Diamond Buying 101

A diamond is one of the most important purchases a couple makes. Just like shopping for a home or a car, knowing what you want before you look will save you money and get you more for your budget. Our team works as a team, and no one is on commission. We want our customers to get what they want based on their needs, not what we want to sell you.

Diamond Shapes

While the most popular diamond shape is the round brilliant because of the diamond's classic brilliance, there is a rising popularity in the emerald and pear shapes as well.

Display of various diamond cuts labeled as Round, Princess, Cushion, Emerald, Radiant, Oval, Pear, Marquise, Asscher, and Heart.

The Four C’s of a Diamond

  • The cut refers not to a diamond shape but to a diamond's proportions, symmetry and polish. Cut is one of the most important things when considering a diamond purchase because the beauty of the diamond can depend on the cut.

    Cut overall impacts the way light travels through the diamond and creates the sparkle in the stone.

    Diamond cut has three effects on appearance:

    1) Brilliance- the brightness created by all of the white light reflections from the surface + inside of a polished diamond.

    2) Fire - the dispersion of light into the colors of the visible spectrum.

    3) Scintillation - the flashes of light and dark, or sparkle, when a diamond is moved.

  • Clarity is the rating of the internal and external quality of the stone. Stones rated with "I" have visible inclusions, but all stones rated "SI" or above have only internal inclusions that require a powerful magnifier to find.

    The grades are "I, SI, VS, VVS, IF".

    SI-1 tends to be the most popular in regards to price per clarity.

  • Diamonds are rated from D to Z.

    G through I is an average color range of where people purchase their diamonds. There are also fancier diamonds in many hues, but these tend to be more rare and at a higher price point.

    Stones in the D through F range are completely colorless.

    F through J is near colorless, and the grade range where you will find 90% of most good quality diamonds.

    As the grade goes from K to Z, the color gets yellower and finally brown.

  • Carat is the size of the stone.

    You have a lot of flexibility here to choose what fits your personality and overall budget for the piece. While this is a very personal choice, we typically see an average range of 1/2 to 2 carats for an engagement ring.

Diagram showing different sizes of diamonds, with the largest labeled as 1 Carat, and smaller diamonds labeled with fractions like 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 3/4, 1 1/2, and 2.
Comparison of four round cut diamonds showing their internal facets, fluorescence, and brilliance.
Illustration of a diamond ring with a round brilliant cut diamond, showing different angles and diamond clarity grades including FL and IF, and VS1 and VS2

In Store Experts at Your Service…

At Either Ore Jewelers Strawbridge, our certified GIA master jeweler and team are highly trained in order to assist you with your repair, custom design, or purchase.

So if you're purchasing a diamond for the first time, designing your wedding set, or repairing a pair of earrings, we will be there to guide you to make the best decision for your vision and budget.

A woman and man sitting at a table with glasses of champagne and a jewelry box, during a jewelry consultation.