My Pink Diamonds

So you’re a diamond lover. You’ve got countless pieces of jewelry studded with diamonds. You are one of those people who just can’t resist the glitter and brilliance that goes with a diamond. Then you learn about the existence blood diamonds. Your world is suddenly turned upside down.
That may be a satiric narrative but the subject is dead serious. Blood diamonds are used to fund wars and other brutal activities in certain parts of the world. Diamonds sold in this illicit trade promote violence and kill people; you want to make sure that your own non conflict diamonds. .
Many sectors emphasize the difference between “clean” diamonds, often called non conflict diamonds and blood diamonds”. Even the UN General Assembly was quick to point out that diamonds mined and sold legally help the economy and promote prosperity in certain parts of Africa. In a resolution made in December 2000, they were also emphatic in stating that the sale of blood diamondsonly brings about pain and suffering. That is why restrictions and standards have been put in place to differentiate non conflict diamonds from the blood diamonds.
Non Conflict Diamond Identification Tips
The practical question would then be: How do I know if a diamond is a blood diamond or a non conflict diamond? For all intents and purposes, the answer would really be: “There is no absolute way you can tell, especially if the diamond has already been polished.” Tough? Yes.
This is especially difficult if you want to know whether or not the diamond you already own is “tainted” or if it’s a non conflict diamond. However, there are still some precautionary measures which are in place and which you can take in order to avoid purchasing a blood diamond. For one, the international community has established a system wherein a “Certificate of Origin” is required. There are known areas from where blood diamonds originate. With these certificates, you can have a way of knowing the origin of the diamond. Of course, certificates can and have been forged. Stricter measures and even stricter implementation is needed in order for this system to work efficiently.
In addition to this system, some countries have set up their own measures in order to ensure that blood diamonds are not released in their markets. Amnesty International suggests asking four questions when you are out shopping for diamonds. First, ask the salespeople how you can be sure that what they are selling are non conflict diamonds. Second, ask them if they know where their diamonds come from. Third, ask for the company policy on purchasing diamonds. Fourth, ask if they can show you a written guarantee from their suppliers. Chances are that if they are unwilling to help you out with your questions, they might have something to hide. They might be unable to answer you simply because they themselves do not have assurances as to the nature of their goods. In such instances, Amnesty suggests that you go some place else.
These questions can help assure that you purchase only non conflict diamonds. However, unless everyone cooperates and there is international transparency, there are still chances that some blood diamonds may get through.

The cut of a diamond is the physical measurement and relative proportion of a polished diamond and is the most important characteristic in producing a diamond’s beauty. A single number does not define cut. Instead, it is a myriad of measurements, relative percentages, angles, finish, and performance of light within the diamond.

The brilliance and sparkle of a diamond is the result of the reflection and refraction of light within a diamond and is the cumulative effect of the many facets on the surface of the three-dimensional diamond shape. What makes judging cut difficult is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Different people perceive the beauty of a diamond differently in terms of what they perceive as beautiful.

In recent years, major diamond grading laboratories like the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS) have established cut grades to help the consumer make better decisions for purchasing diamonds based on cut characteristics. However, the cut grading systems are different from each other and constantly changing. As a result, there is no single official cut grade but the current systems are a giant leap ahead of the past with no cut grades.

The quality of the cut is most visible in terms of how light performs in a diamond to produce Brightness, Fire, and Scintillation.

Brightness is the visual effect of all the internal and external reflections of white light. This brightness (also known as brilliance) results primarily from the angles of the facets and the relative size of the top facet called the table.

Fire is the visual effect of rainbow colored flashes of light caused by the separation of white light into various colors when the diamond acts as a prism.

Scintillation is the visual effect of sparkle and patterns of light and darkness. Sparkle is the points of light that flash as the diamond, the light source or the observer moves. The arrangement and contrast between the bright and dark areas is important to what the eye perceives as beautiful. An all-bright diamond or an all-dark diamond is less attractive than a diamond with a balanced, symmetrical and contrasting pattern of reflection.

