Expert Advice on Picking the Right Diamond for Valentine's Day

Diamonds are a woman’s best friend, but only the perfect diamond will last a lifetime. Purchasing the right diamond on Valentine’s Day for your partner usually is one of the happiest but most stressful moments at the same time. You are about to show how much you love, care, and appreciate the most wonderful person in your life - the woman you love.  Why is choosing the right diamond so stressful? We speak to Saagar Mehta from Infiniti Jewels to know more about the cut, colour, clarity and carat of a diamond.

Image Credits: Infiniti Jewels

Many individuals think that picking a diamond is easy and that only one or two variables are important when choosing the perfect stone. We are quickly rounding up the most important variables to help you pick the perfect rock this Valentine’s Day. It’s all about balancing the 4C’s to what makes sense for you and your budget. So what are the 4C’s?

CUT

The most common mistake people make is that they think that a diamond’s cut simply refers to its shape, and not the sparkle that shines from the diamond. The cut determines the amount of light that enters through the top and reflects down and back up. The sparkle that shines from the diamond is one of the main differentiation between a diamond and cubic zirconia. The cut grade is one variable that you should never compromise on.

COLOUR

The colour range, also known as the Normal Colour Range, for diamonds are based upon the alphabetical letters, starting with D. The colour range is from D colour, which is the most transparent (white), all the way down to Z (Light Yellow). The higher the colour, the rarer the diamond is, which translates it to be more expensive in most cases. Many of the Jewelers keep commercial colours in their store that can be afforded by most buyers. Commercial colours fall from G to M colour. If you are looking for a transparent colour that fits within your budget, your best bet is going for an F colour.

CLARITY

Clarity refers to the natural marks or inclusions inside a diamond. The most common inclusions in a diamond are - Feathers (these look like small cracks), Crystals (small crystalline inclusions inside the stone that occurred when the diamond was being formed) and Clouds (these are a group of very tiny inclusions that give a cloud-like appearance).  Professionals use the clarity scale which ranges from FL (flawless), IF ( Internally Flawless), VVS1-VVS2 (very very slight inclusions), VS1-VS2 (very slight inclusions), SI1-SI2 (slight inclusions), and I1-I3 (Inclusions).

CARAT

It is the weight and size of the diamond. Even though this is normally seen as one of the most important variables for a lady, it is, in fact, one of the least important variables when analysing a diamond’s beauty. The higher the carat weight, the rarer the diamond is, which translates it to be more expensive.

Now that you've got a professionals perspective and guidance on the most important variables of a diamond. You are fully equipped in making the right choice. Just remember that when picking the perfect diamond, the carat weight is the least important factor that brings out the brilliance of a diamond. Quality should be the main focus, and you can achieve this by focusing on the perfect cut that is within your budget.