Engagement Rings - Carats and Colours

When looking for engagement rings to really wow her, what would you think she'd notice first? Perhaps it will be the brilliance from the cut or maybe the clearness of the colour. More than likely, she and her friends will first be impressed by the weight of the stone, which often includes the size of the diamond, but is not the same thing. Carats are often confused for stone size, and the larger the carats, the bigger the stone, but in truth, the bigger the carats, the heavier the stone. Either way, carats matter to a degree unless she's hinted for diamond chips.

The term carat comes from the pre-20th century use of carob seeds as a method of measuring a diamond's weight, as they were uniform in shape and small in size, making great counterweights for the stones, which were rarely very large.

The size of a diamond is proportional to its weight, and diamonds in their natural state can weigh two-thirds more than the finished cut and polished product. Larger high quality stones show more rarely than smaller high quality stones, so it is not uncommon at all for a stone of 3 carats to cost substantially more than 2 diamonds of 1.5 carats. As a good comparison, the average weight of the stones in engagement rings is half a carat or less.

Carats end up meaning more of an impact on the wallet than the ring, and it's actually better to focus on cut, grade and diameter of the stone than the weight for engagement rings.

Colour is another factor to consider, and in any diamond or engagement ring, the less colour, the better. Colours are classified by the letters D, E, F, G, H, I and J. D/E are considered truly colourless and for the purists, so of course they are vastly expensive, and F grades show very slight colour, or yellowing, to a trained gemologist when viewed face down, while G-J represent the most value for the money and can be quite a good deal. It is extremely difficult for the naked eye to tell the colour grades apart, especially when mounted.

The biggest difference is in price, and if you are truly looking for a budget diamond and want to maximize the size instead of worrying about the colourless aspect of the stone, then a J grade would suit you well. They have a more appreciable yellowing than the other grades, but still maintain an almost completely colourless look. You can also inquire into stones with medium to strong fluorescence, as they are often discounted well but are still premium stones, and will only show colour under a direct ultra violet source.

Talk to your jeweler to find a fabulous deal on engagement rings she'll love, allowing you to choose an affordable option and use the savvy discount towards the honeymoon.

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