As stated earlier, there is some wiggle room with most of the 4 C’s but with cut you should go for the best. The best cut diamonds often come with ASET images to show how well light interacts with the diamond. In my humble opinion it is better to go with lower color, clarity or even carat in order to be sure that the best cut is obtained. Better cut diamonds look bigger and brighter so consider checking out super ideal diamonds and skip the guesswork. Follow these simple steps to wow your future spouse and find a ring that will be cherished for years to come.

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