Quick and Easy Buying Guide
Carat weight: 1 carat = 200 milligrams = 6.5 mm diameter. Doubling weight doesn't double diameter.
Diamond clarity: FL/IF/VVS/VS = super expensive, near perfect. SI = best value if you can check a photo for obvious inclusions (defects).
Color: D-G = colorless, expensive, only if you have money to burn. H-J = best value. Can go lower in gold metal settings than white metal.
Cut: Better cut ratings let more light into a diamond, making it sparkle more. Very important property, don't skimp here.
Set a budget and minimum cut (Premium). Go J color for gold and I/H for white metals. Go searching for SI1/SI2 clarity diamonds at James Allen. Pick a diamond with small/no inclusions. Choose a ring setting and buy it risk-free (60-day returns).
1.88 Carat Diamonds
1.88 carats worth of diamond gives you a stone that weighs precisely 376 mg.
Sponsored Links
In looking at the 8.08 mm width of a 1.88 carat diamond, remember that this width can vary quite a bit depending on the depth of the diamond.
To help you analyse your various diamond options, one measure you can use is the cost per carat measure.
Walk into a diamond shop and wait around, and sooner or later you'll hear someone getting confused or frustrated about the fact that the carat weight of a diamond and the width of the diamond are very different things - most likely they will be confused or frustrated because a diamond with double the carat weight is only a little bit wider. Diamond carat size doesn't narrow down your list of diamonds very much, what you really need to do is consider what the other desirable properties of the diamond, decide how good these properties have to be for your situation, and then search for diamonds which meet all of these property requirements at the same time.
There are many sham diamonds in this life which pass for real, and vice versa. William Makepeace Thackeray .
One thing to consider that may stop you overspending on a diamond is how large the diamond will appear when it is finally placed on the woman's hand. Often the buyer of the diamond is happily surprised by how large the diamond appears when it is finally placed on the hand. A half carat diamond is a typical size for the average diamond engagement ring, but of course sizes can vary hugely between couples, depending on economic status and personal preference.
First-time diamond buyers who are in a hurry often just focus on the diamond carat size, which is a big mistake - other properties such as the clarity of the diamond are important in getting a diamond which is attractive not just in terms of its size, but also its appearance.