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So, you are a young man in love, with that burning desire in your heart to offer your bride-to-be a diamond ring and ask her to marry you. The idea appears to be very simple; you'll go to your local jewelry store, buy a diamond ring worthy of her love, set a date and propose to her. Realistically speaking though, this isn't always the case because when you first look at the price tag of your chosen sparkler you'll soon realize how nerve-racking it really is to purchase diamond jewelry gifts. If you have the plans to purchase a diamond, it is vital for you to know the tricks of the trade so that in the future when you're ready you would take control of every transaction you make and be able to close a good deal.

Fred Cuellar, a gemologist and world-renowned diamond expert, believed that there are four things that a buyer has to consider when purchasing diamond jewelry gifts: budget, expectations, savvy and timetable. In terms of budget, you should try to figure out first how much you intend to spend on buying diamond, and you should stick to that budget outlay; a month's salary could already be a good starting point. Expectations demand for you to know and understand the needs and wants of the person to whom you will give the diamond; this way you will know what type and design to pick. Being savvy requires you to know the given cost of diamond in the market and the best designs available, as they say knowledge is power; and for the element of timetable, you must have a laid plan about when and where you intend to give the diamond, do not haste things and be sure to give yourself enough time to analyze things.

Since you are now aware of the general basics, you should also consider where to buy your sparklers. You have two options where you could purchase your diamond jewelry gifts: go online or visit local jewelry shops. Purchasing online is a practical means to buy diamond pieces without the need to drive far as the items you need are just a click away; however, there are two major drawbacks with this option: you can't personally appraise the diamond and you never really know whom you are dealing with; if you think this would work for you, make sure to do a background check first so that you can be assured that you know where your money would go. The latter option of buying your diamond gifts on you local jewelry store is a better choice because you would be able to appraise the diamond personally and long time jewelers could help you out with your questions, which would assist you in arriving at the right decision.

Now for the diamond itself, you must always consider the 4Cs of diamond which stands for clarity, color, cut and carat as they are the determining factor of how the diamond will cost. Clarity refers to the absence and presence of blemishes and inclusion in a diamond. Different types of diamond are assigned with clarity grades that may range from flawless to obvious inclusions. There are also clarity enhanced diamond pieces that are treated to reduce imperfections through irradiation, filling imperfections, or laser drilling.

When it comes to color, diamond pieces are available in virtually all colors; however, colored sparklers are rare and truly expensive so chances are, the sparklers you would see during your shopping are either white or yellow in color but between the two, it would be better to go for whiter diamond pieces. This is because the yellow color of sparklers came from nitrogen, which significantly affect the stone's capability to let more light pass through, making it appear less shiny and sparkly; hence, as a rule of thumb, the yellower the diamond, the lesser its value. When it comes to cut, diamond pieces could be cut in different ways, the most common of which is the round brilliant cut. When you look at the cut always remember that aside from indicating the stone's shape, it also determines how sparkly your diamond could become.

Aside from being clear and white, a diamond cannot be considered as a diamond unless it sparkles, which could only be achieved by properly cutting it. Though cut is extremely difficult to evaluate, you could be able to do this by identifying three of its characteristics: brilliance, fire and scintillation; but if you want to take a short cut, the standard round brilliant cut is probably the best choice as all the other cut are considered as fancy shapes. Finally, the carat is the standard weight unit of diamond. Majority of diamond pieces utilized for fine jewelry often weight one carat or less; a fraction of a carat could significantly change the amount of the diamond.