My grandmother died 12 years ago, and left behind 2 diamonds for me for an engagement ring, both worth around $3000. I'm her grandson, and I'm almost ready to propose. I only want one diamond, and I want to give the other to my family to sell for money, but I don't know which one to choose for myself... or rather... for my beautiful girlfriend. :)

I'll explain the items below, but for now here's the specs:

.55 Carot - G - VS2 - Class 3
.65 Carot - H - SI2 - Class 2

The first number is the weight. . 65 is bigger, obviously.

The second item (H & G) represent how clear the diamonds are. D is the lowest and best quality, J is when the diamond starts to get yellow, X is highest and worst quality.

VS2 = Very Slight Inperfections (scratchs, can't be seen with the naked eye, hard to see when magnified)
SI2 = Slight imperfections (scratches, can be seen easily if magnified)

Class 1 is the best class of a diamond, means it's cut really well, but these are almost never in stores. Class 2 is usually the highest class seen in stores. Class 3 is next, Class 4 is worst.

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So in your opinion, would you rather have a bigger diamond with a better cut, but with more scratches and not as clear? Or the smaller diamond that isn't cut as well, but is clearer and has less scratches?

Or am I just stupid about all this? :)

You aren't stupid. Picking the right ring can be important to some men; you just want it to be perfect. ;)

If it were me, I'd want the .55 carat just because its clarity is better and also because it is less scratched. A smaller diamond can be just as gorgeous as a bigger one, and it will also appear even more clear since it is less scratched.

Good luck and I hope it all turns out great! :)

The clarity of the bigger one is still really good, I would definitely go for the 0.65.

The cut is really important, especially if it is set well, the light shining through will be really nice

Since it's an SI2, the inclusions aren't able to be seen by the naked eye, so when comparing the two diamonds side-by-side, you will notice the color and the size. If you inspect the two under a loop, you'll see the flaws in the bigger one, but how many people do that?

Both diamonds are quite nice, so I think what you need to do is consider the girl you are proposing to. Would she prefer something bigger or smaller? Are both the same shape? Which shape would she prefer? What kind of setting does she want? You can always take both diamonds to a store and drop them into settings to see how they look (if you go to a good store, anyway) and pick that way. Talk to your family and friends who know her, and see what they think she would like more. When you go to a store (with one or both diamonds) take her best friend or someone very close to her to help you out and bounce ideas off. If you aren't intent on this being a surprise, you can involve her in the process too. I picked my diamond and my setting, and was there when my hubby bought it! Whatever you choose to do, I'm sure she will love it! :)

For me, Clarity is the most important factor of diamond as diamonds are moreover known for their spark and shine. So I guess 0.55 carat VS2 diamond ring will be perfect for your girlfriend and higher carat diamond can always bring in more after selling..