Educational & Guidances

When buying a diamond it is very easy to get carried away. Before you begin shopping determine a budget. Only you can decide what amount is comfortable for you. Remember - Diamonds are expensive and for this reason you need to know how to choose the best diamond for your money.

1. Set a budget - don't start looking for a diamond before you have set a budget. Setting a budget will allow you to quickly focus on the diamonds available at your price range.

2. Know the 4C's - Over the years, diamond professionals have developed standards for comparing and evaluating diamonds. These standards are better known as the 4C's - Carat Weight, Color, Clarity, and Cut - which, together, affect the appearance and value of the diamond. A diamond's value is influenced by its rarity. Before purchasing your diamond you should take time to learn what characteristics influence a diamond's value. Only then can you decide which of the 4C's - Carat Weight, Color, Clarity, and Cut - are most important to you. Strive for a stone that offers the best combination of the 4C's.

3. Choose the shape that pleases you - Today's most popular shape is the "brilliant cut", but diamonds come in many appealing shapes. Do not confuse this with Cut. The Cut of the diamond pertains to its proportioning and light performance. The finer the Cut, the more brilliance the diamond will possess. And, after all, that's what you want from a diamond, isn't it?

4. Choose your diamond's color - Remember, the difference in color is minute but the price is not.

5. Choose the clarity - Most diamonds have blemishes and inclusions. These inclusions are what makes your diamond unique. Diamonds are grader under 10 power magnification, so you might think twice before paying for better clarity that can't be seen with the naked eye. Large inclusions (from I1 quality and below, typically) can affect light performance.

6. Carat weight - Obviously everyone strives to purchase as large a diamond as possible. Remember, a large diamond is not always a beautiful diamond. Make sure you haven't compromised too much on the other 3C's before selecting your diamond. Be especially careful on the diamond's cut. A poorly cut diamond loses its fire and brilliance, therefore looking more like a piece of glass.

7. Diamond Cut - Cut has the biggest impact on the beauty of diamonds and sometimes least amount of difference in their price compared to color, clarity, and carat weight. The cut of a diamond addresses the symmentry, polishing, angles, and the proportions of each physical aspect of the diamond.

8. Diamond Certificate - Diamond certification is essential when you're buying a diamond. Although many diamonds look the same, not all of them are going to be of the quality you might like. Diamond certification is the written proof of a diamond's attributes. Without it, you have no assurance that the diamond you are buying is of the quality you're paying for. With it, you know the precise grading for each of the 4C's - Carat Weight, Cut, Color, and Clarity - and, therefore, the diamond value.

All My Diamonds uses the following certificates:

• GIA - Gemological Institute of America (GIA), set the standard for diamond grading and gemological identification, and their grading system serves as the international gem and jewelry industry's benchmark credentials.
• EGL - European Gemological Laboratory (EGL), is recognized worldwide for providing gemological certification and for conducting advanced research with physicists, geologists, and mineralogists. This dual focus has earned the EGL international prestige from both the gemological and scientific communities.

Size Your Finger

First Way

The best and accurate way to determine ring size is to have your finger professionally measured with a ring in the same millimeter (mm) width as the ring you are considering purhcasing. Many of our customers have found that trying on wedding bands in different widths is the easiest way to determine their exact ring size.

Some customers have found ring sizer to be helpful guide to determine ring size. In order to print the ring sizer on this page, be sure that your printer is set to 100%. In other words, make sure that you have not reduced the print size in 'page set up'. You can verify that the sizer printed correctly by measuring it with a ruler; it should measure from left to right: 3 3/8 inches.

Once you have printed the sizer, you may cut it out and use it to try the following directions to find your ring size:

1. Wrap a piece of loose string around your finger. Be sure to allow for the size of your knuckle.

2. With a pen, mark the point on the string where the ends meets.

3. Using the chart, place the end of the string on the left hand line next to the letter "A" and stretch the string along the sizer towards the numbers.

4. The pen mark on your string should line up with a number to indicate your ring size.

Below is a chart of ring sizes for the convenience of our international customers:

Second Way

Click here for Ring Sizer.pdf to learn other ways of sizing your finger. 

For more information, take a quick tutorial on the ₄C's at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA)