The holiday season is also known as engagement season in the world of weddings, so if you’re thinking of doing a little shopping at Tiffany & Co. for your lovely lady, be sure you know the 411 on the Four C’s: Clarity, Cut, Color and Carat.
We’ve covered the first three in our Girl’s Guide to Buying an Engagement Ring, but the fourth and final is no less important. The carat is the weight of the actual diamond, and the price rises proportionally and exponentially with size. One carat weighs one-fifth of a gram, or 200 milligrams. When diamonds are smaller than one carat, their weight is expressed as a decimal in “points.”
Example: 3/4 carat (.75 carat) equals 75 points.
What many shoppers don’t realize, however, is that diamond cutters often sacrifice brilliance (i.e. clarity and color) for a larger rock. Simply said, size isn’t everything, which is why it’s important to take all aspects—clarity, cut, color and carat—into account before purchasing.
Photo: Real Wedding Alison and Irene, photography by Our Labor of Love
Brittny Drye is the senior editor at Equally Wed, the nation’s premier online magazine for gay and lesbian weddings and honeymoons. Follow her @BrittnyDrye.
