How To Pick The Perfect Diamond

Published on 11/12/09

Buying a diamond this holiday season? Do you know what you're looking for?

If you don't, jewelry expert Carol Brodie, of HSN's Rarities Fine Jewelry, has got you covered. In "The Early Show" series, "Early Holiday Unwrapped," Brodie, known as the "Queen of Diamonds," gave advice on what to look for when you're shopping for shine.

There are four C's when shopping for a diamond, Brodie said.

The Four C's of Buying a Diamond:

CUT - When we talk about cut, we mean shape which effects that amount of sparkle, a round or princess cut has more sparkle and brilliance than the subdued and elegant emerald cut.

COLOR - When it comes to white diamonds, means no color at all. I think it is better to have a colorless diamond (D, E, F, G or H) than a big diamond.

CLARITY - Means that you should not be able to see any of nature's fingerprints (which appear as fine black marks with your naked eye.)

CARAT WEIGHT - The measurement for size and a good quality one carat diamond sells for approximately $7,000.00.

But does size really matter when buying a diamond?