• Diamonds
  • Gemstones
  • Jewellery
  • Famous Jewels
  • Latest
Diamond Buzz Logo
How To Choose A Diamond: Step-By-Step Guide
Diamonds

How to Choose a Diamond: Step-By-Step Guide

Last updated on December 27, 2022

With a large selection of diamonds available on the market, buyers often get confused about how to choose a diamond. However, there are some simple rules for selecting a good stone that are brought together in this step-by-step guide.

Choose a Shape and Set a Budget

First things first, you should decide what diamond shape is more desirable for you.

As the most popular diamond shape is round, let’s take it as a reference while selecting the best stone for further steps as well. Most recommendations in this guide also apply to other shapes, but for more specific guidelines on colour, clarity, and cut grades, check out the following links: round, oval, pear, marquise, cushion, emerald, Asscher, princess, radiant and heart.

Most likely, you already have an idea of how much you can spend on your diamond. However, you should also remember about any import duties if ordering from overseas, taxes and shipping fees. Do not forget that your total budget includes the prices of both the diamond and fees.

Think about what you can afford to spend. Start your diamond selection process by filtering out the diamonds that fall out of your budget. This will help you save time and effort.

Decide on Carat Weight and Cut Quality

Diamond Cut Scale | Diamond Buzz
Image © Diamond Buzz. All rights reserved.

After you set your budget, you can decide on the carat weight of the stone. Most people try to buy the biggest diamond they can get for their money. However, it is recommended to start working with a carat range and narrow down your choices later.

Cut quality should be a priority over the other characteristics, as it determines how light enters the stone and is reflected back. The better a diamond’s cut, the more brilliance and sparkle the stone has.

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grades round brilliant diamonds on a five-point scale of Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor, where Excellent cut grade diamonds provide the maximum brilliance and sparkle.

A diamond with no inclusions or colour tints will still look dull if it is not cut exceptionally well, which is why you should always opt for the best cut quality.

Set Minimum Colour

Diamond Colour Scale | Diamond Buzz
Image © Diamond Buzz. All rights reserved.

Diamond colour is graded using a scale developed by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), which goes from D to Z, with D being the most colourless and Z containing yellow or brown tints noticeable to the naked eye.

Each letter grade falls under a clearly defined range of colour appearance:

  • D-E-F – colourless
  • G-H-I-J – near colourless
  • K-L-M – faint
  • N-R – very light
  • S-Z – light

If your diamond is set in platinum or white gold, the colour minimum should be at least an I colour. The stones any lower will show yellowish or brownish tints. However, there is an exception to every rule. If you are going to have your diamond set in a setting other than solitaire (side-stone setting, pavé setting, halo setting, etc.), the minimum should be H colour.

If the diamond is set in yellow or rose gold, you can go as low as J, K or even L colours. Diamonds tend to absorb the colour of their setting, meaning you will barely see the difference between H and K colour diamonds once set.

Set Minimum Clarity

Diamond Clarity Scale | Diamond Buzz
Image © Diamond Buzz. All rights reserved.

The next step is to decide on the minimum clarity range. According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), diamond clarity is graded on the following scale:

  • FL (Flawless) – no inclusions and blemishes visible under 10x magnification.
  • IF (Internally Flawless) – no inclusions visible under 10x magnification.
  • VVS1, VVS2 (Very Very Slightly Included) – hardly noticeable and very small inclusions visible under a gemological microscope.
  • VS1, VS2 (Very Slightly Included) – minor inclusions visible with effort under 10x magnification.
  • SI1 and SI2 (Slightly Included) – easily noticeable inclusions under 10x magnification.
  • I1, I2 and I3 (Included) – obvious inclusions visible to the naked eye.

To have a stone that looks clean to the naked eye, set the lower end of your clarity range at SI1. You can also find an eye-clean diamond in the SI2 range, but you will need to sort through more diamonds until you find the right one.

Examine Additional Characteristics

Now it is time to examine additional features you should be paying attention to.

Fluorescence

Diamond fluorescence is the ability of a stone to emit light and change its colour when subjected to ultraviolet (UV) rays. It is described by its intensity on the following scale: None, Faint, Medium, Strong and Very Strong.

Although fluorescence does not affect the quality of a diamond for an average observer, it is recommended to choose a stone with either a None or Faint fluorescence level. Stones with Strong fluorescence will appear hazy under normal light. Stones with Medium fluorescence usually look fine, but to be on the safe side, avoid Medium fluorescence diamonds if they are in the D-E-F-G range. However, for diamonds with H colour or lower, Medium fluorescence can improve colour, making them appear whiter.

Culet

The culet is a small facet at the bottom of a diamond placed parallel to the table. It prevents chipping and abrasion to the point.

The culet is described according to its size using the following grades: None, Very Small, Small, Medium, Slightly Large, Large, Very Large and Extremely Large. When there is no culet, it may be indicated as a pointed culet.

Make sure that the diamond you are going to buy has None to Small culet size. Bigger culets will be visible through the stone’s top and look like dark holes.

Girdle Thickness

Girdle Thickness Scale | Diamond Buzz
Image © Diamond Buzz. All rights reserved.

The girdle is the middle portion of a diamond, a narrow section separating the crown from the pavilion. It is graded using the following eight-grade scale: Extremely Thin, Very Thin, Thin, Medium, Slightly Thick, Thick, Very Thick and Extremely Thick.

Girdle thickness should fall within the Very Thin to Slightly Thick grade range. However, Very Thin girdles are at higher risk of chipping, while too thick girdles negatively affect a diamond’s proportions.

Certificate

A diamond certificate (or a grading report) is a document referring to the information on the quality characteristics of a particular stone. It describes the key features which affect the value of a stone.

Apart from the 4Cs (cut, colour, clarity and carat weight), polish, symmetry, presence of fluorescence and a diagram showing the stone’s most important proportions, this document lists results for any processes carried out on the stone, such as clarity and colour enhancements which may have affected its quality.

Featured image: Wirachai Moontha / Canva
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedIn

Post navigation

Asscher Cut Diamond Guide
Pear-Shaped Diamond Guide
  • Diamond Simulants: Facts You Should Know About | Diamond BuzzDiamond Simulants: Facts You Should Know About
    Gemstones

Advertise on Diamond Buzz

We help our clients with the best and most effective advertising solutions by creating engagement for jewellery brands across the Diamond Buzz audience.

Newsletter

By entering your email address, you consent to receive our latest news and exclusive offers. You may withdraw your consent at any time. Please read our Privacy Policy for more details.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Contact
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Settings
  • Instagram
Copyright © 2018 - 2023 Diamond Buzz. All Rights Reserved.
Cressida Pro by LyraThemes.com

We use cookies on our website to personalise your user experience and analyse our website traffic. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of all the cookies.

Privacy Policy    Settings    Accept All

Cookie Settings

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are essential for the website to function properly. This category includes cookies that ensure the basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website, which help in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_ga_SGEW9HERE92 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analysed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo