Guide
Small but mighty: how to cheat yourself taller
by Vanessa Kim
Carat guide for high-carats
26.9.2019
Translation: machine translated
You want to propose to your better half? I'll tell you what values really count in a diamond and what the shape of the finger has to do with it.
You or he said yes? Then congratulations. The first hurdle has been overcome. For everyone else who still has to get down on one knee (immediately), I'll explain what's important when buying a diamond. The term carat is used to define the value of a gemstone. An often misunderstood unit that stands for the weight of the diamond, but not necessarily for its size. Excuse me? Yes, you read that right. Two diamonds with the same carat value are not the same size. The difference is made by the combination of weight, colour, cut and clarity: the four C's.
For weighing, the diamond must be free of any dirt particles, as these distort the weight. When reading the carat value, it is never rounded up or down. To prevent the decimal point from becoming immeasurable, round up the third nine after the decimal point.
The four C's
1. cut: Stands for the cut. The more precise the cut, the more effective the diamond and the higher its value. A well-proportioned gemstone reflects light like a mirror. A clean cut ensures optimum brilliance. Another advantage: the sparkle makes the diamond appear larger to the human eye.
2. colour: This value stands for the colour of a diamond. The more transparent the diamond, the higher its value. The colour scale of a colourless diamond ranges from transparent to light yellow. There are also diamonds in colours such as pink, black or yellow.
3. Clarity: This is about the clarity. The fewer foreign bodies or inclusions in the stone, the higher its price. A diamond is only loupe-clean if an expert cannot detect any flaws when magnified ten times with a special diamond loupe.
4. Carat: The unit describes the weight. One carat corresponds to 0.2 grams. Instead of grams, there is a point system that is used for stones under one carat. One carat corresponds to 100 points and one half carat to 50 points. For weighing, the diamond must be free of any dirt particles, as these distort the weight. When reading the carat value, it is never rounded up or down. To prevent the decimal point from becoming immeasurable, round up to the third nine after the decimal point.
For engagement rings, quarter, half or one-carat stones are often used. A one-carat ring with a poor cut and a less than flawless appearance can be cheaper than a perfect half-carat ring. And contrary to popular opinion, it is not the size that ultimately matters: Much more important than the stone itself is that the ring fits when you propose. It shows your sweetheart how much she or he means to you. However, if they are only after your money, then the size of the stone is more important to them.
These tricks make a diamond look bigger
Setting: If you opt for the halo setting, the diamond will appear almost 0.5 carats larger. In this setting, the centre diamond is surrounded by smaller round brilliant-cut diamonds.
Wearer: The size of the hands plays an important role in the purchase: the narrower the fingers, the smaller the diamond can be. A one-carat diamond looks disproportionately large on narrow fingers.
Shape: Drop-shaped and oval gemstones look larger than an equivalent brilliant-cut diamond.
Price issue: There is a magic price limit for diamonds, which results in high price jumps. A one-carat diamond, for example, costs a lot more than a 0.95-carat gemstone - the difference in size is invisible to the naked eye. So if you have to watch your budget, save yourself the 0.05 carat and invest the savings in your honeymoon instead ;-)
Here you can find all diamond rings. You can follow my bundled buying guides by clicking on the button at my author profile.
When I’m not exploring the depths of the sea as an open water diver, I enjoy plunging into the world of fashion. On the streets of Paris, Milan and New York is where I keep my eyes peeled for the latest trends. And I’ll show you how to take them from the catwalk to your everyday life.
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