How to Buy a Diamond: Is Clarity or Color More Important?
Diamonds are graded according to the four "C's:" carat, color, clarity and cut. Carat is a measure of weight that relates to size. Color is a measure of how white, or devoid of color, it is. It also describes the vividness of fancy colored diamonds like yellow, pink, or blue. Clarity is a measure of how "clear" or devoid of flaws or inclusions it is. Cut describes how well the diamond is faceted and proportioned, which determines how much fire and sparkle a diamond has. When buying a diamond, it can be hard to determine which "C" is more important, especially between color and clarity. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Decide your budget and carat weight. The four "C's" are a sort of balancing act---no one needs a perfect diamond. A diamond that is rated G near colorless that is slightly-included SI clarity will face up to the naked eye as well as a similarly-sized and cut diamond that is D colorless, F flawless.
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Decide on the metal for the mounting. White gold or platinum, since it has no color, will show the yellowishness of a faint color diamond so color matters more. The very same faint color diamond could appear whiter in when placed in a yellow gold setting.
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Determine which shape diamond you want. Emerald-cut diamonds have fewer facets than most other diamond shapes like round or princess cut. Because of this, emerald-cut diamonds have to be clearer than other diamond shapes. You may choose to sacrifice on color in an emerald-cut to get the clarity.
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Determine the style of the mounting. A solitaire shows off the diamond without any distractions. If a diamond has very obvious inclusions like a big frosty area or black specks, it may be more noticeable in a solitaire than in a setting that has more detail in it or side stones. In the case of a solitaire, giving up a little on color to get greater clarity may be your better choice.
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Match your side stones, if you have them in your mounting. If your side stones are very white and your center diamond is not, your center stone will look dingy. With all the distraction from the side stones, a few small inclusions in the center stone will not be as noticeable if your center stone is as white as your side stones.
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Tips & Warnings
* In order to get both color and clarity, you can always drop a little bit on the carat weight. The larger the stone, the less of a difference 10 points or so on weight make, since the weight is spread out over the entire diamond. The size difference between a quarter carat and a half carat diamond is dramatic, but the size difference between a one carat and a one and a quarter carat is not that noticeable.
* The "C" that you should sacrifice least on is cut. A well cut diamond will jump out at you and can be seen from across the room. A larger poorly cut diamond that has no sparkle does not compare as well for overall impact. A lively well cut stone can also be so dazzling that it makes inclusions less noticeable overall and the brightness can mask a slight yellowish tinge.
