You spend your entire school career learning about things like algebra and art history, and you think you know enough to get by. And then you’re faced with buying a diamond engagement ring and you feel like you need to go back to school. What gives?
Whether it’s a 2-carat engagement ring or a 0.20 carat diamond stud, most people will buy at least one diamond in their lifetime. So why does it feel like you need a specialized degree to successfully buy a diamond? Diamond buying shouldn’t be so complicated.
In truth, it doesn’t have to be complicated. With a small amount of the right knowledge, you can confidently buy the best diamond for your budget.
Did you know that not all of the 4Cs carry the same weight? You’ve heard about the 4Cs of diamond buying, right? Okay, let’s start there.
What Are the 4Cs of Diamond Buying?
You may already know a bit about the 4Cs, so we’ll keep this section brief. Here’s a basic overview:
- Cut – a diamond’s cut is more about the facets and light distribution than it is about shape. In fact, when we talk about diamond cut, we’re not talking about shape at all.
- Color – Since a diamond is a natural stone, it comes in many variations. Diamonds do come in designer colors (like pink, yellow and black), but the 4Cs refer to the color found within white diamonds. White diamonds can range from completely colorless to having a warm yellow/brown hue. Colorless diamonds are most valuable, but some of your choice here may be subjective.
- Carat – Some people mistakenly think that carat refers to a diamond’s visible size, but that’s not quite true. Carat is a measure of weight alone, and a diamond’s cut and shape can impact the appearance of size. Bottom line: Carat will give you an idea of size, but surface area is the best measure of how large a diamond appears.
- Clarity – Virtually every diamond has some imperfections. Diamonds with fewer visible imperfections are rarer and more valuable than those with more visible imperfections.
Which Diamond Has the Most Sparkle?
When it comes to choosing the best diamond for your budget, what most people want to know is which diamond gives the most sparkle?
Hands down, the “C” that has the most impact on a diamond’s sparkle is CUT.
A Diamond may have the best possible color and clarity, but if it is poorly cut, the diamond will appear dull.
What is Diamond Cutting?
We’ve mentioned that sparkle is mostly attributed to cut, but these two are so closely related that we can’t stress it enough. A diamond cutter’s entire goal when cutting a diamond is to maximize sparkle. As such, he’ll cut the diamond to allow optimal light to enter the diamond’s table, bounce from one of its pavilions and exit straight back through the table. Essentially, a diamond cutter’s goal is for all the light that enters the diamond to reflect back to the person looking at it. This isn’t always possible for a variety of reasons, but that’s the goal.
A diamond with a Super Ideal or Excellent cut has the most light reflecting back to the eye.
Diamonds with shallow cuts allow light to exit through the bottom and deep cuts allow light to escape from the diamond’s sides.
Every cut diamond falls into one of five cut grades:
Super Ideal Cut
These are the top 1% of all diamonds cut, so they are the crème of the crop. As such, they allow the most light to enter and exit the diamond through its table. If you can afford a Super Ideal Cut diamond, you’ll get the most sparkle money can buy.
Ideal Cut
This cut represents the top 3% of all cut diamonds, and they reflect a great deal of the light that enters them. This is the sweet spot where you should try to focus your budget. If you can skimp on any of the other Cs and spend a little more here, you’ll likely get a better-looking diamond.
Very Good Cut
Very Good Cut diamonds represent the top 15% of all cut diamonds. They are more budget-friendly but they don’t reflect quite as much light as Ideal or Super Ideal Cuts. You can still get a great looking diamond in this cut, but if you have room in your budget, consider upgrading.
Good Cut
Good Cut diamonds make up the top 25% of cut diamonds. They do still reflect most light back out of the diamond, but not quite as much as the Very Good Cut. You can get a good looking diamond in this cut quality, but you may want to consider upgrading to a better cut – even if you have to sacrifice carat to fit it into your budget.
Poor or Fair Cut
Poor or Fair cut diamonds represent the top 35% of diamond cut quality. These diamonds will have a dull or glassy appearance.
Low Cut
Low cut diamonds represent the lowest possible cut quality. These diamonds will certainly have a dull appearance. Bahdos does not sell low cut quality diamonds.
How to Prioritize the 4Cs for Your Budget
When you’re thinking about what kind of diamond you’d like, carat is typically top-of-mind. Many people have their heart’s set on a 1-carat diamond engagement ring. If this is the case, see if you can play around with the other Cs to create a diamond that fits into your budget.
Start with a 1-carat diamond that has a Super Ideal Cut. If this is out of your budget, step it down to Ideal Cut. If this still seems to pricey, you have a few options.
- Consider a simpler setting – If your overall budget includes an expensive setting, think about whether you’d be happier with a larger stone and a simpler setting.
- Rethink carat size – Especially if you’re looking at a 1-carat or 2-carat diamond, you can save a substantial amount by accepting a slightly smaller stone. Because diamonds that hit that carat mark are in such high demand, there’s an upcharge for them. Try reducing the carat size to 0.95 to see how much better the diamond fits your budget. No one will notice the difference when they see your ring in person.
To build the perfect ring for your budget, try all these tips with our Create Your Own Ring feature.
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