Some of the more important diamond measurements influencing the cut grade are depth percentage, table percentage, crown angle, and pavilion angle. The initial cut grade research focused on round brilliant diamond shapes but the grading laboratories are slowly introducing cut grades for the fancy shapes like the princess, emerald, oval, radiant, cushion and others. Each diamond shape has its own set of cut parameters that produce the optimal light performance and beauty for that particular diamond shape.

If the cut of the diamond is the key to its beauty, why would anyone purchase a diamond without great cut? Probably the main reason is lack of knowledge by the consumer. Until recent years, it has been difficult for the consumer to assess the cut of the diamond because jewelers focused on color, clarity and carat weight. The jeweler used the bright lights in the showroom to mask the light performance of the diamond. As the diamond shopper becomes more aware of what constitutes cut and has access to the GIA or AGS cut grades on the diamond grading reports, they will be able to filter out the average and poor cut diamonds in their purchase decisions.

Sometimes budget is a factor in purchasing something less than the best cut. However, cut is typically a real bargain since there is little visual difference between the top echelons of diamond cut and the price difference between average and exceptional cut is often minimal. Perhaps the real cost of getting better cut in a diamond, is the time and effort to learn about cut and to find a retailer who can provide diamonds with exceptional cut at reasonable prices.

Once a diamond shopper has determined what shape of diamond they want to purchase, they need to research what cut parameters contribute to desirable appearance. Some diamond shoppers fall into a trap of narrowly defining their acceptable range for every diamond measurement, not realizing that the beauty of the diamond results from the interrelationships of all the facets. Simply picking the middle of the range for each parameter can lead to a mediocre result. The cut grades are an attempt to rate how a combination of factors work together in the diamond.

Regardless of the cut grade systems today or in the future, only the diamond shopper can determine what is most appealing to their eye. Cut is critical to the beauty of the diamond so making the best diamond purchase decision means understanding the importance of cut and finding that special diamond that is beautiful to behold.

There are plenty of offers of jewelry that has artificial diamonds instead of real diamonds. This may cause you to wonder if you are being ripped off, and what the differences are between real diamonds and artificial ones.
Real diamonds are mined, whereas artificial diamonds are made in a lab. The main difference is in pricing, real diamonds are extremely high priced, supposedly due to scarcity although diamond mining companies have been accused of exaggerating the actual scarcity of diamonds in order to boost their profits. Whether or not this is true, the fact remains that artificial diamonds are significantly cheaper than real diamonds.
If you do not have the money needed to invest in jewelry with real diamonds, artificial diamonds can be a great choice. Although you will know the difference, you may not see the difference, depending on the quality of the artificial diamond you choose. Many artificial diamonds are very similar in appearance to real diamonds and most people cannot see the difference without training and/or proper testing equipment.
Many people buy synthetic diamonds because they do not wish to sponsor “blood diamonds” and child laborers that are often involved in harvesting diamonds. Another advantage is you don’t have to worry about getting ripped off after paying a large sum only to find you bought an artificial diamond for the price of the real thing. When buying an artificial diamond, you got exactly what you bargained for.
When shopping for artificial diamonds, go down to a local jewelry store and take a look at both real diamonds and artificial ones, make a comparison yourself. Chances are that without orientation, you won’t be able to tell the difference between a well made artificial diamond and a real one. Naturally, like with most products available, there are high quality and poor quality artificial diamonds. The artificial diamonds of lower quality will be murky and cloudy. A high quality artificial diamond will possess all the same qualities of a real diamond, and be indistinguishable from the real thing for the naked eye.
One way to tell the difference between high quality artificial diamonds and those of less quality is by analyzing the jewelry involved. Low quality jewelry will usually be fitted with low quality artificial diamonds, whereas high quality jewelry, usually made of gold and boasting fine workmanship, will generally be fitted with the finest artificial diamonds available. Depending on who you are buying the jewelry for, a lower quality artificial diamond may be okay, but if it is meant to be a special gift, you will want to invest a little more and buy jewelry with high quality artificial diamonds. Just because the artificial diamonds are not the real thing, does not mean they are cheap jewelry, artificial diamond jewelry is far cheaper than jewelry with real diamonds, but it is still considered quality jewelry and prices can be reasonably high.

