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 2.59 Carat Diamond

Carat weight isn't the be all and end all - the type of cut will also affect the apparent size of the diamond - for a 2.59 carat princess like this one, the size would be around 10.4 mm typically. The dimensions of a woman's hand vary a lot between women - just look around you when you're next in public - so this picture can only provide the apparent diamond size for one particular ring size. Consider the ratio between the length and width of your finger - this ratio will affect how massive and suitable a diamond appears when it is slipped in a ring onto the hand.

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Diamonds almost always look larger when you move them onto a woman's hand - so try to get a female shop assistant to try the diamond on rather than putting it on your hand, which is probably much larger.