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).

Princess Shape, 0.38 Carat Diamond Size on Hand

Size doesn't always mean a lot until you see it in person - this article uses a human hand as "context" to simulate the apparent size of a 0.38 carat size diamond with a princess shape. When searching on the web for princess shape diamond sizes, you may notice the numbers will vary slightly - this is because the size (4.4 mm for this 0.38 carat diamond) can depend on the cut, not just the carat weight.

The picture on this page has a ring of L 1/2 ring size, which is typical or perhaps on the small side of typical for a female ring. The visual size for this 0.38 carat princess-shaped diamond will be affected not only by the carat weight but as well on the length to width ratio of the ring finger the diamond ends up on.

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Diamonds are often magically "bigger" when you move them onto a woman's hand; because of this fact, make sure you ask a female shop assistant to try the diamond on rather than putting it on your hand, which is probably much larger.