Properly Prioritizing and Maximizing Value

• Look for stones that "clear the eye", don't be overly focused on VVS or flawless.
• Focus on finding a stone that looks white to you, it doesn't have to be technically "colorless."

One of the first things couples learn about diamond grading is DEF, which means “colorless” and GHIJ, which means “nearly colorless.” And then there’s diamond clarity, which is abbreviated as VVS, VS, and SI. Some say clarity is more important than color, while others say color is more important than clarity. But in reality, you don’t need a flawless stone. Well, you don’t need colorlessness either. Instead, focus on visually comparing the color and clarity with your naked eye and determine what you can actually see. If you can’t see it, there’s no need to prioritize. Here’s an example of clarity:

The diamond on the left is a VVS1: a very rare, nearly flawless clarity. The stone on the right is a VS2: a gem with a few inclusions that are not visible without magnification. So without magnification, you can't see the inclusions in any of these stones. That's a $14,000 difference in these two-carat diamonds. Is it worth it?

Here is a color sample:

The diamond on the left is a D: the highest color you can get. The diamond on the right is a G: the top of the "nearly colorless" layer. There is a $9,000 difference between a D and a G in these two-carat stones. And there is no visible difference in these stones! Do you think this is worth $9,000?

THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED FROM THE STORY

Don’t over-focus on ultra-high color and clarity in a round engagement ring. A stone that appears white and has no visible inclusions will look almost identical to a colorless, flawless stone. Instead, focus on the cut; this is where you’ll see the biggest improvement in appearance.

Round Engagement Ring Mistake #2: Not Focusing on the Sparkle (Cutting the Shine) - Our Most Common Mistake

The cut of your round engagement ring is not just about its circular shape. The “cut” also refers to how well the angles of your center stone line up, how symmetrical all of the facets are, and how well the stone is polished. These small differences directly affect how much your stone sparkles. And sparkle is the most important feature of a diamond! Round brilliants are truly designed to give off the most light. As a result, they have the most sparkle to lose. So not knowing the small differences in round diamond proportions is one of the biggest mistakes when choosing a round diamond.

Ideal round diamond proportions create maximum sparkle

• When a diamond is cut too shallow, it can exhibit a “fisheye” appearance. When a diamond is cut too shallow, a fisheye occurs and the girdle (the outermost edge of the diamond) is reflected as the center ring of the diamond.
• When a Diamond is cut too deep, a “prong” can occur. A prong is a dark area in the center of your gem where all your beautiful light leaks out.

Prongs and fish eyes occur when the crown and pavilion angles are extremely out of alignment. And the “ideal” alignment of the crown and pavilion will cause some round brilliants to sparkle significantly more than others. So understanding how these two angles should interact is crucial. Because without knowing what to look for, you can pay a lot of money for a “perfect cut” stone, but you won’t get the ideal round brilliant proportions and maximum sparkle.

How to Get the Best Round Solitaire Diamond Sparkle?

Perfect Option One: Learn the Ideal Round Diamond Proportions

• Only look for Diamonds that fall within the ideal round Diamond ratio ranges.
• Learn how angles work together to get maximum light return!

For maximum sparkle, every angle of your Round Engagement Ring needs to work with the others. Therefore, a Round Diamond should fall within the following ranges AND its angles should align ideally.

IDEAL ROUND DIAMOND RATIOS: (RANGES)

Somewhat frustratingly, the GIA and the industry do not agree on what the “Ideal” Round Engagement Ring diamond is. In fact, a quick Google search shows that “Ideal” means very different things from one company to the next. However, these parameters are a broad range that most jewelers would agree is a fair “ideal” starting point.

• Table: 55%-60%
• Depth: 58% to 63%
• Pavilion Angle: 40.6 to 41.8
• Crown angle: 31.5 to 36.5
• Girdle: Thin to SL. Thick
• Bottom (culet): From None to Small
• Polish: VG-EX
• Symmetry: VG-EX

Choosing a diamond that fits these parameters means it’s a great candidate for perfect sparkle and won’t have a fisheye or prong. GIA “Excellent” cut diamonds usually fall within these parameters (so it’s an easy way to start this journey). But that’s not the end. Once you’ve selected a few candidates, look at their angles (you’ll find these on your GIA Certificate)!

IDEAL ROUND DIAMOND PROPORTIONS: ANGLES

Pavilion angle: The "pavilion angle" is the angle that the bottom facets of your diamond make when compared to its girth (outer diameter).

Crown angle: The “crown angle” is the angle that the upper sides make with the girdle.

How they work together: The crown and pavilion angles need to coordinate with each other to reflect light back from the top of the diamond and not lose it from the sides or bottom. Remember using mirrors to play with sunlight as a kid? Did you know that when you move a mirror, the reflection of light moves too? That’s how diamond angles work.

TOLKOWSKY IDEAL ROUND DIAMOND PROPORTIONS

Tolkowsky’s ideal round diamond proportions reflect a 34.5-degree crown, and a 40.8-degree pavilion provides the most sparkle. But you don’t need those exact angles to maximize your sparkle; you just need his math. A good rule of thumb is to subtract 0.2 degrees from your pavilion for every 1.0 degrees of steepness in your crown (example: 35.5 crown, 40.6 pavilion). Similarly, for every 1.0 degrees shallower your crown is, add 0.2 degrees to your pavilion (example: 33.5 crown, 41.0 pavilion).

Pro Tip! Diamonds with nice black arrows like the one on the left below usually have ideal proportions. Diamonds without any "contrast" (dark arrows) will not be as bright.

LONG STORY SHORT

You can do it! Set your diamond search parameters to exclude all but the “Perfect” cut Round brilliants, then set your table to 55-60%, depth percentages to 58-62%, and of course your budget! Then select 2-3 stones that interest you. Pull up the Diamond Certificate and compare your Crown and crown angles to Tolkowsky’s angles to verify ideal round brilliant proportions. High/low, low/high. You can do it.

Round Diamond Solitaire Mistake #3: Not Comparing Apples to Apples (Certificate)

All the new colors, clarities, and angles you just learned are only as valuable as the paper they are written on. In other words, you can’t recognize them without a reliable Diamond Certificate. GIA, AGS, and GCAL certifications are meticulous, and IGI certifications represent lab-created diamonds. Other labs can’t stand this. So make sure you compare apples to apples. A GIA grade G color will appear white. An EGL grade G color will show color. Finally, diamonds sold without certifications are usually not the highest quality stones (otherwise they would be sent for certification). And most jewelers who sell them don’t know what angles the stone has any better than you do. Did you know that jewelers don’t need diamond or gemstone training to open a store?

A long time ago I heard a jeweler say to a customer, "Buying a diamond without a certificate is like buying a puppy without papers. It's still a puppy." The customer said, "I want all the papers for a puppy that I paid that much for, even photos of the puppy's mother and father."