What goes into buying diamonds? People often have the assumption that a diamond is a diamond, and that all that goes into shopping for the stone is doing a price comparison. But of course, that?s not the end of the story. Too often we here at Lewis Jewelers discover from our customers that they made a purchase of a loose diamond elsewhere, only to find out that they?re not satisfied with what they bought in the long run.

Before you buy a diamond, we encourage our customers to sit down and ask themselves these four important questions before making a major purchase!

Question 1: 4 C?s

The 4 C?s are the heart and soul of any diamond. These elements are color, cut, clarity, and carat weight, and without understanding them, you?re not likely to make a purchase that will truly satisfy you. Of course, the dilemma is that it?s almost impossible to find a diamond that maxes out all 4 of the C?s, which means that when you?re looking for a diamond for your engagement ring, you?ll need to determine which of the C?s is most important to you.

It should also be determined by the shape of your diamond. For example, an emerald cut has a huge table and low scintillation, which means that it?s crucial that it has exceptional clarity. A round-cut diamond can mask some clarity issues, but if it?s cut poorly, its scintillation and fire will drop off tremendously.

Question 2: Shape

It?s important to pair a shape with your lifestyle. What do we mean by that? Let?s say you want a princess-cut engagement ring. If you?re a woman who works with her hands, it might be a problem to choose that shape. The delicate corners of a princess cut might snap or get snagged in fabric. It?s important to always have backup stones in mind. For the princess cut, for instance, you may prefer choosing an Asscher cut. The square profile of the Asscher mirrors a princess-cut diamond, but with clipped corners, the shape is far less prone to snapping.

When you talk to our staff, we can help you to draw up a list of alternatives to your favorite shape—every shape has ?cousins? that may be ideal for you!

Question 3: Setting

The setting of your diamond is also an important factor that shouldn?t be treated as an afterthought. If you?ve selected a diamond that has an unwanted yellow hue, you?ll probably prefer selecting a white gold ring to maximize the shades of white reflected in the stone. Alternatively, this effect can also be amplified by the color of the prongs used to hold the diamond.

And if you?ve selected a smaller stone, you may appreciate selecting a halo engagement ring, since the setting can visually amplify the size of a diamond by about a carat. Remember to treat the setting of a diamond as a fundamental partner for the stone and something to consider beforehand!

Question 4: Alternatives

It?s important to remember that your idealized engagement ring isn?t necessarily the end of the road in bridal jewelry. You have many different options in place at Lewis Jewelers. Consider that rather than splurging on an engagement ring, you can break up the price to get a nice wedding band to pair with the chosen stone. A woman may prefer having many smaller, glittering diamonds over a single large, albeit dull, one.

And do keep in mind that shape of the diamond can also drastically affect the price: Popular shapes like round cuts can command a far higher price than a princess cut of a comparable weight. It?s always best to consider alternatives, such as choosing a diamond whose size is slightly less than a standard carat weight.

No matter your final decision, you can trust Lewis Jewelers to be your jewelry store of choice when it comes to diamonds. We?ve been in the business of providing incomparable diamonds since 1921, giving us the experience to know just how to help you! If you?d like to find out more, contact our Ann Arbor, Michigan showroom at 734-994-5111!