Find out what shape she likes. You can choose from round, oval, princess-cut, emerald-cut, Asscher-cut, marquise-cut, radiant-cut, pear-shaped, and heart-shaped diamonds. The majority of diamond engagement rings today are set with a round diamond. And most of the remaining rings are set with princess-cut diamonds. Use the tool above to view different shapes of 1-carat diamond set in a ring.

A diamond's weight is the simplest of its characteristics to measure, and from the earliest times has been used to calculate one aspect of the value of the diamond. The carat is a unit of weight which derives from the carob seed. The pods of the carob, or locust tree, contain tiny seeds which are remarkably consistent in weight. These seeds were used by early gem traders to weigh their diamonds. A one carat diamond used to equal the weight of a carab seed, but in today's terms the carat is a standard metric weight of 0.2 grams or 1/142 of a standard ounce. Each carat is divided into 100 points. So, for example, a quarter of a carat is 25 points, written as 0.25; a half a carat is 50 points, written as 0.50, and so on.

There are a wide range of diamond sizes is available within a given budget. Next, you'll narrow this range when you decide on the quality of your diamond.

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The cut of a diamond has the biggest affect on its sparkle, also called brilliance. Even with perfect color and clarity, a poor cut can make a diamond look dull. It is the precision and delicacy of the cut that dictates the maximum amount of light the diamond will refract and reflect. The better it has been cut, the greater will be its brilliance, sparkle and fire. When a diamond is cut to good proportions, light is internally reflected from one facet to another and then dispersed through the crown, or top, of the diamond.

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Most diamonds look colorless, but there are many subtle shade differences and the closer a diamond is to having no color the more valuable it becomes.

Why does the color vary? Well, in the chaos of extreme temperature and pressure that first created diamonds, traces of elements such as nitrogen and boron could have been incorporated into the diamond's atomic structure. It is these traces that give a diamond its color - or lack of it.

Diamonds with no hint of color at all are very rare. But also rare are diamonds with strong color. These are called "Fancies." Red, pink, and blue are the most prized, but virtually all colors are possible.

Thanks to nature, every diamond is unique. Each one possesses its own individuality. This could be due to minute traces of other minerals trapped during the crystallization process. These natural characteristics called "inclusions" are better described as nature's fingerprints and help gemologists determine the clarity of a diamond. The number, color, nature, and size and position of any inclusions determines the clarity of a diamond. The fewer the inclusions, the higher it will be graded, and the more light it will reflect, making it more valuable.

Since it is very rare to find a diamond that has no inclusions, the closer to flawless it is the greater the value.