The decision to buy a bigger or better quality diamond solely lies on your preferences. Having being in the jewelry business for decades I can tell you that buying a big diamond at a low price doesn't mean that you are buying a quality diamond. To be on the safe side you should go for a high quality diamond. This calls for you to ensure that the unit that you are buying has the right levels of cut, clarity, color and carat weight.

Cut

This is the way that the diamond is cut and proportioned. The cut greatly affects the way that light shines through it. There are many ways in which the unit can be cut. For example, it can have a round, square, or even a rectangular cut. The most expensive units are round cut diamonds. Although, they are expensive they tend to sparkle more.

Color

Diamonds are usually graded depending on how white they are. For example, a D grade unit is the whitest while a Z grade is yellow, gray or brown. White diamonds are usually the most beautiful and impressive. The cool thing is that the color differences are usually very minor and it's usually hard to tell with your naked eye. Due to this, you can always compromise on the color when buying the units.

Clarity

This measures the number of blemishes or internal inclusions that the diamond has. Always remember that the more the blemishes, the poor the quality of diamond. It's good to note that there are some inclusions that are visible to the eyes and often block the flow of light. There are other inclusions that don't affect the flow of light thus don't affect the quality of diamond.

Carat Weight

This shows how pure the diamond is. The lesser the carat weight the less pure the diamond.

How to Buy The Right Diamond

For you to buy the right unit you need to consider a number of factors. One of the things that you need to do is to ensure that you are buying from a retailer who has a Gemological institute of America (GIA) certificate. This way you will be sure that you are getting value for your money.

If you are buying from a retail store you should look the diamond against a white cloth. If the unit is well cut and of high quality, it should sparkle with a brilliance.