Home » Fashion »  Fashion Jewellery »  Crossing the Four Cs for a Brilliant Diamond There's a lot more to buying a diamond than just seeing, liking and buying! It's not a casual thing    I know, I know    I am stating the obvious. But there are certain guidelines that would help you buy the perfect diamond that best suits you. Just follow these tips.

Decide your budget. Diamonds are expensive. And you can find a teenie weenie stone for a teenie weenie price or you can get a whopper that comes with a whopping tag!

Now, you need to check out the clarity of the diamond    I am talking about the degree of transparency. A "flawless" diamond, free from all inclusions or blemishes, is very rare and very, very expensive. Most diamonds are rated on a clarity scale that grades diamonds from "flawless" to "obvious inclusions"    the higher the diamond's rating on this scale, the greater its value.

Now look at the diamond's colour. Pure, colourless diamonds are at the top with some having a yellow, grey or brown cast as well. There are also red, blue and even purple diamonds    these are rare and more expensive than the normal clear to yellow variety.

Check out the diamond's cut    crucial to the brilliance of the stone and a major factor in its value. A well-cut diamond reflects and disperses light in beautiful ways, thanks to qualities such as symmetry and depth (the bottom of the diamond shouldn't be too shallow or too deep). Diamonds are graded according to the cut quality, and this grade should carry a great deal of weight in your decision.

Now look at the weight, which is measured in carats. The greater the carat weight, the more valuable the diamond. Keep in mind that since larger stones are more rare, two 1/2-carat diamonds are less expensive than a single 1-carat diamond.

Make your final decision based on which diamond offers the best combination of the four Cs: clarity, colour, cut and carat. Ignore any of these attributes, and you jeopardize your chances of getting the best diamond for your money.