A 5-Step Guide For Finding The Right Diamond For Your Engagement Ring
Searching for the perfect engagement ring is perhaps one of the most exciting moments of our lives as it is another step towards a lifetime commitment with your partner. Proposals and engagements are one of your milestones as a couple and of course, you want nothing but the best for these kinds of celebrations. However, with so many things to consider when choosing a diamond, finding the perfect engagement ring can also be a daunting task. The process of finding the right diamond for your engagement ring can be too complicated, but the truth is, it doesn’t have to be. All you need is a little bit of research and planning. To help you get started, here is a simple 5-step guide to take you through the process of finding the perfect diamond for your engagement ring that both you and your special someone will treasure forever.
1. Decide on a budget
With so many different designs of engagement rings to choose from and varying diamond prices offered in the market, it’s best that you first decide on your budget to help speed up the process. While many believe that your engagement ring budget should be worth your two months’ salary, it’s not really a strict rule that you should follow. Whether it’s lower or higher than this common rule of thumb for diamond prices, setting a reasonable price range that works for you is the best way to go. When you have already decided on your budget, you can now filter out the engagement rings that aren’t on your price range. This also makes it easier for retailers to recommend the best diamonds in their collection that suit your budget and you can choose from there.
2. Find the best diamond cut that your budget allows
After setting a budget, it’s now time to start tackling the 4C’s. Let’s start with what is considered as the most important among the four which is the cut of your diamond. This is often confused with diamond size or shape, but diamond cut actually refers to the angles of your stone and how deep or shallow it is. The cut is the biggest factor that contributes to a diamond’s shine and sparkle. When a diamond is cut badly, the stone will seem smaller and rather dull or unimpressive. A diamond that has proper proportions, on the other hand, will perfectly reflect light and will give your engagement ring a dreamy, brilliant sparkle. Choosing the best cut that fits your price range is a sure-fire way of maximizing your budget.
3. Pick your diamond color
When you’re done choosing the diamond cut that you want to go with, selecting its color grade comes next. The industry standard for color-grading diamonds is the GIA scale. The highest rating in this color scale is D, given to absolutely colorless diamonds. However, D-graded diamonds are ultra-luxurious and can be very expensive, not to mention extremely hard to come by. If you want a value-for-money diamond color, we recommend choosing stones that are between the G to J scale, usually referred to as “nearly colorless” diamonds. While these stones have a bit of a gap from the highest D rate, the color difference is actually indistinguishable and unnoticeable to the naked eye.
4. Choose your preferred diamond carat
Diamond carat refers to the weight of your stone. It is important that you don’t compromise your diamond’s cut grade for the sake of a larger carat weight. Remember, a diamond’s cut is the biggest contributing factor to the overall brilliance of your diamond. Even if you choose a larger carat, if the cut grade is low then your stone will appear smaller than it actually is. Diamond prices also exponentially shoot up as you increase your carat weight. If you want to get the most out of your budget, you can opt to choose a diamond that weighs slightly less than your preferred carat. For example, if you dream of that perfect 1-carat diamond but it’s too expensive, get a .98 carat instead. The difference is actually almost indistinguishable but it will save you a significant amount of money.
5. Select your diamond clarity
When you’ve already chosen your diamond’s cut, color, and carat, chances are you’ll already be satisfied with the diamond selection that you have. In order to find the best diamond that fits your budget, you must also take into consideration even the smallest imperfections, also commonly called inclusions, that a stone has. Truth is, most diamonds have inclusions but they are usually microscopic and unnoticeable. The GIA has also created a scale that is widely used by the industry when grading a diamond’s clarity. The highest clarity grade is FL, which stands for flawless diamonds. FL diamonds are extremely rare and very expensive. Since inclusions are too small to be discerned by an untrained eye, you can choose stones that are at the middle of the clarity scale which is VS (Very Slightly Included) or SI (Slightly Included) in order to maximize your budget.
