Oh man, you have gone and done it. You fell in love! Guess that means you’re in for a lifetime of happiness with your perfect partner. Oh, don’t forget to get the ring. Calm down, calm down. It’s not as bad as you think. Here are some great tips on how to get your honey the perfect little (or not so little) gem.

The Four C’s

You thought you were out of these sorts of things when you left the 3 R’s in elementary school, right? Well, the four C’s are here to help you out. And no, they do not stand for cost, cost, cost, credit check. These are the four elements of a diamond used when determining its price. The most beautiful diamonds (yes, the most expensive) score highly on the four C’s. Don’t worry, you will too.

Cut

Cut is pretty obvious, although it usually refers to the quality of the cut rather than the style. (To find out whether your fiancé likes solitaires or marquis, just ask) How the diamond is cut can affect its beauty and therefore its value. A diamond does not come out of a cave sparkling like the sun (you’ve been watching Yosemite Sam for too long, dude). It is basically a rock. A skilled jeweler will cut and polish said rock until light is reflected at many perfect and beautiful angles by the surfaces of the stone.

The cut of a diamond is scientific, physics and light stuff. A diamond must reflect light to its greatest ability in order to score highly in the Cut category. Look for a high sparkle factor.

Color

Name a color, and there is probably a diamond that comes in it. But, like jelly beans, some colors are better than others. White or colorless diamonds are probably what your fiancé is dreaming of, as they are the most popular. Although, colors like pink and yellow are becoming more popular due to the large number of these rare colors spotted on celebrity fingers.

A diamond’s color is graded on a scale from D-Z. D is colorless, and is highly prized. Keep in mind that diamonds graded as low as I do not show any color visible to the human eye.

Does your fiancé want gold or platinum? If she wants white gold or platinum, go for the most colorless diamond you can afford. The silvery band will set off any yellow.

More rare colors, like pink, blue, yellow, or even green are much more expensive than colorless or white diamonds. There are black diamonds, and even so-called chocolate diamonds (really just a muddier yellow color). So your options are as un-limited as your wallet allows.

Carat

The third C is confusing. Carat refers to the weight of a stone, not its size; however, size does vary accordingly. Larger stones are more brilliant than smaller stones, more beautiful, more valuable. In this case, size really does matter. Make sure you get a ballpark figure from your girlfriend. A one-carat girl doesn’t want to see a ¼ carat on her finger, however much she loves you.

Clarity

Clarity usually relates to the number of flaws present in a diamond. Nearly all diamonds have flaws, or inclusions. They affect the reflection and refraction of light, thus the brilliance of the diamond. It can be difficult to detect these inclusions, many of which can only be seen under a magnifying glass.

You will most likely purchase a diamond with flaws, as flawless ones are so rare. They are generally invisible to the naked eye, and the amount of flaws you allow in your diamond is up to you. Your jeweler should point theses out to you.

Flaws are useful as the fingerprint, or identity of the diamond. If you make the smart choice and purchase a certified diamond (more C’s!), the inclusions on your diamond will be mapped in order to provide identification for insurance purposes.

The un-named C

The C not included, but which comprises the other four, is Cost. No matter what your budget, you should be able to afford a diamond. Your diamond might be smaller and have more inclusions than another, but this is nature’s variety. Most people buy the best diamond they can reasonably afford. You might want to ask your jeweler’s policy on upgrades. If you can’t afford that perfect one for her now, you may be able to trade it in for a better quality in a few years at a good price with the same jeweler.

There are lots of little rules about how much to spend on a diamond. One popular rule is “two months’ salary.” But, in reality, how much or how little you spend is entirely up to you.