Carat Weight Is Only One Piece of the Diamond Puzzle

When a celebrity gets engaged the first question everyone asks is, “how big of a diamond did he get her?!” They never ask what is the color, clarity, or cut of the diamond. Carat weight steals all the glory. The truth is that carat weight is only one factor that determines a diamond’s value. The first mistake someone can make is only focusing on a diamond’s carat weight. Is it important…yes. However, in order to make a good decision on which diamond to choose there are other important factors to consider. What most customers want is to get the most value and bang for their buck. Keep reading and I will tell you exactly how to do that.

The initial stages of your research will undoubtedly lead you to what I like to call the “101 of Diamonds”. The 4 C’s of Diamonds or Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat are the primary factors that make up a particular diamond’s value. You may be thinking, “Is there a particular C that is more important than the others?” The answer to that question is “yes” and “no”, but for right now we will consider all the factors as equal weights. The intermingling of these four variables is what’s most important. The main aspect in achieving the most bang for your buck is not putting all your eggs in one C’s basket. Let’s take a look at each one and I will show you the best place to be if you want the best diamond your budget allows.

Cut – The most overlooked of the group. Cut does not refer to a diamond’s shape this is something totally different, but often stated as one thing i.e. Round Cut Diamond. The quality of the Cut will determine how well a diamond sparkles. This is the toughest of the group because the round brilliant diamond is the only shape to receive a cut grade on certificates. Even on a GIA Certificate you will not see a cut grade for fancy shapes like princess, cushion, oval, etc. If you can obtain the diamond’s mm measurements (length and width), its measurement from the culet to the table, and its table size you will be in good shape. Consult a gemologist or industry professional with these measurements and they can give you a good indication of how well the diamond is cut.

For Best Value: Stick with a Good to Very Good Cut Diamond.

Color – Color is one of the C’s that you can absolutely spot with the naked eye. However, we don’t want to get too picky. There is a huge price difference in the business for a colorless diamond (D-F) compared to those that have slightly just a little more color to them (G-I). However, G-I diamonds are called near colorless for a reason. Unless you take an F Color diamond and stick it right next to an I Color diamond you and everyone else will never know the difference. You are still getting a very white diamond and it will help you obtain a better overall value.

For Best Value: Stick with a Diamond between G and I Color. You can even go to J Color on a Round Brilliant Shape and it will still be very white.

Clarity – Clarity can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It’s the only one of the 4 C’s that can’t be seen with the naked eye unless the diamond is overly included. First, analyze the diamond and make sure there are no overly big inclusions you can see just by looking at it. Take it into different lights to accomplish this. Sometimes inclusions will be hidden under certain lighting conditions and more pronounced in others. The main thing you want is what we in the business call an eye clean diamond. Why pay for VS1 or VVS1 when you are talking about something smaller than a grain of sand making a giant difference in price?

For Best Value: Stick with a Diamond between SI1 and SI2 Clarity. For a step-cut like emerald or asscher shape stay at a VS2.

Carat – This is the only one of the 4 C’s that can be quantifiably measured. It seems simple right? Put the diamond on the scale and it weighs a certain amount. Not so fast, we will want to revert back to the Diamond’s Cut we talked about earlier. In your research you have probably heard of diamonds that are too shallow or too deep and the light leakage they cause. This is in relation to the Cut. In relation to the Carat we in the business call a diamond “heavy” or “spready.” My favorite analogy is that a carat is like a pound. Both are a unit of weight. If we take a person that is 6’6 and weighs 160lbs and a person who is 5’6 and weighs 160lbs they will look completely different. But they weigh the same on a scale. A diamond is no different. A diamond that is too “heavy” will have its carat weight situated underneath the stone and will not face up near what its carat weight suggests it should. A diamond that is too “spready” will have more weight on the top of the diamond and can look dull and flat.

For Best Value: Knowing your carat weight and shape, look at the chart and see what the diamond should measure. Consult with a gemologist or local Metairie Jeweler professional to find out if its measurements would be too heavy or too spready.

You can see that if we stay relatively in the middle on all of the C’s it will allow us to get the best of all the worlds. If we place too much emphasis on one of the 4 C’s (i.e. I need to have a D Color!) it will certainly limit you in the others. If you can sacrifice a little on each you will stretch your budget and get the best diamond for the money.