Weather You are getting engaged or buying as a gift for some you love or care about so much!!!
 
This is a time of pressure and decisions about a myriad of things, so the choice of a ring should be relatively easy. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. When deciding on an engagement ring, your choice is critical. It represents the depth of your love for each other and the trust she is placing in you, as you look forward to a life together as man and wife. The ring symbolizes your union, so choosing the perfect one has special meaning. It will be treasured for the rest of your married lives as a symbol of your love.
 
It is important, therefore, to get a professional evaluation done before you commit to buying a diamond. Professional certification is critical to avoid costly and embarrassing mistakes. A diamond certificate is an expert third party opinion and not just the potentially biased opinion of the jeweler selling you the stone.
 
Independent Gemological Laboratories, with offices in New York City, Los Angeles and Mumbai, has trained experts who use the latest scientific methods to evaluate your diamond to ensure that you know what you are buying. They will test your stone in several ways to come up with an evaluation. A certificate from Independent Gemological Laboratories gives you peace of mind that you are getting what you paid for and also helps with the insurance process after purchase.
 
Why buy a certified diamond vs. a non-certified diamond
 
Diamonds are somewhat of a mystery to most people. An appraisal by a qualified gemologist can take the mystery out of your purchase and help you in your quest to find the perfect balance between quality and price. An appraisal can confirm that the stone's color, cut, carat weight and clarity are accurate. These are commonly called the 4 Cs, which are the characteristics gemologists use to place any single diamond’s grade in relationship to a standardized scale. Most gemologists use the G.I.A.(Gemological Institute of America) scale of diamond grading.
 
Cut:
 
There are many cuts and shapes of diamond, although the two most favored are Round Brilliant and the Princess Cut. Please refer to the table below to see some of the shapes. We recommend you see some diamonds, in person, to help you to decide. Cutting a diamond is both a science and an art. The better the cutter’s skill the more the stone will perform from the standpoint of light return of brilliance and fire.
 
Clarity:
 
If you are buying a piece of bridal jewelry, you will probably want the best your budget will allow. The clarity scale begins with a "Flawless" diamond, which is very rare, and ends with "Eye Visible Inclusions" that are easily noticeable. There are lower grades of diamonds, but those are kept for industrial uses. The clarity of a stone is determined by viewing the stone in all visible angles to find inclusions - either moisture or crystals that were trapped in the diamond's lattice as it was developing deep inside the earth.
 
Note - click on the thumbnail to see a large view of the image
 
Color:
 
Diamonds come in every color of the rainbow, including black. The one you will probably choose will be a whitish diamond from the D-Z of G.I.A.’s color grading. “D” is the starting point, not “A” as you might imagine. “D” is colorless; in fact "D", "E", and "F" are all in the colorless region of the scale. These diamonds will have no “face up” color to a trained gemologist. From “G” to “J” is the near-colorless area, which has only the slightest hint of color to the trained eye. From “K” to “Z” is becomes increasingly easy to see the amount of color in the body of the diamond.
 
Carat Weight:
 
This is the characteristic that is best known. Elizabeth Taylor has a 10 carat blue diamond; The Hope diamond is 45.52 carat weight. The carat weight is a division of grams; 0.20carats. A 5carat diamond weighs 1 gram. A diamond’s carat weight is further divided into 100 unit parts known as points, the same way a dollar is divided into 100 cents. A gemological laboratory or appraiser will have a diamond scale or can calculate the carat weight of your diamond for you. A diamond dealer or store that sells loose stones should have a diamond scale so you can see the diamond's actual weight.
 
Now that you have checked out the 4C's and have made your choice of stone, the setting is your next decision. If this is a surprise proposal, you may want to check your fiance's other jewelry to make the final choice of ring and setting. If she wears predominantly silver or gold jewelry, you can purchase a ring that matches her taste. If it is silver, you may want to choose a platinum setting which best sets off the brilliance of a diamond. To ascertain ring size, borrow one of her current rings and take it to the jeweler for correct measurement.

 Courtesy by :  Independent Gemological Laboratories

Diamond Minimum Weight Chart:

Carat Weight

Minimum Required Actual Carat Weight

1/10

0.09

1/5

0.18

¼

0.23

1/3

0.30

3/8

0.37

½

0.46

5/8

0.59

¾

0.71

1

0.96

1 ¼

1.22

1 ½

1.45

1 ¾

1.70

2

1.95

2 ½

2.45

3

2.95