Buying a diamond can be an exhilarating but daunting adventure, especially if you're a newbie.If I could offer only one piece of advice it would be this: Learn as much as you can about
4Cs before you go shopping.
For uninitiated, that's cut, color, clarity and carat weight. And I like to add one more - common sense.
Choosing perfect diamond (and there's no such thing as "perfect" diamond, although a few have come close) is as much a matter of personal taste as it is a matter of diamond's characteristics.
Some couples are willing to forego quality for size, others prefer brilliance of a flawless blue-white diamond over a larger stone with less clarity.
You be judge - but not until you're clear about those characteristics I mentioned. I suggest you read our Diamond Buying Guide, or go to one of quality online jewelers such as www.bluenile.com or www.mondera.com.
Talk to any jeweler and they'll all give you a different opinion as to what they believe is most important quality of a diamond.
According to Mayer Herz, Vice President of Diamond Acquisition at Mondera.com, "Cut is most important consideration if you're on a budget. You can make up for low color and clarity if stone is well cut."
However, Joseph Schlussel, Publisher of Diamond Registry Bulletin, says "I personally believe that color is most important thing. Most people who go into a store today, they are told about cut. But I look at what you can see with a naked eye. I would put cut last, because most people can't see it."
The safest all-round bet is to look for overall "package", with levels of cut, clarity, color and size as good as you can get for price you're willing to pay.
