A girl’s best friend

A 59.60-carat pink diamond (the Pink Star) last month fetched a world record $71.2 million. Pink may not be your colour choice, but if you’re looking for diamonds there are plenty out there in all sorts of colours. Here are some tips from Metropol.

Diamonds are still the first choice for many engagement, wedding and eternity rings along with necklaces, earrings and most other jewellery.

They come in all shapes, sizes and many colours including the traditional sparkling white.

During the last 10 years or so, coloured or fancy diamonds have become increasingly sought after. Think champagne-coloured, yellow, blue, green and purple even. And with synthetic diamonds also now readily available and many people unable to tell the difference, the colour range is every shade of the rainbow and many spectrums in between too.

Stick to the four Cs when choosing your diamond and you will not go wrong.

Cut, colour, clarity and carat weight will guide you through making your choice.

The cut is a key factor in a diamond’s appearance, adding to its brilliance and sparkle.

Diamond weights are expressed in carats. One carat equals 0.2 grams.

Colour is measured in alphabetical order beginning with D and descending to Z, where more colour is present. Fancy coloured diamonds are an exception to the rule because they are rare.

All diamonds contain imperfections, most of which are too small to be seen by the unaided eye. The fewer noticeable flaws, the higher the value and clarity.