It may be easy to get confused as to what diamond necklaces are and how they differ from diamond pendants. But actually the difference is quite simple – a jewelry necklace is just any chain that was manufactured out of precious metals; or a chain of precious gems that have been attached to one another to form a chain. A pendant, on the other hand, is a small piece of jewelry that hangs from a chain. Strictly speaking, a pendant is one type of necklace so necklaces may come in other forms of jewelry that do not have pendants.

Diamond pendants, being made up of a small piece of jewelry hanging from a metal chain, will generally have less diamonds embedded into each pendant compared to diamond necklaces that may have diamonds linked to each other all throughout the length of the chain. Some people may prefer to wear diamond pendants because the beauty of the few diamonds or one diamond set into the pendant may be prettier or more appealing to see, than a host of diamonds linked to each other in a diamond necklace. But other people may like their jewelry to be flashier so they choose diamond pendants because these can show off more diamonds to whoever is watching.

Diamond necklaces may be of three types of length – you can buy the choker length, the princess length, or the opera length. Choker length diamond necklaces are those that surround the neck slightly above your collarbones. Princess length diamond necklaces are those that will hang lower than your collarbones or maybe drape just over the collarbones. (Princess length diamond necklaces are usually the most popular type of diamond necklaces bought by consumers.) The last type, the opera length diamond necklaces, are definitely more dramatic than the first two types because opera length diamond necklaces may hang over your dress front or blouse front – and so are more obvious to see. The jeweler that sells diamond necklaces to you may also have diamond necklaces that are variations of these three main types.

Who usually buys diamond necklaces? It is more accepted nowadays for women to use diamond necklaces, but that is not a hard and fast rule actually. There are really men too who like to wear diamond necklaces, especially diamond pendants, to accentuate their personal style of dressing up. You may find men who wear a diamond stud in one ear and a diamond pendant on a chain around his neck. When used the right way, men can really wear diamond necklaces and look good in the process. However, in more traditional and conservative work environments, men may not be comfortable wearing diamond necklaces or any type of diamond jewelry (aside from maybe a designer watch or diamond bracelet) because they may be mistaken for effeminate men. But in more laid-back work environments, wearing jewelry such as diamond necklaces may have become quite acceptable for men as well as for women in these modern times. In such a case, your diamond necklaces can be safely worn without fear of negative consequences happening to you in the end.

If you are not familiar with the use of diamond pendants or diamond bracelets, then it may be time to start learning. At some point, you will probably find yourself in a situation where at the very least you have to speak knowledgeably about them.

Diamond pendants are pendants that have diamonds set into their metal (sometimes precious metal) base. A pendant is a piece of jewelry, usually quite small, that you can hang around your neck on a chain. The chain of the pendant may also be made of precious metals, or at least some type of expensive metal. In this sense, diamond pendants can be said to be a way of discreetly showing off the beauty of your wealth.

Diamond bracelets are simply bracelets made out of precious metals or metals with diamonds set into them in a pattern. You wear diamond bracelets on your wrist. We might say that diamond bracelets are a more overt way of displaying your jewelry to others while diamond pendants tend to play down your wealth and just let others get a peep at the jewelry when it flashes at them out of your upper clothing.

The design of diamond pendants is becoming more and more creative as time goes by. One design shows two tiny gold baby shoes into which the diamonds are attractively set. This would probably be an appropriate diamond pendant for a mother who has just given birth, or for the child himself to wear during his baptism. Another design which you might like is for the pendant to be shaped in the form of the infinity symbol (that looks like a number eight) with diamonds set all throughout the shape of the infinity symbol.

Crucifixes are a very popular among those who buy diamond pendants. When crucifixes are used, these diamond pendants may be a bit larger than other types of diamond pendants. But some diamond pendants in the form of crucifixes can also be tiny and discreet.

If you want your diamond pendants to be custom-made, you might want the diamond pendants to also use other precious stones aside from diamonds. Sapphires are a popular choice because these colored gems go so well with the flash and fire of diamonds. Try looking for sapphire and diamond pendants – you’ll see how beautiful the combination is actually with just one glance.

