• When choosing a diamond, hold it up to the light. See how the light dances around - It should throw out a rainbow of colours and display the diamonds natural brilliance.
• Ask your Jeweller to show you all the cuts and shapes.
• Be sure to try a good selection to find the perfect one for you

Carat is often mistakenly used to refer to a diamonds size but its actually a measure of weight. One carat can be divided in to 100 points. A 0.50 carat diamond may also be described as a 50 point or a half carat diamond.

Larger diamonds are found less frequently in nature, so they can command a significantly higher price for instance, a one carat diamond will cost more than two half carat diamonds of equal colour, clarity and cut.

Your diamond is not valued my carat weight alone. Two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different values, depending on cut, clarity and colour. A small but perfectly cut diamond of whiter colour and flawless clarity can be more valuable than a larger stone that is less white and with more inclusions.

• A diamond can appear larger or smaller than its actual weight, depending on its cut.
• Look at different designs and mounts as they can affect the appearance of the size of the diamond.

Diamonds are found in almost every colour of the rainbow colour but white colour diamonds are the most popular.

There are more than 20 grades of colour, identified in alphabetical order from D to Z variations are so slight that colours must be graded by an expert under controlled lighting and compared against a master set of stones.

• When buying a diamond, consider the setting and the metal colour as it can be used to accentuate or de-emphasise the colour

Every diamond is unique. Naturally occurring features known as inclusions make each stone unique usually invisible to the naked eye, these tiny marks are minerals or fractures which appeared while the diamonds were forming in the earth.

The amount, type, colour, size and position of these inclusions can affect the value of a diamond. However, many can only be seen by experts using a ten-power magnification loupe. Even with the loupe, the tiniest inclusions can be very difficult to find.

Flawless diamonds are more rare and thus, more expensive but small inclusions do not affect the beauty or the brilliance of a diamond. Diamonds equal in weight and colour will vary greatly in price depending on the inclusions, however, the difficulty in there being seen by the naked eye should be taken in to consideration when purchasing.