When a guy starts shopping for a diamond engagement ring he usually has no clue about diamonds and what makes one better than the next. What he does know is that size does matter - and the bigger the diamond, the bigger the price tag! The size of a diamond is typically given by the "carat" weight. One carat equals 200 milligrams. The more it weighs, the more you pay.
But there's a whole lot more to getting a "big" diamond than just the carat weight. When I am judging how big a diamond is it isn't even the first thing I look at. What's more important is the "spread" of the diamond. Remember that term - Spread. It refers to the actual measurements of the diamond - more importantly, the diameter of the diamond. If you picture a circle in your head, the diameter is the measurement you get when you draw a straight line from one end of the circle to the other.
This is the key thing to look at when you are trying to judge the size of a diamond. Carat definitely plays a factor, but the spread of a diamond determines how big the diamond looks when she sees it. You could have a 0.92 carat diamond with a bigger spread than a 1 carat diamond. You would pay a good amount more for the 1 carat diamond, but it wouldn't look as big as the 0.92 carat stone. If you don't pay attention to this you could end up spending more than you need to.
In my diamond buying guide I talk about how to maximize the spread of a diamond without sacrificing any other quality aspects. I also show you how to make sure you don't buy a diamond that has a poor spread - you don't want to waste any of your hard earned cash. Hopefully it helps - you can find it at my website. If you are in the process of shopping for an engagement ring or any piece of diamond jewelry, make sure you pay close attention to spread. It's a critical factor that jewelers usually fail to mention.
Best of luck!
About this Author
Tom Mason is a diamond expert and specializes in finding his clients engagement rings at prices far below retail. His experience and expertise have led to the publication of the book The Ultimate Diamond Buying Guide - A guide that has helped people from around the globe find the perfect diamond ring at a great price.
Visit his website for more tips on saving money on your engagement ring purchase.
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