Everyone understands that when they are looking for a diamond, they follow the Four C’s for the best round cut diamond, but what else does the average diamond shopper need to know? They may also need to know that the number of facets in the best cut diamond is standard at 58 and that diamonds with less than that may not have the right amount of brilliance and sparkle or that diamonds with more may be trying to hide a flaw of some kind.
In fact, most people do not know how nearly impossible it is to find a diamond that does not have at least a small flaw in it. The average diamond is sold with a flaw- because most diamonds are sold with ratings of fair to good, which allow for small, non-detectable flaws within the stone. In general and non-gemologist terms, a “good” diamond, one that can be defined as white, clean and sparkly will only account for less than three percent of all diamonds sold.
Consider the grade of diamond when you are purchasing round cut diamond, especially if you are making an investment in the stone itself. If you are buying purely for sentiment, then the grade or rating may not matter quite as much to you, but if you are shopping to buy the best and want more than just a sparkly rock, look for stones that are rated as good or above for the most return on your money. Because it is so rare for a diamond to be cut and still manage to earn this designation, expect to pay more than you would for a lesser stone, but you get what you pay for and realistically a flawed stone bought today is still going to be a flawed stone in the future.