How To Choose A Diamond With Low Budget
If your budget is very limited. Or if you have a nice budget, but you want the largest diamond possible within this budget, then this article will be just perfect for you.
Important to remember!
- The advice in this article will help you only if you will go out and examine diamonds with your own two eyes.
- This article regards only natural diamond and not treated diamond of any kind.
- We believe that with a very limited budget you should consider other options than diamonds.
- Remember that an engagement ring is a bonus and not the main feature.
The goal of separating this article from a usual guide for choosing a diamond is the inverted approach, in contrast to the way we usually approach this subject. Meaning the goal is to choose the best quality diamond out of diamonds that are not in high quality geologically speaking, while the usual goal is to choose a quality diamond but still commercial with a good price under average budget.
At the end of the day, in order to buy a really cheap stone and still larger than a grain of sand, there must be a compromise.
But under this compromise we should make the right and most worthwhile compromise. Before we start with the advice, it is important to point out that you won`t always be able to find a rock that is both cheap and beautiful enough to be inlayed in a jewelry. Sometimes it is best to wait with the purchase in order to find the right stone or to save some money to buy a better one. Additionally, you shouldn’t buy a diamond without evaluating it in lab conditions and after comparison.
Choosing diamond color from a top view
Many diamonds look whiter from a top view than a side view. Since most rings and jewelry display the diamond mainly in the top view, this feature should be emphasized while choosing a diamond. More than that, choose the ring or jewelry according to your diamond and hide its weak sides.
Choosing a diamond with light brown shade
You should be very careful with this choice and it is more fitting for inlay in yellow gold. There are diamonds with brown background colors that decrease their price drastically. In case of light brown, it won’t affect the diamond after inlay in jewelry.
This method requires comparison evaluation and personal inspection due to the fact that a too brown shade will affect diamond`s appearance even after inlay. Obviously, you should buy these diamonds for a low price only.
Smart choice of diamond’s clarity
Even for people with a big budget, we always say that clarity is not a crucial parameter as long as it doesn’t affect the appearance of the diamond and the light flow through it. In low budget with maximal diamond size we can take it one step further and choose a diamond with visible inclusion and hide it during inlay.
Alternatively, a white inclusion that requires deep inspection in order to notice it. It is important to remember that most people don’t spend a long time inspecting diamonds so inclusions that are visible with the proper light and under guidance and out of inlay will be much less apparent in “real-life”. Again, it is always recommended to evaluate a verity of options in order to understand the cost-benefit ratio. Equal gemological clarity grade is the lowest clarity grade that we are willing to sell, and this grade has many pitfalls but also many bargains.
Gold color
According to most, when budget is tight, and you must compromise on diamond color, it is better to chose yellow gold that better hides low grade colors (this is only if your partner doesn’t have a clear preference for white gold).
Therefore, it is also possible to tackle this subject the other way around and choose white gold ring with a very yellow stone (but not colorful) to form an interesting and beautiful contrast that is very popular these days.
Choosing a non-round diamond
These diamonds are cheaper in 20% – 30% than round diamonds. Additionally, many of the different cuts are with larger surface area and appear larger to the naked eye. In many cases there are great bargains with non-round diamonds due to lower demand. Therefore, the lower demand makes them more intriguing and unique.
Compromise with diamond’s polish
In most cases we recommend purchasing a diamond with polish of VERY GOOD or above but in some cases, it is possible to purchase diamonds with GOOD polish and some of them are beautiful and life-like. While choosing diamonds with this polish grade you must notice that it is derived from the preferred reasons – the diamond is flat and appears larger in comparison to it`s weight and not tall and small looking. In this manner you gain large appearance at the expense of polish. A diamond doesn`t have a too wide gridle that gives it a gloomy and life-less appearance.
Where else can we spare?
Gold – choose gold with 14k alloy at the most.
Accreditation – purchase a diamond without external gemological accreditation (that cost money…) but be smart while choosing the store.
Side diamonds – replace the small side diamonds with gems or give them up altogether.