Men's guide to buying Diamonds
Purchasing a diamond can be a very intimidating experience, especially for the man because knowing what to expect and what a women will want when it comes to her diamonds can be challenging, especially in the case of engagement rings. Do not let the pressure of a salesperson or anyone make you feel uneasy about purchasing a piece of diamond jewellery.
For anyone who is starting out the search for a diamond, the best solution to pushy salesmen would be to have a solid understanding of the diamond industry and how diamonds are graded and priced within certain different aspects of the business.
When it comes to knowledge pertaining to diamonds it always starts with the four C’s- cut, carat weight, clarity, and colour. There are other guides that you can use to ensure you are getting the highest quality of diamond but those four cover the basics.
Diamond Shape and Cut
When it comes to the shape and cut of a diamond you will find that many jewellers carry different shapes for different types of settings. For engagement settings you will find that the most popular cuts are princess and round briliant. For earrings the options include emerald and marquise cuts. There are, however, many other cuts of diamonds like pear, oval, radiant, cushion, and heart just to name a few so your options are great. To figure out what preference your recipient would prefer, you could simply ask her or investigate their preferences by asking friends and family or simple examining their current pieces of jewellery they own now.
Diamond Weight
When it comes to carat weight this could be especially important if you are shopping for an engagement setting because of what the size of the diamond could represent. Each person has their unique preference so keeping your budget in mind you will want to make sure you get the most visible diamond for your money. If you are looking at diamonds smaller than a full carat you could always look at a Marquise or Baguette cut diamond because they generally cover a larger surface area on the setting itself.
Diamond clarity and Colour
When it comes to pricing the diamond there are many factors but the most important will be the overall clarity of the precious stone. Imperfections in diamonds are natural and finding one that is completely flawless is highly unlikely. To the unaided eye, most flaws will not even be noticed which is why the grading of the diamond is so important. Clarity grades can be from FL (Flawless) all the way to I (visible imperfections).The grade for white diamonds can range from D (colourless) to Z (light yellow colour). There are also fancy coloured diamonds which include examples of blue or pink diamonds.
