If Diamonds were Female Fighters

LET ME BE FRANK.

Stop buying diamonds based on  carat weight alone.  I know…you take all the 4 C’s into account when you are making your decision but all too often the process starts and ends with the size of the diamond.  But here’s the rub:  when you talk about the size of the diamond more than likely you are referring to it’s weight…not how big it is.

We all tend to equate a 1 carat diamond with “big” so I’ll be using that as a way to illustrate what I’m talking about. I did a quick online search of 1 carat diamonds, ignoring things like color and clarity and of course the price because I’m only talking about the weight/size thing here.

I picked 5 out of the hundreds of 1 carat diamonds that popped up to show you how dramatic the size ranges can be.  Bear in mind…every one of these diamonds weighs 1 carat but they are visually different in terms of their bigness.  Check it out:

• Diamond 1: Weight=1 carat.  Measures 6.17 mm across the top
• Diamond 2: Weight=1 carat.  Measures 6.21 mm across the top
• Diamond 3: Weight=1 carat.  Measures 6.32 mm across the top
• Diamond 4: Weight=1 carat.  Measures 6.43 mm across the top
• Diamond 5: Weight=1 carat.  Measures 6.52 mm across the top

Visually it looks something like this:

All 1 carat diamonds are not the same size

(Definitely NOT actual size)

IF DIAMONDS WERE FEMALE FIGHTERS…

If diamonds were female fighters and I was a betting man I would surely want to know more than the athletes weight when it comes time to put money on the big fight.

(Same weight…different sizes)

I’m not into women’s professional fighting (I think it’s called Mixed Martial Arts) but it’s a good way to illustrate my point.  Both of the women in the picture above weigh 145 pounds but they are clearly not the same size.  (I could have used male fighters but this is a column for guys so let’s stay real.)

“Big” is a relative term anyway you look at it.  It’s a safe bet that all the women in the 145 pound weight class are not all the same height, muscle density, quickness, etc.  And what about the little spitfires that have a big presence in the ring?  They can kick a “bigger” opponents butt all day long even though the tale of the tape says they are smaller.

The bottom line is that when you are on the diamond hunt and you ask about a 1 carat diamond (or a 1/2, or 3/4, etc.) you are referring to a weight…not a size.  There will be size variations within these weight categories and it is completely a function of how well the diamond is cut.  (More on that in future posts.  It’s a “big” subject.)

SO WHAT?

So stop shopping for diamonds with the idea that a heavier diamond is a bigger diamond.  It weighs more…and that’s it.  That weight may or may not enhance the notability of the diamond.  i.e. How many people stop her and say, “OMG let me see your ring!”

Any way you slice it most women like it when their engagement ring is noticed and I’m here to tell you that bigger isn’t always better.

~Andy Koehn