Engagement Ring Advice for Men Only

Color: D color is the ?whitest,? rarest diamond color, and costs the most. E, F, G, and H, I, and J are the colors most used for diamond solitaires. The further one goes down the alphabet, the more a yellowish tone is present. As long as she loves the look and brilliance of the stone, your choice will be acceptable.

Clarity: Flawless is the rarest, most expensive clarity grade. VVS 1 and 2 (very very slightly included) and VS1 and 2 (very slightly included) have no eye-visible flaws, and are the grades most often used for solitaires. However, the SI (slightly included) and I (included) grades frequently have no visible flaws, or flaws that would be hidden by the mountings.

Cut: Many experts believe that the cut is the most important of the 4Cs. Two diamonds of the same shape, color and carat weight can look dramatically different to the naked eye. One can look brilliant and scintillating, while the other looks dull and lifeless. The difference is that the brilliant stone has been expertly cut so the light entering the stone reflects off the internal facets and is directed back through the table (or top of the stone). With poorly cut stones, the light enters the stone and is reflected out the sides or bottom.

Carat: A carat is simply the weight of the stone. There are 100 points in a carat, and a carat weighs exactly .02 grams.