Posts Tagged ‘diamond rings’

 

How to Choose a Diamond Shape for your Engagement Ring

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

Choosing a diamond shape is actually a very important decision that should be based on a number of factors, not just what shape you like best. Engagement rings are an important purchase, and choosing the right diamond shape for your particular ring is a critical process that should not be taken lightly.

 

What Kind of Diamond Shapes Are There?

 

Before you can choose a diamond shape for your engagement ring, you should familiarize yourself with the kinds of shapes that are available. These included:

  • Oval
  • Round
  • Heart
  • Emerald
  • Pear
  • Marquise
  • Princess
  • Radiant
  • Trilliant
  • Asscher

While your personal preferences will obviously come into play as far as what diamond shape you choose, there are other factors to consider.

 

Things to Consider

 

Before choosing a diamond shape, you should carefully consider which shape would be not only something you like, but practical as well.

 

For example, you want to make sure the stone’s dimensions are good. A poorly cut diamond (no matter what shape it is) will reveal imperfections and flaws and not look as brilliant as you want it to.

 

You also need to take into account the size of your band. A wider band can handle elongated diamonds, while a thin or narrow band is complemented by round or square shaped stones. Try on a bunch of different rings with diamond shapes you’re interested in, as well, because you want to make sure the shape of the stone complements your hand.

 

If you are thinking of incorporating accent stones into the design of your engagement ring, consider how those accents will affect the shape of your central stone.

 

Judging the Quality of a Diamond

 

After you’ve decided on a diamond shape for your engagement ring, it’s important to understand how to judge the quality of the stone you’re interested in.

 

Learning about the 4 C’s (cut, color, clarity and carat weight) will help you in determining the quality of the diamond, and enable you to make good choices. The type of stone shape you choose will have its own pros and cons, so learning about the 4 C’s will help you to find the perfect stone for your engagement ring.

 

If you are having a hard time finding a particular diamond shape, you may need to solicit the help of a designer to craft the perfect diamond for you. Most jewelers stock a limited selection of some of the more basic diamond shapes, but a specialty shape may require you to look elsewhere.

 

While personal preference is important when choosing a particular diamond shape, you still need to consider how to design your engagement ring to best flatter that shape. By learning all you can about judging diamond quality and the different shapes available to you, you can find the perfect diamond that fits your budget, your ring and your personal taste!

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How to Find the Perfect Diamond Engagement Ring

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Proposing to the woman you love with a beautiful diamond engagement ring will be one of the most special moments in your life. With that being said, you want to make sure you are buying the best diamond ring you can. Even if you know nothing about jewelry, it pays to familiarize yourself with the basic characteristics of a diamond and how each affect the value of the stone. Armed with a basic understanding of diamonds, you can ensure the diamond engagement ring you present to your bride-to-be will be perfect.

 

Determine What She Likes

Choosing a diamond is only one step in the process of finding the perfect diamond engagement ring for your bride-to-be. Before you can purchase a ring, you need to determine what kind of jewelry she likes. If you intend on keeping the proposal a secret until the big day, enlist the help of her friends or mother (if they can keep a secret, that is!) or take a peek at the jewelry she already owns. Does she own more white gold pieces, or does she prefer yellow gold? Do her tastes tend to be classic and understated or bold and elaborate? Learn as much as you can about the style of jewelry she prefers so you are able to buy an engagment ring she’ll love.

 

Figure Out How Much You Can Afford

A diamond engagement ring can be very expensive or quite affordable depending on how much you can afford to spend. While you want to buy the best quality diamond you can for your bride-to-be, that doesn’t mean you have to spend thousands of dollars if you are unable to. The setting, metal choice and the stone will all affect the final cost of the ring, so figure out what you are looking for and how much you can expect to pay for the diamond and setting you are interested in.

 

Learn What To Look For In A Diamond

A diamond engagement ring is one of the most important and major purchases you will make, so you should take the time to understand what you are buying before you commit. A diamond’s worth is judged by the 4 C’s (cut, clarity, color and carat weight.) Take the time to familiarize yourself with these and use them to judge which qualities are most important in a diamond for you and your bride-to-be. Learning about the various diamond shapes and sizes will also help you narrow down your choice to find the perfect diamond engagement ring that your budget will allow. You should also settle on a setting and band for your ring. Different metals will affect the final cost of the engagement ring as some metals (such as platinum) are more expensive than others.

 

Finding the perfect diamond engagement ring for your bride-to-be can seem like a daunting task. If you take the time to learn about diamonds and ring styles, however, you can ensure the ring you end up buying will be cherished and loved for the rest of your lives together.

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Unique and Stunning Asscher Cut Engagement Rings

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

Okay, so you are a man who knows little to nothing about women’s jewelry, and you decide that you have been single long enough and you are ready to ask your honey to marry you. You may start thinking about the perfect place to pop the question. Maybe you should take her on a vacation…perhaps a tropical island or a ski trip in the mountains. Maybe it would be best to go to your favorite restaurant, or a concert in the park. Or maybe you are one of those guys who is feeling the ballgame scoreboard proposal or the freeway billboard thing. However and wherever you choose to do the deed, your next challenge is to learn something about women’s jewelry. You are going to have to select an engagement ring that is hard to say no to, and that is going to take some effort.

 

Not knowing a lot about women’s jewelry before you get married is not necessarily a very bad thing. It is totally possible that you wouldn’t have a girlfriend at all if you were the type of guy that is deeply into women’s jewelry and accessories. But I digress. Once you know that you are going to be buying an engagement ring, you have to know what’s out there and try to get some sort of inkling about what type of ring will truly wow your fiance-to-be.

 

A diamond is a precious commodity, but the way that it is cut is one of the things that sets one stone apart from another, and like anything else, there are varying standards of quality when you are talking about cut. One unique and stunning cut is the Asscher cut diamond. The style was patented by the Dutch brothers Asscher back in 1902, and the Asscher cut has been synonymous with elegant lapidary excellence ever since. The Asscher stone has a squarish shape with the corners cut so that the stone actually resembles an octagon. If you are wondering what type of engagement ring you may be able to present to your spouse-to-be that is truly precise and unmistakably eye-catching, you may want to consider an Asscher cut diamond. It is interesting to note that because of the fact that the cut is patented, each and every Asscher stone can be identified and authenticated (under magnification of course) through the family seal that each diamond carries on its girdle.

 

There is a saying that goes something like “I don’t know art, but I know what I like.” If you are somewhat intimidated by the prospect of buying an engagement ring, fear not. Simply do some web browsing and get a feel for the choices that you have, and think like the person who is considering buying a work of art. Find something that you like and it is very likely that the woman in your life will like it as well. Pay attention to detail, take notice of the intricacy of the cut, and let your common sense and personal taste guide the way.

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