Carat vs. Size, Face-Up Appearance, Magic Sizes, Budget and How to Get More Diamond for Your Money When someone starts shopping for an engagement ring, one of the first questions I hear is: “How many carats should I buy?” It sounds like a straightforward question. It isn't. A 1-carat diamond isn't automatically better than a 0.90-carat diamond. A 2-carat diamond doesn't necessarily look twice as large as a 1-carat diamond. And paying to cross a popular carat threshold doesn't always give you a meaningful difference in appearance. This is one of the areas where I encourage buyers to slow down. As someone who approaches diamonds from a jewelry-design perspective , I don't like looking at carat weight in isolation. I want to understand how the diamond's weight, proportions, shape, cut and face-up dimensions work together. Because when you wear the ring, people don't see the number on the grading report. They see the diamond. This guide explains wha...
What Diamond Clarity Really Means—and How to Choose an Eye-Clean Diamond Without Overpaying When people start shopping for an engagement ring, diamond clarity can quickly become one of the most confusing parts of the process. FL. IF. VVS1. VVS2. VS1. VS2. SI1. SI2. At first, these grades can make it seem as though the goal is simply to buy the highest clarity you can afford. But in jewelry design, I have learned to look at diamonds differently. A clarity grade is important, but it is not the whole diamond. When I evaluate a diamond for a jewelry design, I am interested in much more than the number on the grading report. I want to understand where the inclusions are, how noticeable they are, how the stone performs in light, what shape it is, and how the finished diamond will work with the setting. That is why one of the most useful questions a buyer can ask is not: “What is the highest clarity grade?” Instead ask: “What is the lowest clarity grade that still gives me the appea...