Enjoy Toronto's diamond buying guide for a middle person

The purpose of this guide is to assist a middle person in picking a perfect diamond. You want a diamond that delivers brilliance and fire. You want a diamond without any visible inclusion. Make sure that you go through all of the following criteria before buying a diamond.

Certification. A certificate is diamond's "fingerprint". GIA and AGS are the reliable sources. Pick a diamond that is certified by GIA or AGS only.

Carat. A diamond's weight is measured in what is known as a 'carat'. 0.8 carat or above is considered a large stone. 1 carat is preferred.

Cut. Cut grade is the result of a craftsman's skill in transforming a rough diamond into a breathtaking gem. GIA grades the diamond with the following grading system:

• Excellent
• Very Good
• Good
• Fair

For a diamond with fire, choose only GIA Excellent or Very Good.

Clarity. This refers to the number, position and size of the inclusions that occur naturally inside diamonds. Here is the commonly used grading established by GIA:

• FL – flawless
• IF - internally flawless
• VVS1, VVS2 - very very small
• inclusions
• VS1, VS2 - very small inclusions
• SI1, SI2 - small inclusions
• I1, I2 - inclusions

A clarity of VS2 or above will ensure that any inclusion couldn't be observed under handheld magnifying glass.

Color. The most important thing to know about diamond color is, in general, the less color a diamond has, the more valuable it is. The diamond color grading system uses the letters of the alphabet from D through Z:

• D, E, F – colourless
• G, H, I, J – near colourless
• K and on – yellowish

Even a trained professional can't always tell the difference between close grades of color in a diamond if it is mounted in a setting. D-H is fine.

Fluorescence. When exposed to ultraviolet light, small percentages of diamonds fluoresce, which may be yellow or blue. I don't want a blue diamond. Fluorenscence has to be NIL.

Polish. Polish is the overall smoothness of the diamond. It has be Very Good or above.

Symmetry. Symmetry describes several factors: how the facet edges align with each other; whether the corresponding facets from opposite sides of the diamond align with each other or not; and whether the facets from the crown, or top of the diamond are properly aligned with the corresponding ones on the bottom (pavilion). It has to be Very Good or above.

Girdle. The girdle is the narrow belt around the stone. Make sure that it is not graded "extremely think" or "extremely thin".

Setting. For high end stones, you want a solitaire setting as you want to emphasize the brilliance and fire of the stone. Tiffany's classical setting is a beautiful example:

"To complement the most classic icon of engagement, Tiffany suggests a wedding band of timeless simplicity."

Following all these guidelines, I am sure that you will get an "Enjoy Toronto Ideal diamond" for your loved one!