Nothing says “Will you marry me” quite like a diamond engagement ring, however selecting which diamond is not just a matter of picking something which sparkles. Diamonds are categorized into four degrees of quality known as the four c’s. They are carat, cut, color along with clarity. The subsequent value and price of a diamond are dependent upon those features, which will in turn determine the absolute cost of the engagement ring.

The American Gem Society (AGS) has one a grading system to identify the level of the stone’s quality as evaluated by expert appraisers, and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) ultilizes a separate scale. Both of which give grades to three of the four features of a diamond – cut, color and clarity. The AGS assigns grades on a 0 to 10 scale. Lower numbers indicate a superior grade of diamond. The flawless diamond would have three grades of zero in addition to a higher figure for the carats indicating weight. GIA grading system for color range from D to Z, clarity commencing from FL to I3 and cut is rated between poor and excellent. The majority of jewelers will use either or both of the scaling systems.

Color and quality are two traits evolving naturally in diamonds. The less color in a diamond, the lower the numeral with which it is graded, among engagement rings yellow and pink diamonds are becoming more desirable. Diamonds without any color are ranked by the AGS grading system at 0, though the GIA’s scale has letter rankings with D as a diamond without color heading down the alphabet to Z which denotes very colorful diamonds.

The clarity of a diamond denotes the number of flaws inherent within the stone. These are known as inclusions. Their number and whether or not they can be seen within the rock reflect on the diamonds GIA and AGS grades. The eleven alpha-numeric ratings for clarity used by the GIA list the most superior diamonds as FL (flawless), VVS1 (very, very slight inclusion), VVS2, VS1 (very slight inclusion), VS2, S1 (slight inclusion), S2, I1(inclusion), I2, and I3. Like the other grades used by the AGS, the grading system to determine clarity is from 0 to 10 with 0 being a flawless rock and 10 one with many imperfections.

Many different styles of diamond cuts which abound, and unlike the color and clarity, the cut reflects directly on the skill of the artisan cutter. Due to the fact that there are several types of cut, you’ll find three quality rankings for a cut diamond by the GIA to determine the level of the cut: total light if the diamond reflects (brilliance), sparkle (scintillation), along with light dispersion (fire). These contribute to the most straightforward of gradings from the GIA: excellent, very good, good, and poor. The AGS employs a rank from 0 to 10 with 0 the best and 10 a poorly cut stone.

The diamond’s carat in an engagement ring is a unit that reflects the how much the stone weighs. For most engagement rings, diamonds have a weight of under one carat that equates to 0.2 grams. This weight is across the board and despite which ranking system the jeweler used, the weight of the carat remains the same. In most instances, the greater the size of the diamond, the more expensive the subsequent engagement ring is likely to be.

It is possible to used smaller diamonds in an engagement ring provided that you compensate with several other stones. The ring that your fiancée desires should drive your decision as diamonds might be a girl’s best friend, however a few ladies desire them on their engagement ring far more than the rest.

The above was written by Michael Crane who is a jewel specialist and past lawyer. His store showcases some of the finest jewelry austin texas has to offer for many years now. He helps clients throughout one of the most vital decisions of their life.