Carat, Quality and What You Need To Know: The Diamond Engagement Ring

If you're in the position to drop some serious coin on a diamond engagement ring, then you at least have - however vague - a general idea about the world's most beautiful gemstone: the diamond. Don't be influenced by anyone who uses verbiage "only" when referring to diamond engagment rings, because a qualified jeweller will tell you there are many kinds of rings as your option. In today's diamond engagement ring market, you'll get to examine any carat (size) of diamonds. Size is important in diamonds - it definitely contributes to the price, but other factors weigh heavily, like quality of the stone, the number of inclusions (internal flaws) and blemishes (external flaws), the cut of the diamond as well as the type of metal you choose for the ring. Buying an engagement ring can be daunting sometimes, there are so many engagement ring styles and you will of course want to find the perfect one for your other half.

Seek an Expert’s Advice

No matter how much research you’ve poured into, online and in books and magazines, no matter how many friends you’ve consulted (“But they went through it, they bought diamond engagement rings”, you declare), no one will be able to truly offer you advice and sound explanations: except for an expert. And the way to find an expert is to shop at a reputable dealer. Look for certified diamond engagement rings by Serendipity Diamonds, which has a wide array of choices, including 14 types of solitaire diamond rings (including Canada Mark diamond engagement rings). Serendipity’s British-made jewellery is shipped to the U.S. in three to four weeks. The website also offers easy-to-search categories. In addition to the aforementioned solitaires, you can view by the number of diamonds in the ring and many different styles, including vintage, Halo, cluster and pink sapphire and diamond.

Round and Round

Of the many types of diamond cut, the most popular – by some 75% -- is the round diamond. By the nature of the circle-shape, the round diamond offers incredible light-reflection, for stunning, maximum brightness. Nearly all round diamonds are considered “brilliant-cut,” which is designated by the 58 facets (or 57 when there’s not a culet, the flat face on the bottom of the gem; it’s from the Latin, culus).The high demand for round diamonds means that they cost more than other shapes. 

When a craftsman begins with a rough diamond, more of the stone is lost when it is cut into a round shape. Each carat kept from the original rough stone can cost 25% to 35% more than other cut of diamond shapes. Round diamonds actually have a “cut guide” which includes the assessments for:

• Excellent

• Very Good

• Good Fair

• Poor

Breaking down

• Table percentage

• Depth percentage

• Crown Angle

• Pavillion Depth

• Girdle

• Culet

• L/W Ration

As well as a “colour guide” (interestingly, the colour preference of round diamonds is entirely on the consumer):

• <.50 ct.

• .51-1.0 ct.

• 1.0-2.0 ct.

• >2.0 carat

Comparing 2- to 3-carat round diamonds

A two-carat round diamond ring is 8.1 mm and a three-carat round diamond is s 9.3 mm. You can’t just ask for 2 and 3 carat round diamonds compared as there are too many variables. A two- carat diamond is the equivalent of 200 milligrams and a three-carat is 300 milligrams. The word carat comes from the carob bean because the bean is uniform in weight. And weight is the easy way to understand a diamond’s value. Diamonds are actually priced per carat, which, of course, can really vary based on the quality of the diamond (and how many inclusions and blemishes it has). 

You can calculate its price by comparing it to similar diamonds. For example, divide the selling price by the exact carat weight to determine the “per carat” cost of like gemstones. However – and critically -- there is not a standard price for a carat of diamond, which is then subsequently doubled when a diamond is two carats. The price of a diamond rises exponentially because the larger the diamond, the more rare it is. For example, one in one million diamonds are quality one-carat stones, but one in 15 million are two-carat diamonds, which cost between £3,260 and £32,000 on average. Three-carat diamonds range from less than £6,440 for the lowest quality to six-figures or more for the best quality. 

Now, armed with this information, you’re ready to take the next step.

This article is contributed by Mediabuzzer.