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).

Actual 0.25 Carat Princess Shape Diamond Size on Hand

This article includes a useful photo that gives you the apparent size of a 0.25 carat size princess shape stone, when it's actually on a typical woman's hand. Carat weight doesn't tell the whole story - the depth of the diamond's cut will also play a role in the apparent size of the rock - for a 0.25 carat princess like this one, the size would be around 3.7 mm typically.

If you have got a ring around the house and you know what it's size is, you can compare it to the US size 6 ring pictured - this will assist you in getting a concrete idea of the diamond size shown in the photo.

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Digits can vary in terms of their apparent width and breadth, which should factor in to your decision about what shape and size of diamond to get.

If you're a male trying to calculate the appropriate diamond size to get your other half, remember that the stonewill invariably look a lot bigger on her smaller, more petite hands.