How to Buy an Engagement Ring - The Basics

By Frank Parson

Getting good advice about how to buy an engagement ring is important. There is a lot of information out there and unfortunately, there's also a great deal of misinformation.

For example, take one of the most basic questions: Does the size of an engagement ring matter?

The most simple and basic answer to this question is yes. Of course the size of an engagement ring matters. But size is just one of the many factors that you need to consider when you're buying an engagement ring.

Obviously, a 2 carat diamond is going to be more valuable than a 0.25 carat diamond, but this is an extreme example. Just because a diamond is big, does not mean that it's always the better or more expensive diamond.

Know the 4 C's (Colour, Clarity, Cut and Carat)

The clarity, color, and cut of a diamond are additional factors that affect its value. Together with the number of carats in a diamond, these four factors are known as the 4Cs. If you're seriously shopping for an engagement ring, you have to know what the 4Cs are and how they affect a diamond's value.

Carats

Let's start out by looking at carats, since the size of a diamond is the first thing many people think about when buying an engagement ring. A carat is a measure of the weight of a diamond, one carat is equal to 200 milligrams.

At the same time, a carat can also be divided into points. One carat is equal to 100 points. So, a 0.5 carat diamond is equal to 50 points and a 2.0 carat diamond is equal to 200 points. Generally, the more carats a diamond has, the more expensive it is, because larger diamonds are rarer in nature.

Clarity

Clarity refers to how pure a diamond is on the inside. A diamond may have inclusions on the inside, such as mineral deposits, irregular crystals, flaws or cracks.

Clarity is graded on a scale ranging from Flawless(FL-IF) to Very Very Slight Inclusions (VVS1-2) to Very Slight Inclusions (VS1-2) to Slight Inclusions (SI1-2) to Included (I1-3). A Flawless diamond has no inclusions at all while an Included diamond has inclusions that are visible to the naked eye. A Flawless diamond is the most expensive.

Colour

Color is different from clarity. It refers to the internal color of a diamond. Color is graded from Colorless (D-F) to Near Colorless (G-J) to Faint Yellow (K-M) to Very Light Yellow (N-R) to Light Yellow (S-Z).

A Colorless diamond is rare and considered the most valuable. The color of a diamond is something to consider when looking at what metal you want in the band of the engagement ring. Colorless diamonds go better with platinum or white gold engagement rings, while diamonds with color tend to go better with yellow gold bands.

Cut

The cut of a diamond is the arrangement of its facets, its finish and proportions. The cut of a diamond is what gives a diamond its sparkle and brilliance. Determining an ideal cut involves complex mathematics and people have written their PhD dissertations in the subject. In general, you should know that an ideal cut diamond is worth more than a diamond that is cut too deep or too shallow. This is because an ideal cut diamond will have more flash and sparkle to it.

As you can see, since the number of carats a diamond has is just one of the factors that determines its price, a smaller diamond (one with fewer carats) with excellent clarity, color and cut can be more valuable than a larger diamond with poorer clarity, color and cut.

When you're buying an engagement ring, you have to keep your girlfriend's likes and dislikes in mind. If size is most important, then go for a biggest stone you can afford. However, if overall quality is important to her, then a smaller stone, with better clarity, color and cut may be the way to go.