Diamond Buying Guide

diamond ringWelcome to the Diamond Buyers Guide, a web site put together you help you with buying the perfect diamond. Whether you’re looking for a diamond engagement ring, or even looking to invest in loose diamonds we give you all the information you need to make the right choice.

If the thought of going into a jewelry shop to buy a diamond ring fills you with dread, you’re in the right place. Diamonds can be endlessly fascinating, however understanding the basics should only take you 15 minutes or so to get to grip with, so grab a cup of coffee and follow our easy to use guide to buying diamonds, starting with what experts call the “Four Cs”:

 diamond cut  diamond clarity
 diamond color  diamond carat

And once you’ve discovered the basics maybe you want to explore the different style of cut diamonds with our in depth guide to all the main diamond shapes:

 asscher cut diamonds  cushion cut diamonds
 emerald cut diamonds  heart cut diamonds
 marquise cut diamonds  oval cut diamonds
 pear cut diamonds  princess cut diamonds
 radiant cut diamonds  round cut diamonds
 trillion cut diamonds

Diamond Glossary

Hopefully the following glossary of diamond terms and phrases will help answer all those questions you have. (more…)

Diamond Weight (Carat)

The carat is a unit of measurement used to weigh diamonds. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams.

The origin of the word “carat” is from the carob seeds that people used in ancient times to balance scales. In fact carob seeds are so uniform in shape and weight that even today’s sophisticated instruments cannot detect more than three one-thousandths of a difference between individual seeds. (more…)

Diamond Color

When we talk about a diamond’s color, we’re referring to either the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. The color of a diamond is a result of it’s chemical makeup and therefore never changes.

Since a colorless diamond lets more light pass through it than a colored diamond, colorless diamonds emit a greater degree of sparkle and fire. Because of the complication formation process of a diamond, only a few, rare diamonds are truly colorless. Hence the whiter the diamond, the greater its value. (more…)

Diamond Clarity

A diamond’s clarity refers to the presence of identifying characteristics on or within the stone. Diamonds take an incredible amount of pressure to form, so it’s no surprise that a lot of diamonds have imperfections.

Simply put there are two difference types of flaws: inclusions and blemishes. Inclusions are internal flaws whilst blemishes are surface flaws. You should note that in diamond grading there is no such term as blemish. For grading purposes all flaws are called inclusions. (more…)

Diamond Cut

Many people confuse diamond cut with diamond shape, however they are completely different things. Diamond shape is a term which refers to the outward appearance of a diamond stone. Examples of diamond shapes are: asscher, round, emerald, and heart. By comparison the term diamond cut refers to diamond’s reflective qualities, not the shape.

A diamond’s cut is arguably the most important of the four Cs, so it’s important to understand how the cut affects both the physical properties as well as the value of a diamond. A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance (the brightness that seems to come from the very center of a diamond). This brilliance is created from the angles and finish of a diamond, which affects the diamond’s ability to handle light. (more…)