I see that we need to do some diamond research before you make your decision.

Having worked as both a diamond cutter and a jewelry designer I've got special inside view on what the diamond world is really like. So I have put together several points for you to keep in mind while you are buying.

1. A diamonds value is dictated by its rarity. Though most rarity factors do not effect beauty as seen by the naked eye.
   
   
2. The rarity factor of "Diamond Cut" is the most important characteristic effecting the beauty of a diamond. The better the cut the more rare and beautiful your diamond will be.
   
   
3. The rarity factor of "Diamond Color" definitely effects price, but does nothing to effect beauty. However, you may find that you have a personal preference for a specific or range of colors.
   
   
4. The rarity factor of "Diamond Clarity" does not for the most part effect the beauty of the diamond except in the cases where the inclusions are eye visible.
   
   
5. The size of your diamond is characterized by two features. The most obvious of the two is its "Weight". Which is how much your diamond ways on a scale (you'll read more about this under "Diamond Carat Weight"). The less obvious feature is effect that beauty has on the appearance of a diamond size. The more beautiful a diamond is the larger it will appear.

On the next few pages you will see a black pyramid under each topic. These pyramids place diamond characteristics in priority by rarity. The more rare the characteristics the higher it is classified on the pyramid.

On each page you may click on each pyramid to see the full view.

Let me tell you this as a woman, not a diamond cutter. What is most important to me is, how well a diamond looks while I am wearing it. So I emphasize beauty over all factors. I have never met a person who wanted to wear a diamond that isn't beautiful. However, I do know there are some people who are emotionally hung up on besting someone else and its these people who fall into the salespersons trap. Unfortunately these people usually shop by price alone paying a little or a lot and they all end up wearing the same rare or large ugly high profit diamonds.

Let's move on to Diamond Carat Weight