by Miss Engagement Ring on June 29, 2010
Photo By: AdamSelwood
The most popular of all cuts – the round diamond. Traditional, yet classy; modern, yet timeless; this cut is sure to make any traditional girl happy. The round cut is the safest when it comes to picking out which diamond to get your girl.
Also known as the “Brilliant Cut” the round diamond was first calculated by Russian mathematician, Marcel Tolkowsky, who calculated the specifics of getting the most sparkle from a diamond. The round cut has 57 faucets and 58 with the cutlet, this ensures that scintillating sparkle which your girl will surely love.
The round cut diamond follows a set of guidelines which ensures the quality of the diamond:
Cut – how brilliant is the glimmer of the diamond? The more faucets a diamond has, the more brilliant it will be. The cut also determines how fragile a diamond is; feel the weight of the diamond and ask for a certificate of the diamond to make sure of the quality of the cut.
Color – how white is the diamond? The color of the diamond is permanent and won’t become more yellow with time,
Photo By: Luke and Courtney Barrett
rather, it will keep the white/the original color it had when bought. Make sure you check the diamond certificate to know what color it is. Color is graded on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow, strong yellow). Colorless and near colorless are good ranges for a diamond.
Clarity – Does that diamond have nicks? A lack of clarity means that there are flaws in the diamond when it was conceived in the earth. These flaws can also occur when being cut by a jeweler, the more skilled the jeweler the more clear the diamond will be. Researching jewelers to find the best is a good idea when looking for the perfect diamond.
Carat – How big is that diamond? The bigger the diamond the more carats it has. The bigger the carat the more sparkle there is. Once again check in with the certificate of the diamond to understand how many carats it has.
by Miss Engagement Ring on May 19, 2010
Photo by: Marina(im.back)
The art of selecting a black diamond for your future bride certainly means you are quite the man, the black diamond is considered a man’s diamond, however this shouldn’t stop you from presenting your girl with it. Black diamonds are known as the diamond of reconciliation, so if you and your girl are going through a rough patch the black diamond may be your way of escape. However, this diamond is a little on the expensive side when making an apology, but for an engagement ring, the price is right! Black diamonds cost the equivalent of white diamonds. More often than not, a solitaire white diamond has black diamond baguettes on either side or the band is paved with black diamonds. However, there are some instances when a black diamond solitaire has white diamond baguettes on either side or is paved with white diamonds as a beautiful compliment. Black and white diamonds are lovely paired together and probably so, for what the black diamond lacks in sparkle the white diamond makes up for, they are complete opposites that make a completely beautiful ring.
Carbonado is another name for black diamonds. Black diamonds are very rare and are mainly mined in Brazil. These diamonds are just as hard as white diamonds, however, the black diamonds have a pitted surface due to the crystals within them, which makes cutting them difficult.
Here are some things to look for, when considering a black diamond:
Black Diamond Engagement Ring
- Black diamonds are lovely against platinum, titanium, white gold, or silver because the gay hues of the black diamond are brought out perfectly. But yellow gold is also a nice color against the black.
- There are different variations of the black diamond, there can be greenish tones, a translucent black, gray tones, or solid black.
- Beware of fraudulent black diamonds. Because gems can be easily converted to black to look like black diamonds.
by Miss Engagement Ring on April 30, 2010
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An engagement ring is a symbol of your love and will be the pride and joy of your bride-to-be. There isn’t a standard rule for the price of the ring, but the average cost of a diamond engagement ring is $3,500 to $4,000, but according to tradition the guy is supposed to pay for the engagement ring using two months of his salary. Now, this depends on the girl and the ring.
You may have heard or considered a diamond engagement ring as an investment, and it is, it is an heirloom. Part of the diamond engagement ring is the emotion and commitment it represents. Do not be persuaded by the jewelers who may question the commitment you have for your girl when they question how much you are willing to spend on the ring. Also, don’t be pressured into paying more for the ring than what you have, it is respectable to be able to pay for your ring in full without going beyond what you can afford.
A diamond engagement ring is dependent on many things, but mainly the four “C’s.” Carat, cut, cost, and color – these things lay the foundation of whether or not your ring will pass the wow factor. Of course the clearer the color, the more expensive the diamond, yet you can get around getting a cloudy diamond that still looks clear and radiant through the naked eye. Cut is dependent on how many carats your diamond will have. Do you want a big cut (such as a round)? or a smaller cut (such as the Asscher)? The bigger (more carats) the diamond is the more expensive it will be. The metal is also a key factor, metals like titanium and platinum are some of the most expensive in the ring realm. However, silver and white gold are some of the less expensive metals to use in an engagement ring. The price is dependent on all these factors.
by Miss Diamond Ring on April 30, 2010
Photo By: Gcardinal
The Diamond? (Check)
The Girl? (Check)
The Proposal? (Check)
The Setting? . . .
Although the style of the setting may seem like an unnecessary factor of the ring to look into, it is the main defining part of your girl’s diamond that will set hers apart from the others. There are many things to consider when looking for the right setting for your girl’s ring:
The Metal:
- Platinum is one of the most popular metals to get when looking into an engagement ring. With a look like silver, but an nontarnishable surface it is one of the sturdiest and purest engagement ring bands out there, and suitable for any fiancee-to-be. Platinum won’t wear away, but polishing it may prove to be a task, going to a jeweler would be the best way to get it polished. The care for a platinum setting will be minimal, but when it does need repair it will be difficult due to its durability. The popular setting that uses platinum is art deco; if you want an original antique ring, platinum is what you will find in these original art deco settings.
- White Gold is the perfect solution to expensive metals. Platinum is the most expensive when it comes to metals in an engagement ring, but white gold is the perfect alternative due to its look like platinum without the expense. Its more durable than silver and looks lovely when paired with a diamond. White gold is gold blended with a silver alloy rather than copper to give it that silver look. It is also plated with Rhodium to give it that silver luster. White gold is often found in Edwardian and Victorian original engagement rings.
- Yellow gold is the traditional metal used in an engagement ring. It is very soft and must be melded with other metals to give it a more durable quality. 18ct. is one of the purest forms of gold in a band. The more carats found in the gold, the purer the gold is and more expensive it will be.
The Style and added Features:
Photo by: iLoveButter
The style of the engagement ring is also crucial. Is your girl a vintage and antique lover? Does she pay attention to the details and love traditional aspects of life? Antique engagement rings may be the way to go. These types of rings are often called, Edwardian, Victorian, and Art Deco. They are lovely and consist of a terraced design and vine looking swirls within the band.
Does your girl like the glamor and sparkle of diamonds? Perhaps you want to add an extra diamond on either side of the largest diamond, this is called a baguette setting. Or you could get the band paved with diamond all around. This is called a paved setting and is very lovely.
Is your girl simplistic? A plain band on a solitaire diamond is just beautiful and accentuates the natural beauty of the diamond.
