How to Buy a Solitaire Diamond

You need to know the four C's to buy a diamond solitaire.

When purchasing a diamond solitaire, your main concern will be appraising the stone's four C's: color, cut, clarity and carat. These qualities are what make each diamond unique and significantly affect a stone's appearance and value.

Color

Choose the whitest diamond you can afford. The whiter the stone, the more valuable it is and the better it will sparkle. Colors are rated alphabetically, starting with the letter D (meaning colorless) and ending with Z (light yellow).

Cut

You want to buy a diamond with a superior cut. This means the stone is evenly proportioned with symmetrical facets that let light evenly pass through the diamond and reflect back out. This influences the ring's brilliance, or fire.

Clarity

Clarity refers to how many imperfections a diamond has, like tiny cracks, trace minerals and surface blemishes. Your goal is to buy a diamond that's as flawless as possible, which means that a gemologist can't see any imperfections, even when examining the stone with 10-times magnification.

Carat

Carat is the term that describes a diamond's weight and is the least important "C." Some people assume that the bigger the diamond, the better it is. But a white, flawless one-carat ring that's superbly cut is worth more than a two-carat solitaire that's yellow, flawed and poorly cut.

References

• Americandiamond.com: Buying Guide