6 carat diamond color
As you likely know, diamond color is graded on a GIA-developed scale from D to Z, with most diamonds used for rings sitting in the colorless, very light or near colorless grades:
Larger diamonds tend to show up color more easily than smaller stones, especially diamonds that have areas that sparkle less, like the ends of ovals or the corners of cushions or emerald cut diamonds.
If you want to ensure your diamond doesn’t have a yellow tint, it’s important therefore to try and keep the color as high up the scale as possible.
On the other side of the equation is the effect color has on price, and the difference that changing the color just one grade can be significant.
Even though they are both just increasing one color grade, increasing color from I to H will result in a more significant increase than going from H to G.
For most 6 carat diamonds though, if you’re choosing a white colored ring setting (platinum or white gold), I color is a good blend between being white enough so that it doesn’t look yellow, but also not paying more than you need to.
If you are choosing a yellow gold setting, then you can usually go down to K color without yellow tones being visible.
6 carat diamond clarity
Clarity is a measure of the presence of inclusions (or flaws) within a diamond.
The clarity scale runs from ‘flawless’ at the top to ‘Included’ at the bottom, where flaws are very easy to see with the naked eye:
With smaller diamonds, it’s possible to find SI1 or SI2 clarity stones where the diamond’s beauty isn’t negatively impacted by the clarity.
With 6 carat diamonds, it’s more difficult to find SI1 clarity diamonds that don’t have an inclusions that negatively affects the beauty of the stone – they are more likely to have a crystal flaw that is visible or a cloud flaw that reduces the amount of light that is transferred and therefore the sparkle.
However, they are out there, and I recommend that you begin your search by looking for SI1 clarity diamonds.
Depending on what is available at the time you are looking, you may not find a suitable SI1, so may need to increase the clarity.
One thing to know is that increasing clarity from SI1 to VS2 will have a much larger effect on the price than going from VS1 to VS2 as you are crossing into the area where most diamonds will be ‘eye clean’.
Lastly, the shape of the diamond can also affect the clarity that is needed.
Shapes with a particularly large top table like the emerald cut or oval may even mean that you need to consider a VS1 clarity diamond to ensure that there are no flaws visible.
6 carat diamond cut
For round diamonds, cut is the factor that determines how much the diamond sparkles, and therefore is one of the most important factors when choosing a stone.
At 6 carats, I still recommend that you place a significant priority on diamond cut and aim ‘excellent’ or ‘ideal’ to ensure it sparkles brilliantly.
Other diamond shapes aren’t awarded a cut grade in the same way as round diamonds, which can make them more difficult to buy. But the way they have been shaped is just as important.
In the diamond trade, this is known as the ‘make’ and ensuring your diamond has a good make is extremely important.
Issues that are less significant at smaller carat weights are amplified – an oval diamond’s bow tie is more obvious in a 6 carat oval diamond than a 2 carat oval diamond, for example:
This is where working with a personalised service to guide you through the diamond selection process can be beneficial – they can ensure you stay clear of any common pitfalls.
6 carat ring setting styles
Higher carat weight rings mean that additional considerations can be needed to be taken into account, depending on the ring setting style chosen.
6 carat solitaire settings
If you’re choosing a solitaire setting for your 6 carat ring, we recommend you choose a band of at least 2.5mm.
A band that is wider underneath, but tapers towards the diamond itself (as shown) can be a good way to maximise comfort, while still giving the impression of a slim band.
6 carat pave settings
If you can, try and keep side stones within 1 colour grade of the center stone.