Are you looking to buy that perfect stone? Want to get the best stone you can and your on a budget? Maybe you should give online diamond shopping a try!

There is a lot of diamond "purists" who insist you need to be in the store - look at the stone - and deal with pushy commision based salespeople to find that great rock but this is definitely not the case. Diamonds are very much like any other item you can purchase over the internet and anyone who tells you differently is wrong. When making any other large purchase most people take the time to research the facts and find out what they really need - on, you guessed it, the internet. Why would anyone spend thousands of dollars more on something when they can get the same thing (and better service) online?

There are some basics that are highly recommended for diamong ring and I will go through them with you below using the 4 C's as my guide. The information I am offering is based on the grading done by the GIA and the AGSL - the most trusted names in diamond grading:

Cut: Get the best cut you can afford - this is a must - the cut determines the sparkle and brilliance of the diamond. It is the what the fancy pants diamond people call the "fire". It is crucial you get the best cut you can afford - afterall, you are paying a lot of money for a rock and that rock should SPARKLE!

Color: It is strongly recommended to get a color of no lower than H. This is a safe color and the vast majority of people can not see color in H. If you feel uneasy go to a G color - but understand there is no "hard line" between G and H (or any color for that matter). These colors are guides.

Clarity: VS2 and above - you do not need to worry about seeing any inclusions in a diamond that is at least a VS2 clarity from the top down - the way a diamond set in a ring is viewed.

Carat: The carat weight is the LEAST important part of a diamond - there is so much misinformation about the carat weight. It does not tell you how large the diamond is. It tells you how much the diamond weighs. To be perfectly honest some really well cut .74 carat diamonds can look as large - or larger - than an inferior cut 1 carat stone. Crazy, I know. Get the best you can using the properties above and adjust the carat weight accordingly.

One of my favorite online shops for diamonds is BlueNile.com - they are not the least expensive but the service is the highest you will find. They really put the customer first - even going so far as to include free diamond education right on their site. They use a well trained team of uncommissioned sales people that you can call anytime to answer any question you have about diamonds and jewelry. If you have special questions or concerns feel free to ask for Ed Taylor - a Blue Nile veteran (and supervisor) who will make sure every concern of yours is addressed. You can even tell him I (Josh) sent you.

Good luck on your search and save yourself some money buying online!