The value of diamond pendants comes not just from the diamonds themselves but also from the artistry that went into designing and making these diamond pendants. A diamond cut and shaped by a novice will be of lesser value than a diamond crafted by a master artisan, even if the rough diamond of the novice was of higher value before being cut and shaped for setting into the pendant. You may want to invest in diamond pendants if you can see the financial value such investments can bring you over time. That is partly why diamond pendants are still in demand today even among people who may not even wear the jewelry themselves or maybe wear them infrequently.

You have to be careful though about where you choose to wear your diamond pendants. That is because if they hang from your neck on a gold chain, it is very easy for a thief to simply grab the pendant and – with one swift tug – break the chain and run away with the pendant. Even if the thief can’t get the gold chain, he will still make a pretty profit from his loot because the diamond pendant may be worth quite a lot on the black market anyway. Wear diamond pendants only in a secure environment where you know you can relax and let your diamond pendant be appreciated by those you encounter.

Believe it a not; there are jewelers who are unable to differentiate a diamond cut from a diamond shape. Everyone is so hyped up about the carat weight and has totally forgotten about the other 3 characteristics of a diamond. It won’t take you years or months to learn something about diamond. There are plenty of articles and information on the 4C of a diamond. Spend some useful time in the library or internet and learn about diamonds. Who knows, you may become an expert in diamonds. 1. Prioritize the 4 characteristics There are much more about diamonds than just the 4Cs. But at the end of the day, the 4Cs are still the major factors influencing the quality and price of a diamond. Before you start prioritizing the 4Cs, you got to know what your girl actually likes about a diamond. If she like big one, go for a diamond with big carat weight but with poorer quality in terms of color, cut or clarity. If she likes the brilliance of a diamond and doesn’t mind the size, choose one with excellent cut and clarity. Whichever the case is, prioritizing the 4Cs will give you a better idea of what diamonds will suit her taste as well as your budget. 2. Do a price research Based on your list, you should have a rough estimate of the market price of the diamond you are looking for. If the price is out of your budget, try going for a grade lower than your expectation and you may eventually find one that suits you well. 3. Do some background research on the jewelry stores If you have been doing researching, you would have come across information on cubic zirconium diamonds. These synthetic diamonds are D-color graded, flawless and cut to perfection. In short, a CZ diamond is a ‘perfect’ diamond. It is brilliant, flawless and yet cheap. Their prices do not increase exponentially with their quality unlike diamonds. And there are also some natural diamonds which have undergone treatments to reduce its blemishes thus enhanced its appearance. It is still a low grade diamond and dishonest dealers may try to pass it off as a good graded diamond and sell you at a higher price. So, before you start swiping your hard-earned money away, do some research about the jeweler as well. Ask your family, relatives or friend who have purchased from the dealer. Online forum is a good place to ask around and there are plenty of sites that provide reviews on jewelry store online. Give the jewelry store a call, talk to their staffs and decide for yourself if you are comfortable with the store. 4. Always ask for a money back guarantee There are risks in very form of transactions, so do buying diamonds. Protect yourself and minimize any risks by making sure that the store has the complete details about their return policy. It should include information about the validity period, what to do if you wish to return your purchase and their address. As a rule of thumb, online stores should offer you no less than 21 days return policy. In fact, most of them have a return policy of 30 days. 5. Choose jewelers who provide grading reports Certified diamonds will come along with a grading report by reputable gemology organizations such as GIA or AGS. Some online jewelry stores certified their diamond by in-house gemologists and they may be using different grading standards from GIA or AGS, while others may not provide the grading reports. Diamonds from top online jewelry stores generally comes accompanied with a grading report. After you have purchased your diamond, you should get it appraised again with the grading report by a trained gemologist. The grading report will be very helpful in ascertaining whether the diamond you have bought is up to the specifications shown on the report.

About the author: Mr. P Sharma is the owner of the Diamonds and Diamond Jewellery (http://djewels.org), a website that offers reviews on online jewelry stores selling diamonds and diamond jewelry.

