So many times I get a desperate and confused buyer that doesn't know what diamond grading is.  All he or she knows is that they want a diamond that looks good.  When they plop her hand down in front of family and friends they want to be proud of their purchase.  Here are the important things to remember when buying from the Internet.

The diamond industry has confused the buyer with lots of terms that mean nothing to most of them.  They are important terms necessary to regulate the industry but the average buyer doesn't understand them.  Sure, a VVS-1 diamond is almost perfect and worth much more than the I-1.  But what does that mean and what is the difference?  More importantly would any one notice the difference?

I know these terms have been printed a million times but for your reference, I am going to list the cuts, colors and clarity of diamonds again.

CUT                                      COLOR                                                        CLARITY
Round                               DEF-Colorless                              IF           Internally flawless
Princess                            GHIJ-Near colorless                     VVS-&2 Inclusions difficult to see under 10x
Oval                                 KLM-Faint yellow                                        magnification
Pear                                 NOPQR-Very light yellow             VS-1&2 Inclusions present less difficult to see
Marquise                          STUVWXYZ-Light brown                           under 10x magnification
Heart                                                                                     SI-1&2  Inclusions easy to see with10x mag-
Asscher                                                                                                nification but not the naked eye
Cushion                                                                                  I-1-        Inclusions difficult but visible to see
Radiant                                                                                                 with the naked eye
                                                                                              I-2         Inclusions obvious with naked eye.                                                                                                             Affects the beauty and brilliance.                                                                                               I-3          Inclusions have a  shattering or                                                                                                             disfiguring effect. 

So, what is the most important thing to consider when buying your diamond?

This is almost totally a personal choice.  But if cost is the OTHER "C" in your diamond buying decision then consider this.  If no one can see the inclusions but a jeweler with a loupe, then why would you pay extra money for a diamond with better clarity?  Unless you want the satisfaction of knowing that you have the best that money can buy, you will achieve the same look without the expense if you sacrifice a little clarity.  If your goal is to impress the non-expert then an SI-2 will do the trick.  You may even be able to get away with an I-1 if the inclusions are small or white.

The same principle applies to color.  If no one can tell the difference between a G and a J without a loupe, why pay more for it?  In fact, unless you sit the ring next to another diamond that is whiter, no one will be able to tell the color until you get into the middle to lower part of the alphabet.

Now, I am not trying discount the beauty and quality of a VVS/ D diamond.  They are stunning!  But if you are the average person, wanting a good looking diamond without having to take out a second mortgage on your home or sell a kidney, stay above an I-1 and a J and you should have a diamond you will be proud to display.

But if it is important to you that you have the very best then by all means, get the best diamond you can afford.