Introduction to the Buying Process

This section briefly reviews each step that I recommend you take leading up to the point of purchasing your diamond. Each of the steps below is covered in more detail later on in this guide.

The steps are:

1. Your Diamond Education
Here I will cover the “4Cs” of colour, clarity, cut and carat, and also look at 3 other Cs; certification, choice of merchant, and conflict diamonds.

2. Set the Budget
How much should you spend on the diamond? This section explains some of the rules of thumb and the myths behind them, and gives advice on how to best set the budget for your purchase.

3. Determine if Proposal With or Without Ring
Are you going down on one knee with or without the ring in your hand? There are quite a few ways of doing this and this section deals with the pros and cons of each.

4. Choosing the Setting and Ring Metal
Selecting the specification of diamond is the hardest part of the process, but remember, the diamond needs to be set perfectly so as to show it off to its full potential. This section details the various types of setting designs and the most commonly used metals for the ring.

5. Avoiding the Rip Off
Although your due diligence on the diamond merchants should have weeded out the good from the bad, there is still a chance that you may get hoodwinked by an unscrupulous diamond retailer. This section details the most common diamond scams. 

6. Caring for the Diamond

A diamond ring will be fairly durable, particularly if you have it set in platinum but you should still take the proper precautions in the event of loss or damage. This section details how best to care for your diamond.