Diamond Ring

When choosing the diamond for your engagement or wedding ring, there are some few important factors that you should keep in mind.

These are the key characteristics of diamonds and the jewelers commonly called the 4C's, they are: Carat, Cut, Color and Clarity.

C-A-R-A-T

A diamond's size is measured in carat weight. One carat may also be referred to as '100 points'. The larger a diamond is the more costly it becomes. Since the larger diamonds are much rarer the cost will go up significantly with each increase in size. A one carat diamond will be more than just double the cost of a half carat, however, a ring with multiple diamonds that have a combined weight of one carat will be cheaper than single stone of that weight.

C-U-T

Bigger isn't necessarily better. A two-carat diamond that is cut poorly is not nearly as beautiful as a smaller diamond, cut by a skilled diamond artisan. Cut is perhaps the most important of the 4C's to consider. A well cut diamond - regardless of its shape, sparkles, has a more fire and offers the greatest brilliance. If a stone is cut poorly, it will appear less valuable because it will lack fire, scintillation, brilliance and, therefore, beauty.

People commonly refer to the shape of the diamond as the cut (round diamonds, princess cut diamonds, marquise cut diamonds, oval diamonds, pear-shaped diamonds, emerald cut diamonds, radian cut diamonds, hear-shaped and Asscher cut diamonds). But cut really is the craftmaship applied in cutting the facets of the stone.

C-O-L-O-R

Color is the natural body color visible in a diamond and is the one C determine completely by nature. As a rule, the closer a diamond is too colorless, the more valuable and beautiful it is. Diamond colors appear in a range. Color grades D, E and F are considered colorless, making them rare. However, even more rare than the colorless are the fancy colored diamonds. There are well defined colors that include pink, canary yellow, blue and green... highly priced, extremely rare.

C-L-A-R-I-T-Y

Clarity is an indication of a diamond's purity. When a rough stone is extracted from carbon, deep beneath the earth, tiny traces of natural elements are almost always trapped inside. These elements are called inclusions, though sometimes referred to as birthmarks, because they are formed naturally and are unique to each stone. A diamond without such characteristics is called flawless and is the rarest kind.

Reference: http://www.theleodiamond.com