I''m going to start off with an analogy, hopefully this will clear all doubt for me and other beginners as well:
Say I want to buy a flat screen TV. Now, there''s many factors to consider if you want to get the most exquisite picture available. Price goes up quickly when you start getting into really high end resolution and a good interlacing (1080i vs. 1080p) and other factors.
I''m big into technology, so naturally I want to have a VERY sharp and clear picture. If I didn''t get the best, I''ll notice it every time I look at it. However, to 98% of the rest of my guests in my house, they won''t even notice if a fly has landed on the screen while they''re watching TV. Granted, in the store and under the right conditions, any buyer can see the different between two TVs sitting side-by-side. Once it''s brought home though, the bigger the TV the better you will feel about your purchase.
So what I''m trying to get at is, I know that color, clarity, cut, florescence, etc. are all important to how the diamond shines, but sheer size is what will wow 98% of the people you show your diamond off to.
I know this will only applies to a certain extent (a yellow faded diamond would be ugly to anyone!) but apply the TV analogy. If you can''t tell, in all reality is doesn''t matter to people that are not educated on diamonds (i.e. 98% of the people you show it to).
All comments are appreciated, and if I''m way off track in my concept, let me hear it. The more knowledge I gain now, the bigger smile I will receive from my girlfriend. And let''s be honest, that''s all that matters in the end.