Choosing the right diamond for you can be really challenging but very important process. The reason why selecting a piece of diamond can be very overwhelming is the fact that diamonds are very costly. Therefore, they are basically intended to be a precious treasure. Diamonds can become a very timeless sentimental keepsake and having one is really what every woman desire. Fortunately, when it comes to deciding what diamond you should buy, just a little preparation can really make a difference.

Choose your dealer well. Buying a diamond is a very important financial investment and it requires very serious consideration and attention. You have to make sure that the jeweler is knowledgeable, trusted, and professional about the subject before making a decision to buy. If the jeweler can’t clearly explain major differences in the quality of diamonds and he or she offers wide variety beyond your budget for you to choose from, then it’s time for you to look somewhere else.

You need to learn everything before buying. Even someone that is expert in this field will help you; it will still be very difficult to choose wisely if you lack knowledge about it. To make sure that you are prepared to buy, do some thorough research and give opinions to any diamonds that you can see on the display of every jewelry store you can pass by. That way, you can be able to compare different piece of diamonds and you can compare its prices as well.  With just a little practice, it is a sure thing that you can learn how to judge different aspects of every diamond you may encounter. Through thorough research, you can also learn how to spot an original and fake one. These are the kinds of things that diamonds heists are famous for.

Understand the key features of 4Cs of diamonds. When it comes to judging the quality of a diamond, it is very important that you should have knowledge about its four characteristics: clarity, carat, cut, and color. The carat basically refers to weight of the diamond, and one carat is usually equal to 0.2 grams. Every carat is usually divided into 100 points. Therefore, a diamond with 50 points weighs 0.50 carats. On the other hand, clarity refers to inclusions or any blemishes that may affect the diamond’s appearance. The lesser the inclusions, the higher the price. Color is also a rare diamond quality and more of it means higher the price. Lastly, cut involves in the arrangement and proportion of a diamond. This is an important characteristic since it determines the appeal of a diamond.

Diamonds are classic and are beautiful to behold. The word diamond comes from the Greek word “adamas” which means unbreakable. It is highly regarded for its strength and great optical characteristics.

These precious stones can cost a fortune and no one wants to spend money on something less than what they expect it to be. For those who want to know more about finding the right stone, read on for tips on shopping for diamonds.

Diamonds are categorized and graded. This is what determines the quality and price of the stone. To understand better, here are the Four C’s buyers should look into before purchasing a diamond:

Cut – Diamonds don’t come out from the ground readily cut. Much of the stone’s brilliance depends on the type of cut it has. There are different grades of cuts ranging from: ideal, premium, very good, good, and fair and poor. Ideal cuts maximize the brilliance. Premium cuts are close to ideal cuts but cost less.

Clarity – The clearer, the better. Clear diamonds are more brilliant. Thus, these are more expensive. Internal diamond flaws are called inclusions while external ones are called blemishes. Extremely rare, F to IF-graded diamonds are the most expensive. Good quality diamonds have grades such as VVS1-VVS2 and VS1-VS2. Lower grades which are not such good finds are those which are classified under SI1-SI2 and I1-I2-I3.

Color – Akin to clarity, color also plays a major role in determining which diamonds are good. Color results from the composition of the stone and never changes even after many years. Colorless diamonds are more desired because they create more luster. Whiter diamonds are more expensive but are better especially for brilliance and aesthetic concerns. From the GIA’s professional color scale, diamonds are graded from D-Z. D being the Whitest and Z leaning on more yellow appearance. Diamonds graded D to F and G to I are generally good buys. If you’re looking to buy a Pink Diamond or Yellow Diamond, these are the kinds of grades you’ll need. I’ve linked to the authoritative source in NYC for these kinds of stones.

Carat – The carat weight of the diamond is the unit measure of the stone’s weight. A carat is equal to exactly 200 milligrams. Larger diamonds are more difficult to find which is why they are more expensive. This is why the prices of diamonds also go up with their carat weight.

An additional C to consider is the certificate. This contains details about the diamond which attests to its true grading, worth, and individual characteristics. Above are just basic factors to consider but these can help buyers get good quality diamonds in the market.

When buying diamonds with a tight budget, you can save money by going lower with the diamond’s clarity, color, cut, and even carat weight. For those people who are first time buyers, you might think that the list above is somewhat complicated. However, you need not to worry that you can’t get the beautiful diamond you want because all beautiful diamonds can fit it anyone’s budget. All you need is just a little tip and trick.

1. Try going for a loose diamond and buy it separately from its ring setting. You can have an online or even a brick and mortar jeweler to make your ring. From this method, you will save about 30% of money on the ring as compared to buying a made diamond ring. This is because retailers usually charge a lower margin of profit on each and every piece because it is very easy for the customers to compare the prices of diamonds than on the rings.

2. Learn about the 4Cs in order to make wise decisions when you shop around. In order to compare loose diamonds, what you have to understand first are the things that make them different or even the same. If you don’t want to pay in excess of thousands of dollars for just a piece of diamond or diamond jewelries, you have to learn about the key features of diamonds that is also known as 4Cs. These are color, cut, clarity, and carat weight. After learning those things, you can then be able to learn the 5th C which is the certification. This key feature of a diamond also impacts on the cost that you will pay.

3. Use your initiative when eyeing for those beautiful diamonds. Don’t stick to a single brand in a single jewelry store. You can also shop around so you can have a lot of options to choose from. Sometimes, you can be able to find a difference of about 20%-30% to the diamond price in different jewelry stores, so it is a good idea that you look around other stores first before making up your mind. The bigger the diamond, the bigger the price difference will be. Also, one of the best options for buying a diamond is getting it from internet retailers. They don’t pay for sales staff, storefronts, mall cleaning fees, security guards, etc., and because of this you can be able to have up to 30-50% savings.