Thinking About Diamond Engagement Rings? Here Are The Four Cs You Need To Familiarise Yourself With
Posted on: 27 March 2020
Diamond engagement rings are some of the most treasured possessions many people have throughout their lifetime. That puts a lot of pressure on you to find the exact right one for your significant other. Hopefully, you already know their answer to your proposal and finding the right ring is more about showing how much you care about them and their preferences, more than trying to convince them on the spot with the biggest ring you can find. When you are looking at diamond engagement rings, there are four classifications you need to know about: carat, cut, colour and clarity.
Carat
The term carat is one of the more recognisable amongst the four Cs, and for an understandable reason: it refers to the weight of the gemstone. Many people mistake this to mean that it refers to the size of diamond engagement rings, and while it is certainly true that heavier gems are often bigger, that is not always the case. While weight does matter, it isn't the most important part of a diamond, and you can save a lot of money by getting diamonds that are not exact weights (4.8 carats instead of a round 5).
Cut
People love diamonds because they sparkle and dazzle everyone who sees them, or at least they should. This is only possible through a very precise process of cutting the diamond into proper shape with good symmetry and reflective qualities. A diamond that is cut poorly might have a lot of carats and beautiful colour, but it will look dull in the light. Always aim for the highest graded cut diamond you can get: this is where you really want to focus your money on.
Colour
Most diamonds you see for sale have some colouration, whether that is blue, grey or even pink, like the infamous Pink Panther. Unlike the Pink Panther, most diamonds only have a little bit of colouration, which is rated on a sliding scale. Often, you will hear people say that a totally clear diamond is the only type that you should look for, but this is down to personal preference. If you like the look of a particular colour, go for it!
Clarity
Just like any other naturally occurring material, diamonds have imperfections in them. Most of these imperfections are so small you can't see them with the naked eye, but they will still affect the price of diamond engagement rings. If you are looking for a ring and thinks it looks great in person, then you should not be put off by a sign saying it has slight inclusions (the industry term for internal imperfections). This only really matters when you start paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for rings and want them to be flawless. For most people, clarity is not an issue because the problems are so small, you would never notice them anyway. As long as it looks good to you in person, that's all that should matter!
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