- Should you go for a larger diamond or choose a smaller stone of higher quality?
- Is color an important consideration?
- How does the cut affect the stone?
- Is a solitaire diamond best, or is a cluster of stones a better choice?
Gem and jewelry expert Antoinette Matlins offers advice to help you buy a beautiful, quality diamond engagement ring that your fiancé will love—without blowing your budget. She helps you juggle the elements of a diamond ring and its setting to create the perfect engagement ensemble.
Carly: How do you suggest an inexperienced person start shopping for a diamond engagement ring?
Ms. Matlins: Before you buy a diamond engagement ring, take time to really understand the quality factors known as the 4Cs--color, clarity, cut, carat—so you feel comfortable juggling them to get just the right combination for you. Knowing how to juggle the 4Cs can enable you to achieve a high-budget look at a reasonable price.
Shop around to educate your eye, to learn what really appeals to you, and to familiarize yourself with current styles.
Carly: Which of the 4Cs do you think is the most important?
Ms. Matlins: Cut is the most important factor affecting a diamond's beauty and cost, and can also affect its durability.
Sparkle and brilliance are determined by the cutting, because it is the cutting that affects the way light travels through the stone, how much is reflected back to the eye, and how much "leaks" out the back.
- A stone that is cut too thin will have a lot of light leakage, so it won't sparkle much and will look lifeless.
- A well-cut diamond will have lots of sparkle, lots of liveliness.
- A poorly cut diamond should sell for half the cost of an exceptionally cut diamond.
- Some cutting faults can make a diamond prone to breaking.
Don't let anyone convince you that a high clarity grade is necessary to have a brilliant, sparkling diamond, or that cut refers to shape. You'll make a big mistake unless you understand what these two widely misunderstood Cs are really all about.
Carly: Do you believe diamond clarity is just as important?
Ms. Matlins: Clarity is often mistakenly believed to be the factor that affects the amount of sparkle and brilliance. This is not true. Clarity refers to the presence of microscopic features that formed within the diamond as it crystallized. If readily visible to the eye without magnification, poor clarity will greatly reduce value, but otherwise, clarity has minimal impact on beauty or desirability.
See Page 2 for more diamond buying advice.
