Choosing a Diamond

Choosing a diamond is an extremely personal decision. Your wedding ring is a symbol of so many things, including your heart and your style. There are a few things to know, like the 4 C's and care of your ring. There are also a few tricks for getting that princess ring without giving up your castle to get it.

Style, size, and glitter can say so much about a woman. Or a man. Choosing a wedding ring for both him and her is like finding the right glove, it should fit just right.

Color

Most diamonds appear colorless but actually have slight tones of yellow or brown. The closer the stone comes to colorless, the more valuable it is. Diamonds are graded on a color scale ranging from D (colorless) to Z (heavily tinted.) Only a highly skilled professional will detect any color in E or F stones, and the color in diamonds rated up to J will be virtually invisible when set in a ring or other jewelry.

Color is only one of the four C's so even when a stone has a visible tint, such as K or above, it can still be very lovely if it has good clarity and cut. How the diamond is set can make a difference, too; you might not want to put a truly colorless diamond in a yellow gold setting since the yellow color will reflect in the stone. On the other hand, a slightly yellow stone will appear whiter in a yellow gold setting.

Diamonds also come in a wide variety of other colors, including red, blue, green and a bright yellow known as "canary." These are graded as Z+ and are known as "fancy" diamonds. Ones with good color are very rare and can sell for much more per carat than white diamonds.

Clarity

It is very common for diamonds to be formed with slight imperfections. These are known as "inclusions" and can come in many forms, including tiny white points, dark dots, or feathery cracks. The fewer inclusions, the more the stone is worth. A diamond's clarity ranking is determined by the number, size, type and placement of the inclusions.

A stone with only a few hard-to-see pinpricks located near the edge, where they can be covered by the mounting, has better clarity than a stone with a crack located right under the table (the large top facet of the stone). Cracks from the surface to the interior are especially dangerous because the diamond could break if hit the wrong way. On the other hand, small nicks and chips on the surface are often of little concern because they can be polished away.

For the most part, diamonds used in jewelry are clean to the naked eye. In a certified diamond, the cracks are charted on the certificate and act as a fingerprint for identifying a particular stone.

Cut

In the strictest definition of the term, "cut" is not the same thing as "shape" - for example, the most popular cut for a diamond is the round brilliant cut, but there are also round Swiss cuts, round Old European cuts, and round 144-facet cuts. For the most part, however, the terms are used interchangeably, including on this site.

The 58-facet round brilliant cut is the most popular because of its fire and brilliance. (These terms describe the intensity of the color and brightness of the light one sees in a diamond.) This is achieved by cutting the stone to very exacting mathematically-determined proportions so as much light as possible is reflected out the top of the diamond.

The cut of a diamond refers not only to the shape of the diamond and number of facets, but also to the quality of the cut. A diamond with uneven or poorly proportioned facets won't be given the same grade of cut as an ideally proportioned and masterfully cut stone. This information will be found on the certificate of a certified diamond.

Carat

Carat is the term used to describe the weight of any gemstone, including diamonds. Although the definition of a carat has changed over time, since 1913 the international standard has been 200 milligrams, or 1/5 of a gram. Often, jewelers describe carats in 1/4 increments.

In jewelry pieces with more than one diamond, the carats may be described in terms of total carat weight (TW). This is the combined total weight of all the stones in the piece.

Diamonds can range in size from a fraction of a carat to several carats. Given the rarity of large stones, however, the price increases rapidly with size; therefore, a single 2-carat diamond will cost much more than two 1-carat diamonds. Very large diamonds with good color and clarity are very rare.

Expect to pay a premium for stones that are above a full carat weight. For example, a .95 carat diamond will cost a bit more than a .90 carat stone, but a 1-carat stone will cost significantly more than a .95 carat stone.

Because round brilliant cuts follow exact standards, you can make a good estimate of the carat weight of the stone based on the stone's diameter. This method doesn't work as well for other cuts or shapes, though, since some are thicker or thinner than others; nor does this apply to colored gemstones, which have a different density from diamonds.

Care

While diamonds are the hardest minerals, they still require some care to keep them looking their best and to protect them from loss or damage.

A regular professional cleaning is recommended. Diamond jewelry can easily acquire a buildup of dirt, makeup and other materials that diminish its brightness, especially if it's worn every day. Many jewelers, including Zales, offer professional cleaning. Avoid using ultrasonic cleaners if your diamond has a serious crack or inclusion. The vibrations of these cleaners can enlarge such flaws.

What could possibly scratch a diamond? Another diamond. To prevent such scratches, separate diamond jewelry in your jewelry box. Diamonds also can scratch other gems or jewelry, especially soft items like pearls. And even though diamonds are hard, they can be brittle, especially along thin edges. Try not to wear your diamond when it might be struck sharply, and if you have an especially thin cut, keep it protected.

Perhaps even more distressing than chipping a diamond is losing one. When you go in for cleaning, ask the jeweler to check the setting and make sure the stone is secure. If it seems loose, bring it in for repair immediately. Also avoid setting diamonds in very soft metals like 24k gold, which bends easily.

The special trick to finding a quality ring for less? Sign up to go to one of the national craft or art and gift shows. Take cash. And go on the last day.