Cost (The Fifth C)

When making you diamond choice there is a fifth C, that is cost. When considering what size diamond to choose, we suggest that you first decide on what your priorities are for choosing a stone. Usually it's best to start with a budget for your diamond. Once you have decided on your budget, you can then decide whether you want the largest stone available in your budget, the stone with the best color available in your budget, or perhaps a stone which represents the best combination of the various criteria.

There is a balance between, carat size, color, clarity and cut and budget has to be weighed in to that balance. To fit in a particular budget the perfect balance between size, color and clarity must be met. A diamond cannot be bought on paper, each is unique and two that look alike on paper, may look totally different in person.

Keep in mind the fact that as the carat weight of diamonds increase, they become exponentially rarer, and exponentially more expensive. So, a diamond weighing 2 carats (all other things being equal) will be significantly more expensive than the cost of two diamonds weighing 1 carat each. Staying just under the next carat weight will make a big difference in the per carat cost of the stone, so a 2.05 may sound bigger than an 1.95, the appearance is not noticeable, but the cost is quite different.