D is for Diamond!

People get so over complicated when buying diamond engagement rings...
Honestly that is not the most complicated thing to do. Just decide how much you want to spend. Now personally I prefer a bigger shinier stone, and I know that is where people get confused with the price. 
But … How much should I spend, you ask?
Well, if you are part of the so called “top 1%” then you don’t have to worry, just go to Tiffany’s and pick the one you like. Done!
But if you are just a working class Joe, then I’d say about 2k or 2100 will get you a decent stone, *bear in mind that the actual ring you will set this stone in, it can be an extra 200 - 500 bucks.
And then find the right balance of carats, color, imperfections and cut… Sounds complicated but it’s not, usually you will compromise carats first. Go from 0.5 to as close as you can get to 1.0 which it does not necessarily mean a bigger or smaller stone it will just mean that the stone is heavier, but yeah you will see a slight change in size…
Then compromise the color. It won’t matter that is not a perfect white stone as long as it’s not flat out yellow, if the imperfections are minimal to none existent and the cut is as perfect as you can afford then a teeny tiny hint of yellow won’t do any harm.
But if you want a perfect white, then compromise the imperfections, by imperfections they mean very very small spots inside the diamond; it’s like the diamond’s birth marks. Some people will compromise the cut for a flawless diamond, but a badly cut diamond won’t shine as bright.
It can have all the “imperfections” and it can be yellow but a perfectly cut diamond will shine no matter what. That is the whole point of a diamond. SHINING!
Last but very important… certify your diamond! Spend that extra 300 bucks it will be worth it.

Don't know why I felt the need to explain this, historical context I guess.








*This will only apply if you are buying the diamond and the ring separately which is the long way around it but all thing being equal, take the shorter rout and buy the ring WITH the stone included, same principles of the stone selection apply, remember the diamond is the most important part of the ring.