Diamond Quality:

Your second step in finding the right diamond is to decide on the basic 4 Cs:
Cut,
Color,
Clarity, and
Carat Weight.
Personal Note to my Readers:[This is probably the most popular page in this tutorial. It helps you make the best decisions in a fraction of the time it would take you on your own, or on any other website I know, for that matter. This one article will teach you everything you need to know (about the basic 4 Cs at least), without wasting time with details you don't need. Most sites try to impress you with their knowledge. Do you have time for that? I prefer to help people get right to the point. Yes I know diamonds, very well indeed, to any detail you care to discuss. But I prefer to make it easy for you, just like I would for my friends, rather than bore you with fancy footwork. If you want all the details, I will be here for you. But if you are like most savvy, busy people, this one article will save you many hours of research and agony. Enjoy!]
Decide on CutThe Cut actually refers to two separate aspects of a diamond's appearance: 1) shape, and 2) quality of workmanship.
===== Shape ===== Popular diamond shapes include Round, Marquise, Princess, Radiant, Pear, Oval, Emerald, and Heart.
Choose two shapes if possible and write them on your checklist. There is only one way to find out what she wants in this regard -- ask her. But if you're sneaky, you can find out by having her best friend ask her discreetly and tell you. Either way, you should definitely find out about this before you buy...because some women are very attached to certain diamond shapes. If you like to live dangerously (though we do not recommend it in this case), you could pick one of the most popular shapes to increase your odds of picking her favorite. The most popular shapes this year in our experience, in order, are: Round brilliant, Princess, EmeraldLearn more about shapes.===== The Make -- Quality of the Cut ===== It is extremely important to learn about the make of a diamond for three reasons: 1) the make varies greatly from one diamond to another2) the make determines over 90% of the beauty of a diamond3) a concise grade for the make is not included on most diamond certificates, including the GIA diamond grading reportIf you want perfection regardless of cost -- go for the Ideal Cut.If you want quality and beauty -- go for very good to excellent make.If you want a larger stone for your money -- go for good make.If you want the lowest grades -- we don't recommend fair to poor makes for engagement rings due to a noticeable lack of brilliance and fire (even when color and clarity are very high).Learn more about diamond makes, and how diamonds are faceted.
We will go into more detail about this in step four: How to Read a Certificate and Go Beyond the 4 Cs.