With the exception of cut, which directly affects how beautiful a diamond will appear, it is important to realize that you are not paying for "beauty."

You are paying for rarity.

The higher the color, the rarer, the more expensive. The higher the clarity, the rarer, the more expensive, The larger the diamond, the rarer, the more expensive.

Most likely you will never even see the difference in terms of “beauty” unless you have magnification, the diamond is loose, or you are comparing it side by side with another loose diamond of higher quality--under perfect lighting conditions--and the diamonds are upside down!

"In order to adjust to the present economic slowdown, everyone is looking for diamonds that fit lower price points....." Rapaport Diamond Report March 2009.

If money is a concern, stick with a well-cut diamond, pick the minimum carat weight you are interested in, and only worry about inclusions or yellow that you would see with your naked eye.