The first and most important thing is to purchase tree-ripened apricots. By definition, this means local ones, since ripe apricots are soft and flexible to touch and do not travel well.If you plan to eat them fresh, they should be soft, but not stained or bruised. The riper they are, the more flavorful/tasty they are.
If you are using them for cooking, the riper the better and you could even get by with blemishes as long as they are not rotten-looking. As a common rule, the softer the sweeter.
You will regularly see crates of extra-ripe apricots discounted in farmers markets. Look them over, and if there are not too many black or rotting ones, they are really the best for cooking purposes, especially for jams, cakes and sauces.
The basic formula is 900 grams/2 lbs of sugar for each 2 kilograms/4 1/2 lbs of fruit used. These hold the true for apricots, apples, cherries, nectarines and plums. If you like your jam really flavorful, you can put equal weights of fruit and sugar.
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