The cut of a diamond is the most important factor to consider when determining which diamond ring to buy. Essentially, the only way to determine which of two identically priced diamonds is the best bargain is to know the rating of each stone’s cut. A diamond’s brilliance is determined by the way it refracts and reflects light, therefore, the meticulousness of every cut made in a diamond, carries great weight. Failure to reflect light back to the surface of a diamond is caused but cuts which are too shallow or too deep, thus allowing light to escape the opposite side or the bottom.  These are marks of a poorly cut diamond. A diamond that is well-cut, which is one with the correct number of facets and precision angles in good proportions, will allow light to bounce off all if its sides without losing any of it, before finally reflecting it back through its top.

When people say that diamond rings have ‘good’ color, it is not the same as the bright, bold, colors that you might think of. The most desirable diamond rings are actually referred to as being colorless, but these are both very rare and very expensive. At the other end of the scale are yellow diamond rings, which are much more common and affordable. The clarity, or inner characteristics of a diamond, can only be established with a jeweler’s microscope. The tiny ripples, specks, and indentations on the inside of a diamond are imperfections that are called inclusions. A diamond that has less inclusions will be more expensive, but, if you choose a stone with a good color and cut, a slightly included stone will look just as attractive as a diamond that has no imperfections at all.

Carat is the unit of weight for diamonds, with diamonds under one carat weight being discussed in terms of ‘points, with 100 points equal to one carat. Diamond prices for a bunch of smaller diamonds equaling one carat, will be much less than the price of a single stone weighing one carat. Knowing the “per carat cost” of a diamond will give you the true diamond price and a high carat weight diamond may appear impressive. The clarity, cut, and color of a diamond will have to be analyzed in order to determine a diamond’s actual value, with a large carat weight being of secondary concern.