Is bigger the better? Should I choose a bigger diamond or better quality diamond for engagement ring? / Diamond Buying and Investment Advice

Is bigger always better? It’s definitely a yes if it comes to a bigger desk at work, a bigger car, a bigger fridge, or even, a bigger house. Would this apply to the world’s most concentrate form of wealth – diamonds? When choosing a diamond for engagement rings, one of the most usual problems that guys encounter is - whether to go for a bigger diamond with lower colour and clarity within budget, or a smaller diamonds with the highest clarity grade, colour, etc. Or if you are simply deciding on a diamond to invest for good short term or long term gain, should we aim for size of quality? Let me give you an expert’s diamond choosing advice – Neither.

Let me boldly ask you this question. Now that you have decided to propose to this one in a million woman whom you are madly in love with, was it because of one sole reason? Or was it a combination of reasons?  Admit it or not, you must have done a preliminary assessment of her and the quality of time you spent with her before deciding to commit to a serious relationship. You considered her looks, her body shape, her personality, her values, her philosophy as well as the fun you both had together, the ups and downs you had been through and finally, what future holds for you two. This is no difference when it comes to choosing a diamond. I advise you to choose a well-balanced diamond that possesses all the qualities of the woman you chose. Let me explain.

1. Do not choose a diamond just by its weight or just by its colour. Maintain a balance amongst all the grading factors - what is commonly known as the 4Cs and other important grading factors such as fluorescence, proportions, certification, colour tinge, etc..

2. Choose a diamond with colour that complements your girlfriend’s skin tone. We recommend D to F colour for fairer skin, G to H for medium tone, and I to J for tanned skin. Should you go for a K colour? From experience, many girls do not favour K colour, so choose with caution;

3. Value good clarity. Your diamond does not necessary have to be a VVS, but a nice VS1, VS2, clean SI1 and SI2 that looks like a VS2 would get your investment far and wide – for hints on how to identify a good SI1 and SI2, stay tuned for future posts or consult one of our gemologists at Bee’s Diamonds;

4. Discard diamonds with black inclusions. A majority of natural diamonds have natural inclusions, but more often black inclusions than the preferable white inclusions. This will not be written on the GIA certificate for you. Do look at each diamond option under magnification carefully. Ask your jeweller as any honest jeweller should disclose everything about a diamond for you to consider;

5. A diamond with very good cut and above. Triple excellence is not always necessary, but try to keep at least a double excellence by cut, polish and symmetry to ensure a substantial resell value in the future. Pay attention to the proportions and the figures in percentage. We will further explore this topic in future posts, but for now, keep these figures in mind: Table – preferably 56 to 60%, total depth: not >= 62.9% and crown angle: 32.5 to 36, preferably 34.5;

6. A diamond with preferably no fluorescence. Under the grading item of fluorescence in a diamond’s certificate report, discard those that indicate strong blue, medium blue, or faint fluorescence, choose only those that says “None”. Although diamonds that possess fluorescence effect due to its natural boron content will render the diamond cheaper and also looking a little whiter than its original colour, if the diamond you are choosing is for engagement purpose, I suggest that you choose one with nil fluorescence unless your girlfriend is well informed of the fluorescence. Most girls, from our experience, do not wish for their diamond to have any form of impurity, including fluorescence. However, if you are choosing a fancy  yellow coloured diamond, fluorescence is also preferred as it will make the yellow saturation looks even more intense. 

7. Consider all the grading characteristics written on its GIA certificate and those that are not written on the certificate, and this include colour tinge, which may indicate whether the source of diamond is legitimate or not.

In sum, do not go for a super large diamond and compromise on its quality, but do not choose a really small diamond with supreme quality so to fit into the budget. If you really want a strict recommendation without wasting much time understanding and learning about diamonds, here will be our fast recommendation if you are a 20-something years old guy looking to buy a decent engagement ring for your girlfriend:

-         An adequate, well balanced diamond with preferably:

o   Carat:      At least 1 carat

o   Colour:    E to H colour

o   Clarity:   VVS2 to nice SI2

o   Cut:         At least double excellence

o   Note:       No fluorescence, no colour tinge, GIA certificate

o   Budget:   2 to 6 months of your monthly salary

Having said that, we still recommend you to visit your jeweller and learn about the different options. Choosing a diamond is not only an art, but also an investment for your new family. After all, it is your first family asset. It should be one with quality and taste, so that your children and grandchildren would have something nice to keep as the family’s treasure in years to come. You would not want your grandchild to bring your engagement ring for appraisal and only found out that the diamond is solely “big-looking” and lacks all the quality that an eternal diamond should possess.