Men's Guide to Buying Diamonds

Due to the diamond's popularity as the most precious of gems, ordinary people all over the world are acquainted with it and associate it with love, glamour, wealth and durability.

When it comes to the female gender, women are especially prone to its beauty and brilliance and covet their own piece of diamond jewelry. And nothing beats the thrill of getting a diamond as a gift of love.

That is when men come in. Although most men are familiar with the diamond, its shape and the sparkling image it conveys, when it comes to buying one, most of us don't have a clue.

But given its price tag, you might want to invest in research and stock up on your knowledge about diamonds before going to a reputable buyer.

Although the sales clerk can help you out, like most agents, they are out for a sale and will do anything to get you to purchase something.

You of course have the option of bringing your newly purchased diamond jewelry to an expert for an appraisal of its worth and quality, but rather than just trusting blindly, its best to go over a few key points in diamonds first.

Diamonds are usually appraised of its worth by the standards of the 4 Cs, which stand for cut, color, clarity and carat. There are difference diamond cuts, the most common of which is round.

A diamond's cut and proportion affect its overall appearance and brilliance, as a poorly cut diamond can have its light leak at the sides and the bottom.

Color, on the other hand, is graded from D (highest) to Z (lowest) and is based on how colorless the diamond is. Diamonds can be imbued with a yellowish, sometimes brownish or grayish hue, which lowers its quality.

Color grade D, which is the highest grade, is reserved for the colorless, although there are some diamonds, called fancies, that have bright red, green, blue, pink and purple colors, that are rare and expensive as well.

Clarity is defined by the amount of inclusions and blemishes inside a diamond, making it flawless or imperfect.

These inclusions, which aren't discernable to the naked eye, make each diamond unique, acting as a sort of diamond fingerprint.

Lastly, carat refers the diamond's weight and is equivalent to 100 points or one carat. These different factors affect the price of a diamond.

But it's not just important to learn about the gem itself. When buying jewelry for someone, especially when it is something as important and binding as a diamond engagement ring, it is also essential to be personal.

If you are one of those romantics who want to surprise their fiancée by going down on one knee and suddenly proposing, you have to get your details right so that you don't spoil the surprise with an incompatible ring. First, know her ring size.

Enlist a friend or relative to help if you don't know. Also, find out what type of setting she prefers. Choices are usually white gold, yellow gold, or platinum.


An engagement ring is a very personal matter that she will wear most of the time, so it's important that it suits her personality and preference.