So, the time has come for you to propose and what better way to do so than with a diamond? Finding the perfect diamond for diamond engagement rings can be a very hard task indeed. There are some things you should look for when selecting a diamond. They are known collectively as the 4 C’s and these are clarity, colour, cut and carat.

Let us first look at carat. One carat is equal in weight to 0.2 grams in gemstones. Only 5% of all commercially sold diamonds weigh at least one carat and this means that buying a diamond weighing one carat or above is much more expensive than diamonds weighing less than a carat. The carat weight of a diamond has absolutely no affect on the overall clarity and quality of a diamond, but should be taken into account when considering price.

Second for consideration is the colour of a diamond. The colour of a diamond is determined by how white to yellow the diamond is. The scale for measuring this is ranked from D to Z. The Letters D to F indicate that the diamond is colourless; G to J indicates the diamond is near colourless; K to M indicates the diamond is a faint yellow in colour; N to R graded diamonds are classified as being a very faint yellow; S to Z are light yellow and Z plus diamonds are classified as being a fancy colour.

Thirdly, when buying a diamond, you must consider clarity. This lets you know how many inclusions are in the diamond. Inclusions are imperfections which can be seen within the diamond. Obviously, a flawless diamond is completely free from inclusions. The clarity scale is as below:

FL - Flawless
IF - Internally Flawless
VVS1 - Very Very Slightly Included 1
VVS2 - Very Very Slightly Included 2
VS1 - Very Slightly Included 1
VS2 - Very Slightly Included 2
SI1 - Slightly Included 1
SI2 - Slightly Included 2
I1 - Included 1
I2 - Included 2
I3 - Included 3

Finally, the cut of the diamond must be considered. The cut of the diamond will be determined by how much light the diamond reflects, so is a very important consideration. Cuts are graded as the following; Excellent, Well, Shallow, Deep, Too Shallow and Too Deep with excellent being the best and too shallow and too deep being the worst.