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 Diamond Size of a 1.51 Carat Princess Shape Diamond
Size doesn't always mean much until you witness it in context - this article uses a human hand as "context" for the apparent size of a 1.51 carat weight diamond of princess shape. Carat weight isn't the be all and end all - the type of cut will also affect the apparent size of the rock - for a 1.51 carat princess like this one, the size would be around 6.7 mm . To give you more of an idea of what the picture is showing, the ring shown is a US size 6, which is the same as an L 1/2 ring size in places like Australia or Britain.
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Some advice for how to use the information on this page is to initially narrow down your size range, and then to go into stores and try diamonds out in person, armed with this prior knowledge. Diamonds almost always look larger when you move them onto a woman's hand; because of this fact, make sure you get a female shop assistant to put one on instead of putting it on your hand, which is probably much larger.
