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, 1.97 Carat Diamond Size on Hand
This article has a useful photo showing you the apparent size of a 1.97 carat weight princess shape diamond, when viewed in place on the hand of a woman. In order to provide you more of an idea of what's in this image, the ring shown is a US size 6, which is equivalent to an L 1/2 ring size in Britain or Australia.
A good tip to follow is to use pictures like this one to initially narrow down your size range, and then to go into stores and actually try a few different sized princess shape diamond rings on, armed with this prior knowledge.
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Think about the ratio between the length and width of a finger - this ratio can play an important role in how massive and appropriate a diamond looks when it is slipped in a ring onto the hand. Don't stress if diamonds and the dollars involved are making you worry - because the diamond will appear larger on her hand, the diamond size you need may be smaller than you think.
