What carat weight should I choose?

When deciding on which carat size is best for you, there are many things to consider. First and foremost, however, are her expectations. Which of the Four C's does she value most? Is her heart set on a full one-carat, VVS clarity or perhaps D color? If you're not sure, ask a close friend or relative for advice. When determining carat it's also helpful to consider things such as her own personal style, her lifestyle, her finger size, and the limitations of the engagement ring.

Which clarity should I choose?

It is important to select a diamond that does not have any inclusions that will affect the overall beauty and durability of the diamond. If you want to be one hundred percent certain that your diamond will be completely clean of eye-visible inclusions, stick with diamonds graded VS2 or higher. Shopping for SI quality diamonds can be very rewarding, especially if you find one where the inclusions can be hidden by the prongs when setting the diamond. It's best to have those diamonds reviewed by our expert staff before finalizing your order. This will ensure you receive a diamond that does not have any inclusions visible to the naked eye. It is also a good idea to balance the clarity grade of your diamond with the color. If you are looking at diamonds in the D-F color range, focus on clarity grades of VS2 or higher. Diamonds in the G-I color range combined with SI clarity are excellent values.

Which color should I choose?

Most people find it very difficult (if not impossible) to tell the difference from one color grade to another. The difference in price, however, can be significant. The purists at heart will always demand diamonds in the D-F range. By selecting diamonds in the G-I range, however, you can find a tremendous value while still achieving a colorless look. If you are shopping on a budget or trying to maximize the size of your stone, then J diamonds are most affordable and still near colorless. You may also want to consider choosing a diamond with medium or strong fluorescence. Since these diamonds are discounted slightly in price you can often afford a higher color stone without paying the premium.

Learn about cut grade

When it comes to diamond cut, things can be a little confusing. Should you only consider Ideal Cuts? What about Premium Cuts? Are the Good Cuts good enough? To answer these questions it helps to understand how we categorize diamonds here on the Cassriel's Jewelers website.

Ideal Cuts are available mostly in our selection of round diamonds. If a round diamond has depth and table percentages that are within the most preferred ranges, as well as polish and symmetry ratings of either Very Good, Excellent, or Ideal, then there is a very good chance that diamond will be considered “Ideal”. When it comes to fancy shapes, (like princess, oval, emerald, etc.) there are very few stones that meet our Ideal qualifications. This is because only a small number of fancy shapes will have both a polish and symmetry rating of Very Good, Excellent or Ideal.  Please email or call us for details about specific “Ideal” cut diamonds.

Premium Cuts are diamonds that have great proportions (ensuring maximum light return), but may only have polish and symmetry ratings of Good. Our Premium diamonds are an excellent value and offer a broader selection of diamonds to choose from, especially in the fancy shapes.

Good Cuts are diamonds that may have a depth or table percentage outside of the most preferred ranges, but are still very fine choices for an engagement ring or other piece of fine diamond jewelry. These diamonds, for example, might have a slightly larger table than usual, or be cut a bit deeper than diamonds in our other categories. It is important to remember, however, that these stones are just outside the range - not way outside of the range, so you can feel confident that any diamond from our Good category will also have great brilliance and fire.