Shopping for an engagement ring is never easy. With a myriad of ring designs available at some of the best jewelry stores in Albuquerque, it should be quite perplexing and overwhelming to discover the perfect engagement ring for your future spouse. As you are reading this, you might already be in the process of scouring hundreds of Pinterest boards to find an ideal design. Perhaps this is one of the biggest purchases you will ever make, so you want to be absolutely sure that the money is well spent.
It's not just about the cost involved, but also about impressing your partner with a striking diamond ring. This expert shopping guide from one of the leading jewelry stores in Albuquerque will help you ease your search for the same.
So, What's the Secret? The 4Cs of Diamond!
Your choice should be based on the 4Cs, which is the official grading system applicable to diamonds. What are the 4Cs, you ask?
• Cut
• Carat
• Clarity
• Color
Here’s each one of them explained in detail.
1. Cut:
Cut is the most important factor of a diamond that you should look into. It represents the sparkle of the stone. If the cut isn't perfect, the light leaks from the pavilion facets to adversely impact the sparkle and brilliance of the diamond. On the other hand, a well-cut diamond will reflect the light just right, making it sparkly and elegant.
Cut is in fact the number one factor that influences the appearance of a diamond. Here are the different gradings provided to a diamond cut.
• Excellent: The diamond is perfectly cut with the right proportions, which will enhance the fire, brilliance, and sparkle in it.
• Very Good: Diamonds are cut quite impressively. They're slightly identical to the excellent grade diamonds, but pales in comparison when it comes to quality.
• Good: Good grade diamonds do give out some sparkle, but it wouldn't be perfect. You’ll see that the sparkle is inconsistent, thus making it a bad choice for engagement rings.
• Fair: Diamonds with fair cut grade won't be a good choice for center stones. They offer less brilliance as the light passes through the bottom and side portions of the diamond. That being said, these would be good to use as smaller side stones in a ring.
• Poor: Obviously, poor cut grade is the least attractive of them all. For the same reason, you wouldn't find them being sold at reputable jewelry stores.
2. Carat:
Carat is the measurement of the weight of a diamond. One carat is equal to 0.2 grams, the same weight of a paper clip. The larger the carat, the pricier the diamond will be. A lot of people are under the impression that carrot represents the size of the diamond, but that is not true.
According to Albuquerque diamond jewelers, no two diamonds are identical, and carat only reveals the actual weight of the stone rather than its size. Even if both the diamonds have the exact same carat weight, they will differ in size based on how they are cut. Depending on your preference and budget, choose your ideal carat weight.
3. Clarity:
Clarity refers to the number of imperfections present in a diamond. These are known as inclusions. Similar to cut, each diamond will have a specific clarity grading based on a number of aspects, such as the type, amount, location, and relief of the inclusions. The clarity gradings are as follows:
• Internally Flawless (IF) - The highest grading. Absolutely flawless, yet extremely rare.
• Very Very Small Inclusions 1 (VVS1) - Inclusions are invisible even under 10x magnification with a jeweler’s loupe.
• Very Very Small Inclusions 2 (VVS2) - Inclusions are not easily visible under 10x magnification.
• Very Small Inclusions 1 (VS1) - Inclusions are barely visible under 10x magnification. Requires a few seconds to spot them.
• Very Small Inclusions 2 (VS2) - Inclusions are nearly visible at 10x magnification.
• Small Inclusions 1 (SI1) - Inclusions are easily found at 10x magnification. Almost visible to the naked eye.
• Small Inclusions 2 (SI2) - Inclusions are clearly visible with a jeweler’s loupe. Highly likely to be visible to the naked eye.
• Inclusions 1 (I1) - Inclusions are more visible than SI2 inclusions.
• Inclusions 2 & 3 (I2, I3) - Lowest grade in clarity.
4. Color:
Next comes the color of the diamond. Diamonds are graded on a D- Z scale, with D referring to colorless diamonds and Z representing diamonds with a light-yellow hue. To know the color, turn the diamond face down and have the culet face up against a pure white surface. Colorless or “whiter” diamonds are usually preferable and the most expensive as well.
• D E F – Colorless
• G H I J – Near colorless
• K L M – Faint yellow
• N O P Q R – Very light yellow
• S T U V W X Y Z – Light yellow
The cost of the diamond can significantly vary based on the subtle differences in color and clarity. Talk to expert jewelers in Albuquerque, and let them know what you need. Based on the above factors, you should be able to find a diamond ring made just for you!