How To Choose An Engagement Ring, Part 1

• Choosing an engagement ring diamond
• Selecting the right engagement ring metal
• Choosing an engagement ring design

Step 1: Choosing An Engagement Ring Diamond

Before you can select an engagement ring diamond, you will need to have a basic understanding of the diamond grading system. Generally, diamonds are graded according to the "4 Cs" - Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat. For more information on what these terms mean, look at all about the diamond grading system. The most important thing when specifying the diamond(s) for your engagement ring is to select a diamond with the highest rating in all 4 categories for your budget. For instance, it would not make much sense to sacrifice the cut, clarity, and color just to get a slightly larger carat size. So try to balance the "4 Cs" when shopping for an engagement ring and make sure to ask your jeweler about the specific grade of the diamonds they are offering. The tables below provide a basic explanation of Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat.

Table 1. Clarity
Symbol	Name	Description
F	Flawless	Free from all inclusions/blemishes
IF	Internally Flawless	No inclusions visible at 10x magnification
VVS1	Very Very Slightly Included 1	Inclusions that are extremely difficult to locate at 10x
VVS2	Very Very Slightly Included 2	Inclusions that are very difficult to locate at 10x
VS1	Very Slightly Included 1	Minor inclusions that are difficult to locate at 10x
VS2	Very Slightly Included 2	Minor inclusions that are somewhat difficult to locate at 10x
SI1	Slightly Included 1	Noticeable inclusions that are easy to locate at 10x
Sl2	Slightly Included 2	Noticeable inclusion that are very easy to locate at 10x
I1	Included 1	Obvious inclusions. Somewhat easy to locate with the unaided eye
I2	Included 2	Obvious inclusions. Easy to locate with the unaided eye
I3	Included 3	Obvious inclusions. Very easy to locate with the unaided eye

Table 2. Color
GIA Symbol	Color
D E F G H I	Colorless (White)
J K L	Near Colorless (White)
M	Faint Yellow
N,O,P,Q,R	Very Light Yellow
S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z	Light Yellow

Table 3. Cut
Fine cut Fig 1. The Fine diamond cut is considered the ideal cut due to the way that it refracts light without losing a significant portion of its brilliance.	Heavy cut Fig 2. A Heavy cut loses light through the sides of the diamond.	Shallow cut Fig 3. The most common cut is the Shallow diamond cut (approximately 95% of all diamonds). This cut loses light through the bottom of the diamond.

What is a Carat?