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Shopping for a diamond is a fun and exciting process, but it can also be a confusing and anxiety inducing one, especially for a beginner.  If you are new to selecting a diamond, as many shoppers are when they are buying an engagement ring, the many qualities and grading scales for diamonds can seem overwhelming. The right Phoenix jewelry store will help you to navigate choosing the best diamond for your budget. Let Brio Jewelry give you a beginner’s course to buying diamonds to assist you as you shop. These four basic aspects that describe a diamond’s quality and uniqueness will help to get you started so that you can be a diamond expert, and informed shopper, in no time.

 

Carat

Carat is a unit of measurement that describes the diamond’s weight. Other than the basic size of the diamond, the carat measurement has very little to do with the appearance of diamond, as it does not relate to the diamond’s sparkle, which is created by the cut and clarity of the stone. A carat is approximately 200 milligrams. Your budget will generally determine the carat size of the diamond you choose at any Phoenix jewelry store. Your custom jeweler or salesperson can help you determine the carat size for your budget, in relation to the other qualities of the diamond you are looking for. By balancing all the qualities of a diamond within your budget, you can end up with the diamond of your dreams for your special occasion.

 

Cut

The cut of your diamond describes the shape of a stone, and also the precision with which it is cut. Cut is one of the most important factors in determining a diamond’s sparkle and beauty, as it determines how light reflects in and on the stone. A properly cut diamond will offer the most sparkle and brilliance. Jewelers often use “fire” to describe the cut of a diamond, meaning the flashes of color that reflect from the diamond in light. The amount of fire, sparkle, and brilliance can help you ascertain if a diamond was cut properly, and not too deep or too shallow.  In addition to the quality and precision of the cut, there are a variety of shapes of cuts that offer aesthetic appeal for almost any taste. Your Phoenix jewelry store can show you what each of the many cuts look like. Some popular options trending now are emerald cut, round, princess, and marquise.

 

Color

The color of a diamond describes a level of color, and not necessarily the tone or shade, as we might normally think of when describing the color of something. Diamonds are graded on a scale from colorless to yellow. Colorless and near-colorless diamonds are more expensive and generally more desirable than those with a yellow tint. However, clear yellow diamonds have a demand too, as fancy colored stones have made a comeback in fashion for engagement rings. At your Phoenix jewelry store, your jeweler can show you how diamonds naturally differ in color, and guide you to the right diamond. If you are looking for a colorless diamond, it will be graded D, E, or F, while near-colorless diamonds are graded G,H, or I.

 

Clarity

Along with the cut, the clarity of a diamond is an important factor in determining its brilliance and sparkle. Diamonds fall on a scale that describes clarity, ranging from flawless to included. An included diamond is a diamond with a lot of natural flaws, or inclusions, within the stone. Because diamonds grow organically, nearly all of them have inclusions to some degree. Some shoppers may not mind some visible inclusions, as an included stone may allow them to get a larger carat size for your money. For the most part, a smaller stone with few inclusions (near flawless) is more desirable, and more expensive. A flawless stone will have more sparkle and brilliance, as light can reflect in the stone without being hindered by flaws that interrupt the light and fire. As you shop for your diamond at a Phoenix jewelry store, your jeweler can allow you to view diamonds of varying clarities with a magnifying lens.