Time is short. You're busy. You want to buy a Diamond Ring without a lot of fuss or technical know-how.
It's a fact. Most guys do NOT want to learn all about Diamonds. They want to learn the least amount of info in order to buy a good looking Diamond and that's that!
In other words: What's the bare minimum amount of Diamond information you really NEED to learn?
It's simple! It comes down to two topics:
Color and Clarity! You MUST know these! Let's look closer:
Color
The Color range goes from D-Z. D is the best Color, Z is the worst. Most of what you'll find on the market it E-K. The average Color is H-I Color. I usually recommend the Colors of E, F, G or H. These Colors are White, Bright and will look stunning!
See the G.I. A. (Gemological Institute of America) Color Chart below.
Keep in mind, this is the bare minimum. If you get a Color between D-H you'll be fine. Below that could be questionable. J Color or lower could actually look Yellow! Most people DO NOT want a Yellow looking Diamond!
Clarity
Clarity is broken down into 6 categories:
• Flawless (FL)
• Internally Flawless (IF)
• VVS1 & VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included)
• VS1 & VS2 (Very Slightly Included)
• SI1 & SI2 (Slightly Included)
• I1, I2 & I3 (Imperfect)
The average Clarity on the market is SI Clarity or I Clarity.
See the G.I.A. Clarity Chart below.
SI Clarity is the range I would shoot for. SI or higher! (Personally, I love VS Clarity!)
SI is a good looking Diamond that has NO eye-visible Inclusions. (unless you view an SI2 from the side). Most people are quite happy with SI Clarity.
Any lower than that (SI3 Clarity, I Clarity - I1, I2 or I3) will have Inclusions in the stone that can be seen with the naked eye. Be cautious of those. Women don't want to look at Flaws the rest of their lives.
Anything higher than an SI (VS and VVS), will get you into some truly awesome and clean Diamonds, but it will also get you into some very expensive Diamonds.
Bottom Line
So, the bare minimum is SI (preferably SI1) Clarity and G-H Color or higher, like the ones shown below...
James Allen has Awesome Diamonds at Awesome Prices (use "RINGSUM" at checkout to save an additional 10% off your ring mounting!)
| CARAT WEIGHT |
CLARITY |
COLOR |
CUT |
CERTIFIED |
PRICE |
VIEW |
| .70 |
SI1 |
G |
IDEAL |
GIA |
$3,210 |
VIEW |
| .80 |
SI1 |
D |
IDEAL |
GIA |
$5,030 |
VIEW |
| .90 |
SI1 |
G |
IDEAL |
GIA |
$5,400 |
VIEW |
Last bit of advice:
Don't buy a Diamond if it's NOT Certified! I recommend G.I.A.
And, if you can, do yourself a favor: Also buy a Diamond that is Laser-Inscribed! Laser Inscriptions guarantee that the Diamond you are buying is the Diamond listed on the Diamond Certificate! It helps prevent Diamond Switching! :)
There you go...
That's the least you need to know!
Now, on the other hand. If you want to learn MORE about Diamonds, what to look for and how to save money, read my Book "Diamond Crash Course". It's very helpful!
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