The relationship between women and diamonds has long been established and it is certainly true to say that diamonds are amongst the longest lasting friends that a girl can ever have.  It is no surprise therefore that a woman’s diamond watch has become increasingly popular as a symbol of class and style.  Diamond rings have long been a popular choice as gifts which represent the sincerity of affection from a lover or admirer, but an increasingly wide range of jewelry which includes diamonds has become popular as such gifts.  A diamond ladies watch is perhaps somewhat unique in that it is not only exquisitely decorative and visually scintillating but has a very practical value as well.Because women’s diamond watches tend to be smaller than the diamond watches made for men they usually have a slightly smaller number of diamonds decorating the face, and as a result of this diamond watches for women tend to be slightly cheaper than men’s diamond watches.The exact number of diamonds which can be included in the decoration of a diamond ladies watch varies tremendously.  In some cases a watch can be decorated with a single diamond, often in a very significant position, either in the centre of the dial or often just above, or in the place of, the number twelve.  In other cases a womens diamond watch can include a huge number of smaller diamonds decorating almost the entire face of the watch, and replacing the numerals around the outside of the face.  With such variation it is extremely easy to be able to choose the sort of watch which most closely suits the style and personal taste of the woman who will be wearing it.  Some women will like to be able to adorn themselves with as much bling and sparkle as possible, whilst others will prefer a more subtle and conservative approach to their jewelry.It is certainly not hard to imagine the kind of impression and reaction that a woman’s diamond watch can produce.  Imagine the surprise and astonishment that giving an exquisite diamond watch to your partner will evoke.  Certainly there is no possibility that your intentions and devotion can be doubted, and the message that giving such an extraordinarily beautiful gift provides will be clearer than virtually anything else.  In fact there is little in the world that is clearer than a well cut, good quality diamond.  Diamonds are rare and take millions of years to be created.  For these reasons they continue to represent the very pinnacle of style and status. Women’s diamond watches manage to combine this remarkable jewel with an elegant design and sophistication that will certainly not look out of place on any woman’s wrist.Because a diamond ladies watch has a very practical purpose it will often be worn more frequently than any other item of jewelry.  Not only that, but a woman’s diamond watch will complement any outfit and any other jewelry that a lady chooses to wear.  Diamond watches are certainly the ultimate accessory, and there is no chance at all of it ever gathering dust at the back of her jewelry drawer.Although it is easy to assume that most diamonds are clear and relatively colorless, diamonds do come in a variety of colours.  Because of this there are several ways in which a womens diamond watch can be designed in a particularly feminine manner.  Of all of the diamonds in the world the rarest diamond of all is the pink diamond.  Some women’s diamond watches incorporate these pink diamonds in very noticeable ways, and by doing this there are two distinct benefits.  The first benefit of having a pink diamond embedded in a diamond ladies watch is that the overall style can accentuate the delicate pink shades, creating a watch style which is distinctly feminine.  The second benefit is simply that the very fact that a pink diamond has been used in fashioning the watch in a very visible way adds tremendous value to it due to the rarity and high cost of the diamond. The choice of pink diamond by man for a ladies watch indicates not only a personal statement of intent, but also a high degree of understanding and attention, Today, modern scientific technology has advanced to the point where it is able to create synthetic diamonds which are virtually indistinguishable from natural diamonds, except when it comes to examining the price label.  Although a woman’s diamond watch can incorporate either natural or synthetic diamonds, it is virtually impossible sometimes to tell the difference, and this has resulted in diamond watches for women becoming much more accessible and increasingly popular.

Diamond is the queen of all precious stones. It is not only rare but also has absolutely no equal in hardness. Diamonds have a wide color range and their reaction to light is to sparkle and scintilate. Besides being the hardest substance on earth it is extremely rare and beautiful. It is no wonder then that diamond and amethyst jewelry or citrine diamond jewelry or any combination of diamonds with one or more other precious stones is turning out to be very popular.

