If you wish to make an investment in a diamond, but your budget is quite limited you should know there are several tips which can help you get the best value for your money. You should not rush your decision, but invest quality time into research and comparison shop. This way, you will surely find that beautiful diamond you are looking for…and stay within your budget too.

Saving on clarity

A ‘Flawless’ graded gemstone is the clearest, most expensive and rarest type of diamond. If you are within a budget, you cannot afford buying such ultra expensive FL graded diamonds. Moreover, even experts agree that diamonds graded much lower on clarity, do not necessarily carry inclusions or flaws that are visible to the naked eye. Therefore, it is wise to invest in a diamond graded lower on clarity but which is greater in size and has a nice cut. Basically, no inclusion is noticeable to the naked eye for diamonds graded between FL and SI12 (with small inclusions). The blemishes in these clarity graded diamonds require to be magnified at least 10 times in order to become visible.

Differences in ‘Cut’ Quality

It is extremely important to highlight that many people believe cut and shape are the same.  The cut refers to how the diamond is cut and polished from the rough stone. The shape is basically the contour of the diamond, and the cut has a direct qualitative effect depending on how well the shape is given to the stone. If you want to stay within a reasonable budget, then don’t look at diamonds graded as Excellent cut. You can get the same sparkle, brilliance and quality for less, if you are looking at Good or Very Good cut graded gemstones.

Buy diamonds that ‘look’ larger

The brilliant cut diamond is the most popular when it comes to earrings, engagement rings and sometimes even pendants. However, you could get more of the sparkle and a larger looking diamond for the same money if you are willing to consider other shapes. For example, pear shaped diamonds are increasingly popular exactly because their elongated shape reflects more fire and sparkle as a same sized brilliant cut stone. Other shapes you can consider include the Marquise shape, the oval shape or even the Emerald cut which has mirroring sides able to reflect even more sparkle.

Saving on carats

When it comes to carat weight, the most popular option is the 1 carat. Now, if you wish to save money but you also want to get enough sparkle and brilliance you could choose a pair of earrings that are oval shaped and 0.70 points each (instead of 1 carat). There is a great difference in price between a 1 carat diamond and a 0.70 or less carat weight diamond, but at a closer look they seem quite the same. Then, instead of buying a 1 carat solitaire, you can consider buying a ring set with two or three smaller carat weight stones. Solitaire rings of 1+ carats always cost more than rings set with several smaller carat weight diamonds. So you will get more sparkle for less money.