Color and the value of diamonds

The next C that affect the value of a diamond is its color.

Colorless diamonds and richly colored diamonds (provided the color is natural and not enhanced in anyway) are the most valuable.

Diamond color is graded from D to Z. D being colorless. Z being the most strongly colored, like the canary diamonds, brilliant pink or the rich blue ones.

When buying investment diamonds, or diamonds for fine jewelry, colors D,E and F are the best. The whiter (more colorless) the diamond, the more brilliant it would be. Hence the colorless diamonds are valued more highly than those tinged with color.

Colors G,H,I and J are still great for fine jewelry. The barely there tinge is hardly visible and a platinum or white gold setting would make the diamond look whiter / brighter / colorless.

Color K,L and M may appear to have some yellowish tint. Acceptable in jewelry but should be cheaper than the higher grades in color.

The price of the diamond goes down as the color grades go further down the scale from D down to X. But the richly colored canary yellow diamonds, bright pink diamonds or blue diamonds, where the color is natural and very visible, are rare. The rarer the diamond, the greater its value, hence those diamonds are extremely valuable provided the color is natural.

I keep emphasising on natural coloring as diamond color can be enhances through irradiation to make it colorless or to deepen the color. Certification is important in determining its real value.

Here's more about the Color of a diamond and its value.

Clarity of a diamond

The next of the 4Cs in choosing a diamond is Clarity.

Diamond clarity refers to the purity of the diamond. Its flaws or flawlessness.

A truly flawless (FL) diamond is extremely rare and hence very costly. These are the ones you'd lock in a vault, whose value would appreciate greatly over time. Likewise, the internally flawless (IF) diamond, which is flawless on the inside but may have scratches on the outside, is very rare and is kept for investment purposes rather than worn as jewelry.

The diamonds used in jewelry usually have very very small inclusions. Flaws, specks of other materials, inclusions too tiny to be seen with the naked eye. The extent and visibiliy of these flaws affect the value of the diamond.

VVS diamonds, (Very Very Slightly Included diamonds) are used in costliest of the fine jewelry. These appear virtually flawless. It takes and expert eye and 10X magnification to see the flaws. VVS1 is costlier than VVS2.

Next come the VS1 and VS2 diamonds. The flaws can be seen through 10X magnification but not by the naked eye. These too are used in fine jewelry.

SI diamonds are much more affordable. A trained eye can see the flaws in a SI1 diamond without need for magnification. In SI2, or SI3, the flaws are more obvious. The diamond may appear cloudy or dark spots or at least, less brilliant because of these flaws. They may be used in jewelry, but should cost far less than the purer diamonds all other things being the same.

You can play around with the clarity of the diamond to get the best bang for your buck. Given a fixed budget, you could get a larger diamond that is SI2 or a purer, VVS1 diamond but sacrifice the size.

Know what she prefers. Is she a perfectionist who'd prefer a flawless diamond though it is small, or would she prefer the flash of a huge rock that has some flaws.

Whatever you do, make sure you only buy certified diamonds. That way, you know exactly what you are getting.

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Diamond Carat - What that means.

Carat is a unit of weight. It tells you how heavy a diamond is -- how large the diamond really is.

Most women who compare engagement rings would use size as the basis of comparison.

"My fiance got me a three carat diamond ring," says one.

"You lucky girl, he really loves you."
"He's so generous. He'll take great care of you."


Or

"Mine got me one that is 0.3 carats." says another

"Cheapskate."

Okay, not all women are that bad, but some are. Especially in circles where appearances really matter. The keeping up with the Joneses syndrome.

Frankly speaking, a woman who loves you accepts what you can afford. Maybe you'd want to spend more on the honeymoon, or save for the future together. She might not seem to mind it then, but later down the road, how might she feel.

As a rule of a thumb, 0.5 carat for the diamond on the engagement ring is the smallest regarded acceptable by most such women. 1 carat for the better off. 3 carats for the well off. For those dating a movie star, they'd expect the largest rock money can buy.

Visually, the size difference between a 0.49 carat diamond and a 0.5 carat diamond can't be discerned. Yet the price increase between 0.49 carats and 0.5 carats is much larger than the usual 0.1 carat increment. You could get her a 0.49 carat diamond instead.

She can pass of a 0.49 carat diamond as a 0.5 carat.
"Oh, it is about 0.5 carats."

Likewise, the price jump from a 0.95 carat and a 1 carat diamond is steep.

You can save substantially if you go for a diamond about 0.05 to 0.1 carat smaller than what she might expect.

Take a look at diamond prices and compare the prices yourself.

How to choose a diamond

When you go to a jewellery shop to buy a diamond, the marketing fella would probably tell you to pick the one that calls to you. The one that catches your eye. If you happen to pick an expensive one, he'd compliment you on your exquisite taste. Seems more smoke and mirrors to me.

To choose a diamond, go by the facts, not feelings. Look at the four Cs.

Carat, Clarity, Color and Cut. Diamonds are valued on these four factors.

For a good idea on the price range of diamonds of exactly the same size, take a look at these diamond prices.

Bookmark this page. I'll cover the four Cs in this blog over the next few days.

If you intend to buy a diamond ring, use this coupon and save.
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Choosing your engagement ring

Diamonds are beautiful and last forever. You want your marriage to last forever so diamonds are the gemstone of choice for engagement rings.

Your relationship is special. Unique. Likewise, personalize your engagement ring by designing your own. Every diamond is unique. Pick one for her and a setting she'd like and this store would put them together to give you your unique engagement ring.

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Before you begin, what is your budget?
Would she prefer a fancy band and a cheaper diamond, or a plain band and a more expensive diamond, or can you afford the most elaborate band in the store and a huge, stunning diamond to match.

Next, choose the diamond. The 4Cs, Carat, Color, Cut and Clarity determines its cost. If size is the only thing that matters, then go for the highest Carat diamond but for lower grades in color, cut and clarity.

If she is a perfectionist and perfection matters, you could sacrifice the size (carat) for the clarity (flawlessness) of the diamond.

Here's where you can Create your own diamond engagement ring

romantic ways to propose

When you propose, you'd want to make a wonderfully romantic impact.

So how do you go about with your proposal?

A romantic way is to whisk her to a romantic place where the two of you spend some sizzling time together, after which you present her a diamond ring and a bouquet of long stem red roses.

That would be wonderful.

There's no need to over analyze your proposal. Say it straight from your heart. A woman appreciates honesty. If you love her and she loves you, when you actually ask her to marry you, it will be romantic. If she doesn't love you, no matter what you do, it wouldn't be romantic.

If you love each other, you could propose to her under a pile of rubble during an earthquake and it would still be romantic. Just tell her how much she means to you and that you want to spend your life with her.

Romantic is - a love that lasts a lifetime. Can you promise her that? Being faithful to her and not cheating on her? If you can, tell her so. Now, that would be romantic.

Valentine's day engagement ring

Proposing on Valentine's day?
Roses, wine, a romantic date and a heart shaped diamond to celebrate the occasion.

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