Choosing a Diamond for an Engagement ring
Choosing the right diamond for an engagement ring can seem a daunting task. Sometimes it’s a good idea to do a bit of window shopping with your future spouse and get an idea of what she likes. If this isn’t an option then a round diamond is the safest bet. It is the most versatile cut, exhibits the most brilliance and can be used in most styles of engagement rings. One shouldn’t choose a fancy cut of diamond unless you know that this is your partner’s favorite.
Once you have settled on a shape, the best way to approach your purchase is to decide on a budget. Buying a diamond is like buying a car, generally you have a budget and then look at the various makes and models that fall within your budget. Don’t forget to allocate an amount for the ring and any smaller diamonds which may also be in there.
Once you know what you want to spend, you can then look at the various combinations of size, cut, colour and clarity that are available within that number. It is my belief that one shouldn’t compromise on cut, and that a diamond should be minimum Very Good Cut.
The options go from a smaller, whiter, cleaner diamond to a larger, off white and included diamond and everything in between. Naturally without budgetary constraints one could buy the biggest, whitest and cleanest diamond available. But with a budget one needs to decide on what is important to you and your partner. Is size what counts? Or quality? Colour and clarity charts for diamonds can be misleading in that people sometimes think that because a diamond is far down the list, for example a K colour and SI2 clarity, this translates into poor quality. This is not true. This simply means the diamond is cheaper as there are more goods available with these specifics. There are beautiful diamonds available in almost all colour and clarity combinations and people are often amazed at what diamond they can buy for their money. There are I1 clarity diamonds which can be eye clean and yellow diamonds are especially beautiful on an olive skin. There are some K-M colour diamonds which set white in any metal especially if they exhibit a brownish tint.
The important thing is to keep an open mind, look at all the combinations available to you, and most importantly, stick to your budget.