About Diamond Value

Whatever your budget, all diamonds look brilliantly beautiful when worn by the woman you love. So if your budget only allows for a certain quality and carat weight, in the end it will be your proposal & this beautiful ring that will melt her heart.
Also, if your budget and your loved one's preference for a larger carat weight is a concern, it can be addressed with a diamond of lower quality as opposed to a smaller carat weight of higher quality. Much of this depends on your soon to be fiance's preferences. Most will agree that bigger is better, so you may want to get the largest diamond with the best color & clarity that you can afford.
Diamond quality is judged under magnification, here are examples of 'inclusions' seen under a microscope which is much closer than your fiance will ever see..

How to Choose the Best Diamond Value:

Choosing a diamond is a very personal choice. However, there are important factors to consider when determining diamond value and how it relates to your budget. Our recommendation is to choose a larger carat weight at a level of brilliance and beauty that you and your budget are comfortable with. Brilliance and beauty is determined by the Cut, Symmetry, Polish, Clarity and Color ratings.

The various diamond images below are viewed under a microscope.



This is an F color VS1 clarity diamond with an "Excellent" Cut and Symmetry. It has no flaws visible to the naked eye. It will display a shower of fire, scintillation and brightness when moved under a source of light. Nearly all of the light entering the diamond is reflected back to the viewer's eye through the table and crown (top half) of this diamond.		This is a G color I1 clarity diamond with a "Very Good" Cut and "Excellent" Symmetry. It has a flaw (near the top) that would be visible to the naked eye. However, a diamond like this can be a very good value for the price and the G Color is virtually indistinguishable from the highest color (D) after the diamond is mounted.



This is a G color I2 clarity diamond with a "Good" Cut. It has several inclusions and it looks a little dark overall, but there is plenty of light reflecting through the table, and it will show flashes of fire and scintillation when it is moved under a light source.		This is a J color I3 clarity diamond with a "Fair" Cut. It looks opaque because there is very little light reflecting through the table. This is a result of both a shallow Cut and several cloudy flaws inside the stone. Stones like this can look fairly dull.

Guidelines for Making your Diamond Selection:

Where budget is a concern we recommend:

. Good Cut & Symmetry Rating
Greatest influence on the brilliance of a diamond.

. Clarity Rating: I1
Diamond inclusions are eye visible but may not effect the overall beauty.

. Color Rating: I-J
Color rating does not affect the brilliance of a diamond.

For an exceptional diamond we recommend:

. Excellent Cut & Symmetry Rating
An extraordinary return of scintillation and brilliance to the viewer's eye.

. Clarity Rating: SI or better
No inclusions are visible to the naked eye.

. Color Rating: G or better
Almost impossible to distinguish from a significantly higher priced D color when mounted in jewelry.