The dazzling diamond is actually just a miracle of nature. Diamonds come in a wide variety of colors and clarities and cuts. The size and weight of diamonds is normally weighed using the unit of measure, carat. When you decide to buy diamond and amethyst jewelry or citrine diamond jewelry you must take into account the cut, carat, color and clarity of the diamonds. Diamonds are available in various kinds of settings each of which displays it in a distinct fashion. Some of the more popular diamond settings include channels, chevrons, bezels, bars, prongs and paves.

Diamond and amethyst jewelry is one of the most beautiful forms of color stone jewelry. Diamond rings and more so diamond amethyst engagement rings and diamond citrine engagement rings are an all-time favorite with jewelry lovers. A diamond necklace is a desirable and luxurious jewelry gift. Diamonds set in gold are popular all over the world and Indians they say account for fifty percent of the entire world’s purchases of gold. Besides, there could be other precious stones set in gold along with the diamonds as in the citrine diamond jewelry.

Diamonds in settings of platinum also make great jewelry albeit a bit expensive. For those who look for elegance, they may choose a combination of colored diamond with any semi precious color stones. Citrine diamond jewelry in white gold settings is getting to be very popular with the modern generation. Rings with diamonds and amethysts set in them make great diamond and amethyst jewelry which can be worn with great versatility. You can also find bracelets, pendants and earrings set with amethyst or citrine with diamonds.

Despite the fact that diamonds are the hardest materials here on earth, they are brittle and therefore not indestructible. Amethyst and citrine are not nearly as hard and therefore one must make sure they do not wear any diamond and amethyst jewelry while engaging in heavy activity. Citrine diamond jewelry can be easily maintained by cleaning it with a soft brush and water and a small bit of ammonia. Make sure your diamond jewelry is stored in the velvet boxes it came in to make sure it stays free from scratches. Although diamonds were once upon a time a luxury item, today they have become quite affordable. The dazzle, little maintenance required and longevity of diamond jewelry more than makes up for the price. Hence diamonds are kept for some of life’s most special moments.

Diamonds are extremely hard and durable. Take care of your diamond by avoiding breaks and scratches and keep it clean. With good care, your diamond will have the same sparkle and beauty in ten, a hundred or a thousand years. Diamonds do not fade, tarnish or wear out like most materials. The secret to keeping a diamond’s sparkle is keeping it clean.

Diamonds are the hardest natural material. Only a diamond can scratch a diamond. Use great caution when wearing multiple diamond rings on the same finger. If the diamonds of one ring touch diamonds in another ring, both diamonds will likely end up scratched in a relatively short time. If you have a diamond wedding band next to your diamond engagement ring, be sure their design allows them to fit together so the diamonds do not touch.

The next most dangerous place for diamonds scratching each other is in the jewelry box. Do not throw your diamond rings, diamond earrings, and diamond bracelet together. Since diamonds will scratch diamonds, think of what they can do to other gemstones and precious metals. Keep your diamond jewelry in separate compartments or isolated by soft cloth to keep them from rubbing each other.

While diamonds are very durable, they can break or chip. You would not let someone hit your diamond with a steel hammer but your diamond ring faces the same type of danger every day. File cabinets, metal seat belt buckles, and car doors are just a few of the metal surfaces that can hit a diamond in the course of a normal day. Avoid sharp impacts with hard surfaces and you will avoid chips and cracks in your diamond.

Diamonds are natural grease attractors. Some diamond mines separate diamonds from the broken rocks by running the material over a conveyor belt covered with a layer of grease. Diamonds stick to the grease and the rocks slide off. At the end of the shift, they remove the grease and melt it away, leaving the diamonds.

Remember diamond’s attraction to grease when you touch a diamond with your finger. The oil from your fingertips will coat the diamond and reduce the sparkle. The same is true when your diamond ring touches the oil in your hair. Hand creams, lotions, hair spray, soap, and grease from food will create a film on your diamond that hides its beauty. When you put your hands in dishwater, the dirt and grease in the water will adhere to the diamond. Dust and powders also cling to diamonds.

