The 4C's stand for cut, clarity, carat, and color of the diamond. The cut is the shape of the diamond. The shape can be oval, round, princess which is a square shape, emerald which is more rectangular, and marquis which is pointed on either end. The cut is what determines the brilliance of the diamond. Some cuts give more facets to the diamond, which will allow more light to reflect. An emerald cut has the least amount of facets while the round cut has more.

A numerical and alphabetical scale measures clarity of a diamond. Clarity is really just the flaws that the diamond has. Every diamond except rare ones will have some type of flaw whether it is a nick, mark or a bit cloudy. Most diamonds in the jewelry stores are VS1 to S1 ratings these diamonds have small flaws, which cannot be seen even under a very strong magnification. Any diamond in the ?F? category is considered to be without any flaws and is very rare to find.

Carat is just the weight of the diamond. Yes, a large diamond might be impressive, but it may not have the color or clarity of a smaller diamond. Size does not mean you are going to get the best-looking diamond for your money. You may just have a large diamond without much brilliance.

The color of a diamond is also measured like the clarity with an alphabetical scale. The whitest diamond is a D-I, while a J-L rated diamond will be almost colorless. The farther down the scale you go the more yellow the diamond will become. Some people do enjoy wearing a large yellow diamond, but the most popular are the white or colorless.

Now, you must know something about what type of diamonds your favorite girl likes. Is she more into the size of the diamond, the color or the brilliance? All of this will help you find the perfect diamond ring. Now, make a list using her favorite part of a diamond. As an example, we will say that she would prefer a diamond with more clarity than size, she also desires a more colorless diamond than a yellow one and she prefers round to any other cut. Oh, now here is your list clarity, colorless or white, and round without much thought to the carat.

Okay, with list in hand go online or to your favorite jewelers. Ask about the diamonds with her specifications. Get more than one estimate on the diamond ring that you believe she will love. You should be able to find quite a few that are in your price budget without going to extremes and spending a years worth of paychecks. If you are shopping online and need to ask a few questions, there is no harm in picking up the telephone and calling the online jeweler. Just remember to compare. You do not have to buy the very first diamond ring you find.

No matter where you are planning on purchasing your diamond ring whether online or at one close to your home, it would be in your best interest to learn a bit about the jeweler. If you are searching locally, you can talk with family and friends to see if they have purchased from this jewelry. Learn how long they have been in business; check out the better business bureau, etc?. If you are shopping online, you can also do quite a bit of research. Look for forums and message boards that have information regarding jewelry stores online. You can also learn about them by finding out their actual address and do not purchase if you cannot verify their address. You should have more information than a P.O. Box and an 800-telephone number. You should feel very comfortable and trusting of the dealer that you are planning to purchase a diamond ring from.

Another important detail is to ask for a money back guarantee whether you are purchasing in person or online. Ask about their return policy, you should have at least 30 days to return the diamond ring, but sometimes the return policy may only give you around 2 weeks.

If you are in fact purchasing a certified diamond ring, you should also receive a grading report by a gemology organization like AGS or GIA. If you are receiving, a grading report be sure that you understand what grading report they are using. Many jewelers today use in house gemologist and their standard reports may not be the same as the above-mentioned organizations.

Finally yet importantly, once you purchase your diamond ring, have it appraised by an unbiased gemologist of you choosing.

All that is left is surprise your special lady with a diamond ring that she will enjoy and wear with pride.

If all else, fails and you still do not know what diamond ring is perfect for your lady, just take her browsing around a jewelry store. She is sure to point out some of her favorites and this would give you the opportunity to ask, ?Why do you like this diamond ring better than the one over there?? However, remember, if you take her into a jewelry store the element of surprise just went out the window. She will be expecting you to pop the question.