How to tell your jeweler the stone size you want

By HeyGema™ · Updated

In short

Give your jeweler millimetres, not only carats: the shape, the length and width, and the gem. Two stones of the same weight can face up very differently.

What to send

  1. 1

    Pick the shape

    Round, oval, emerald cut and so on. For shapes that come long or short, say the length-to-width ratio you like.

  2. 2

    Write the size in mm

    Length x width, for example 8.5 x 6.3 mm. Carat weight alone does not say how big the stone looks.

  3. 3

    Name the gem

    A sapphire, an emerald and a diamond of the same weight are all different sizes. Say if it is mined or lab grown.

  4. 4

    Say the ring size and setting

    A halo or a thick bezel makes the ring look bigger than the stone. Say whether the stone itself should be that size.

  5. 5

    Check it at real size

    Hold a ruler or a bank card (85.6 x 54 mm) to your screen, or try a cubic zirconia of that size on your finger.

An example message

"Oval lab grown diamond, 10.1 x 6.9 mm (about 2 carat), ring size 6, yellow gold solitaire."

Questions

The shape, the length and width in mm, the gem, the ring size and the setting you like. A photo of a ring you like helps too.
Both. Carat is the weight and the price. Millimetres tell you how big it looks.
Check it at real size. The finger width of your ring size is the best guide, so compare the stone to it.

More size charts