Fortunately, diamonds are easy to clean. Put your diamond jewelry in a warm solution of mild liquid detergent and water. You can also use the containers of “Jewelry Cleaner” available at jewelry and department stores. These typically have a small basket the ring can sit in and a small, soft brush to clean the hard to reach places around the diamond. Swish the ring around in the solution, rinse it with warm water, and dry the ring with a lint-free cloth. While chemicals will probably not hurt your diamond, harsh chemicals like chlorine or bleach can weaken and discolor the metal in the jewelry. Keep in mind that swimming pools and hot tubs usually have high levels of chlorine and are not a safe place for jewelry.

There are many types of ultrasonic cleaners available to the public today. The piece of jewelry sits in a basket of water and detergent. The ultrasonic cleaner produces high-frequency turbulence that is an excellent way to clean the hard to get at part of jewelry. Not all gemstones are as durable as diamonds. Never put soft materials like emeralds, opals and pearls in an ultrasonic cleaner.

With a little common sense and regular cleaning, your diamonds will keep their sparkle and beauty for years of enjoyment.

Few diamond shoppers can walk into a high-end jewelry store and buy a 5-carat, D color, Internally Flawless diamond with Ideal cut parameters. If you are like most diamond shoppers, you have a limited budget. However, you still want to get the biggest and most beautiful diamond within your budget. You can take some simple steps that will ensure you get the biggest diamond possible.

1) Diamonds have price per carat increases at the most popular carat weights (0.50, 1.00, 1.25, 1.50, 2.00, etc.) because that is what shoppers request when they go into a jewelry store. Your dollars can go further buying a diamond that has a carat weight just under those weights. For example, a diamond that weighs 0.90 carats can be the same millimeter diameter as a diamond weighing 1.00 carat but cost $1000 less.

2) The price of diamonds is very sensitive to color grade, yet most shoppers have a difficult time seeing the difference between some of the color grades. If you buy the lowest color grade that looks beautiful to your eyes, the lower price per carat allows you to buy a bigger diamond with your dollars. The highest color grades (D, E, and F) are categorized as “colorless.” The next color grades (G, H, I, and J) are “near colorless” and the source of beautiful diamonds at much lower prices.

3) A ring with several smaller diamonds is less expensive than a single diamond with the same total carat weight. For example, three 0.50 carat diamonds will cost a fraction of what a single diamond weighing 1.50 carats. The same holds true for a 1.0-carat center stone with 0.25-carat diamonds on each side. If you want a finger full of diamonds with a limited budget, consider several diamonds rather than a solitaire.

4) All diamonds have inclusions; the key is what you can see with your eye. Once a diamond is clean to the eye (VS2 or good SI1 for brilliant cut shapes), higher clarity grades have no impact on the beauty or appearance of a diamond, they only add to the expense. Get the lowest clarity grade you are comfortable with and save a lot of money will no sacrifice in beauty.

5) The shape of the diamond can affect the millimeter size. Of course, you should always get the diamond shape you like best but some shapes do look larger than other shapes. Ovals, marquises and pear shaped diamonds generally look larger than round or square diamonds with the same carat weight.

6) Even diamonds with the same shape and carat weight can be different sizes. The cut of the diamond can influence the millimeter size. Shallower diamonds tend to be bigger in length and width than deeper diamonds. It is similar to two men each weighing 200 pounds, where the smaller waistline probably results in a taller man.

7) The type of setting you select to hold your diamond can influence the diamond’s perceived size as well as affect the dollars you have to spend on the diamond. White gold settings cost about one-third of platinum settings, leaving more money for your diamond. Bezel set diamonds or diamonds with pave around the center stone can make the diamond appear bigger.

Perhaps the most important factor in getting the biggest diamond for your dollars is where you purchase. The retail markup on diamonds can range from well under 10% with online retailers to over 200% at high-end jewelry stores. Finding a retailer with very low overhead and low prices will ensure more of your dollars go for your diamond. Why spend your money for polished marble floors, fancy display cabinets, and elaborate store interiors, all things you cannot wear out of the store?

In the end, you want to go with the diamond that excites you and makes you happy every time you wear it. That is the best indicator that you have made the right decision and have the best diamond for you.