colorless one-carat diamonds, and, of course, that's what you'll want to purchase. However, the price tag could run as high as 12 months' salary, so try to keep your head.
The more you spend doesn't mean the more you love her
. Don't let anyone put you on this guilt trip!
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Are the four Cs visible to the naked eye?
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A diamond's size, measured in carats, is obvious to the naked eye, of course, as is the diamond's cut, which is the number and shape of the facets. When light reflects off the facets of a diamond, there should be a brilliance of constantly changing colors and intensities. The cut should "knock your eyes out," in other words. The other Cs, clarity and color, are more subtle qualities. In fact, it is said that the true clarity and color of a diamond can only be seen when the diamond is magnified tenfold, and how many times is that likely to happen? The clarity is what you see or don't see deep inside the magnified diamond. There are very few flawless diamonds; most have small areas that look like tiny crystals or air bubbles when seen through a jeweler's eyeglass.
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Finally, when it comes to color, a diamond may be blue, yellow, brown, or even black, but the less color it has, the more valuable it is. It is said that colorless diamonds are as rare as flawless diamonds, but, like clarity, color is very difficult for the layman to detect. So, we're back to the two visible qualities: carat (size) and cut. Most of the women I've talked to say they would much rather have a large diamond that has a few "invisible" flaws than a smaller one that is closer to perfect, which brings me to an interesting experience I had recently. A jeweler displayed to me two diamond solitaire rings, each priced at $5,000. The one diamond, half-carat in size, was clear and flawless; the other was a carat and a half of lesser quality. He said the only way the average person could tell the difference between the quality of the two diamonds was to lay them side by
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