How to Buy a Natural Fancy Colored Diamond

Colored diamonds are a great choice for an engagement ring. A ring that has a brilliantly-colored stone captures the attention of all who see it. It's a particularly appropriate engagement ring for a woman who does not care for the traditional and prefers something a bit more unusual. Whatever your reasons, it's easy to buy a natural fancy colored diamond if you have the money (or credit) to do so.

Instructions

1. Consider the usual four Cs--cut, color, clarity and carat. While for most of these, the desirable qualities remain the same, you should pay particular attention to the color aspect when purchasing colored diamonds. A deep, rich color is considered better than a light or clear color.

2. Ask for the origin-of-color report from the Gemological Institute of America. This will let you know if the color is pure or if somebody enhanced the color.

3. Decide on a cut and setting. Some colored diamonds go well with yellow gold while others look better with white gold or platinum. Decide what you like and have the jeweler create the right ring for you.

4. Purchase the ring because you like it. You should never base your decision solely on how much a diamond or ring is worth. An engagement ring is a very personal choice and you should choose the ring that best matches your personality, even if it's "worth less" than other diamonds.

Tips & Warnings

• Compare several colored diamonds side-by-side to get a better idea of which one you like best.