How to choose your Diamond

You will need to choose between a selection of diamonds during your engagement ring consultation. Learn here, how to compare wisely so you can pick a diamond that is not only beautiful but also a smart purchase.

Firstly: Establish a budget

Diamond engagement rings sell for less than £500 and for more than £500,000. This significant range in price is due to a set of diamond characteristics.

So what should your budget be? Well, only you can answer that, but knowing how much you want to spend on a diamond before looking is essential. This will allow you to narrow down your search significantly. It will also help ensure you are comparing apples to apples, so to speak.

Know the 4C's

During your consultation with Simon Clarke Jewellery we will educate you on the 4C's. These are the diamond characteristics that influence appearance and ultimately, value.

This will allow you to establish which characteristics are most important to you and help you compare those characteristics across a selection of loose diamonds.

The 4C's are: Colour, Clarity, Carat, Cut.

• Colour

Colour is graded on a scale from D - Z. D being colourless, which is rarer than diamonds with colour saturation, and therefore more desirable and expensive.

GIA colour grading scale D - Z

• Clarity

This refers to the presence or absence of inclusions in the stone and blemishes on the surface. Diamond clarity is graded on a scale from FL - I3.

FL - Flawless

I3 - Included 3 times per carat

A diamond with poor clarity. Full of inclusions.

• Carat Weight

This is a measurement of how much the diamond weighs, which is reflected in its size.

This image is not to scale.

• Cut

A diamond's cut essentially reflects how well the facets (individual flat surfaces) of the diamond have been cut. Symmetry, Proportions and Polish are all taken into account when grading diamond cut.

Diamonds Graded: Poor, Good, Excelent. It is evident in this picture how much cut influences the light performance and appearance of a diamond.

Choose which characteristic to prioritise

If you want a diamond with a nice white appearance, Colour is the C you need to prioritise. If you want a diamond with no visible inclusions, Clarity is the most important C. If you just want a large diamond but you aren't too bothered about its quality, then carat weight is the C for you. If you want a diamond that sparkles well, cut is the most important C to consider.

You do need to bare in mind that the 4C's influence each other. A diamond with an amazing clarity wont look great if it doesn't have a reasonable cut. At Simon Clarke Jewellery we can help you prioritise a C, without compromising too much on the other characteristics.

Check the Diamond Report

During your Engagement ring consultation, when choosing your diamond we will show you GIA diamond reports for each gemstone. These reports contain all of the information regarding the diamond characteristics.

GIA Diamond grading report

We hope this has helped you better understand the diamond comparison and choosing process. Please get in touch to book your bespoke Engagement ring consultation with us here at Simon Clarke Jewellery.

https://www.simonclarkejewellery.co.uk/contact

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