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 Princess Shape Diamond Sizes on Hand of a 2.53 Carat Diamond
Carat weight does not always mean much until you witness it in person - this page uses a hand as "context" for the apparent size of a 2.53 carat size diamond of princess shape. The exact size of a 2.53 carat weight princess shape diamond depends on other factors such as cut, but is usually in the ballpark of around 9.6 mm along one of the straight edges of the diamond.
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Pictures can sometimes be notoriously deceptive - I've tried to make this one as clear as possible, but remember seeing the stone in the flesh may give you a very different judgement of size to viewing it on the internet. If you're a male trying to work out the appropriate diamond size to get your other half, remember that the stonewill invariably appear much larger on the hands of a woman, which are typically smaller.
