Posts Tagged ‘diamond shapes’

 

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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Learn About Princess Cut Engagement Rings

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

Traditional diamond solitaires make beautiful engagement rings, but for the woman who desires a little something different a princess cut engagement ring may fit the bill.

 

What Are Princess Cuts?

 

The princess cut is actually relatively new to the jewelry world, and new to engagement rings in particular. Princess cuts are identified by their square shape, and are actually a combination of a brilliant cut and a step cut.

 

How Much Do They Cost?

 

For a woman who desires an affordable, unique alternative to traditional diamond cuts, a princess cut engagement ring is actually one of the cheapest cuts to make. Because of the nature of the cut, it requires less time to polish and shape the stone, which will therefore lower the price of the finished gem.

 

What’s more, you don’t necessarily need a top quality stone. Because a princess cut combines two separate cuts into one, they are able to conceal more imperfections or flaws that other cuts simply couldn’t do. This means that a lower quality stone can be used, unlike with other cuts such as round diamonds.

 

Of course, the overall price for a princess cut engagement ring will vary on a number of other factors in addition to these, such as the metal used; any accent stones and the intricacy of the design.

 

What Settings Work For Princess Cut Stones?

 

There are actually specific settings that work well for princess cut engagement rings. The sharp edges of the stone are quite fragile, and can break or chip if not adequately protected. For this reason, prong settings are typically used, and the prongs are set at the corners of the stone for extra protection.

 

Channel settings are also popular for princess cut stones. With a channel setting, the stones are actually set into the band itself rather than using prongs to suspend the stone above the band. This type of setting works well for women who lead active lifestyles because there is minimal risk of accidental damage like there would be with a prong setting.

 

Other Design Considerations

 

Princess cut engagement rings are actually quite versatile, and couples can choose to customize the ring with a variety of accent stones, design choices or metal types. A simple princess cut solitaire ring looks beautiful and classic, but still offers a modern twist on a traditional solitaire ring.

 

Three-stone designs are also quite popular, as are pear shaped or round diamonds used as accent stones. The sky is nearly the limit when choosing a princess cut engagement ring that fits both your taste and your budget.

 

Choosing a princess cut engagement ring is a wonderful choice for the bride-to-be who desires a distinctive look that retains the appearance of classic elegance, but adds a modern twist on a traditional engagement ring.

 

Whether you choose a solitaire ring or accent stones, a simple setting or a more elaborate one or any other number of customizations, your princess cut engagement ring will be as precious as the love the two of you share.

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Diamond Shapes

Monday, May 18th, 2009

The perfect engagement ring must be decided upon after a number of factors have been considered, including the shape of the diamond. There are a variety of shapes to choose from, and this decision shouldn’t be taken lightly since the stone is the most important visual aspect of the ring. Before making your decision, familiarize yourself with the different diamond shapes and choose one based on your bride-to-be’s preference as well as the shape most suited to her hand and lifestyle.

 

Diamond Shapes

For those who aren’t familiar with the 4 C’s of diamonds, diamond cuts and diamond shapes may seem interchangeable – they aren’t. A diamond’s cut refers to the number of facets in a diamond and how those facets are proportioned. Shape, on the other hand, is simply the overall outline of the finished diamond. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the various diamond shapes available and choose the one that best suits you and your bride-to-be’s budget, her personality and overall preference.

 

  • Round

 

Round diamonds are arguably the most popular choice and are traditionally found in classic solitaire rings. The round diamond’s versatility make this an exceptionally popular choice, because it works well with a number of settings and accent stones.

 

  • Emerald

 

Emerald diamonds feature a rectangular cut with trimmed corners. Because emerald shaped diamonds are elongated, couples often choose to place accent stones around the diamond to provide the overall appearance of balance.

 

  • Pear

 

Also known as a teardrop diamond, pear shaped diamonds are very popular in jewelry, and more couples are turning to this shape as the focal point for an engagement ring. Pear shaped diamonds are usually left to stand alone, as the unique shape would be unbalanced with many accent stones.

 

  • Heart

 

Romantic and a bit whimsical, heart shaped diamonds are exceedingly hard to find, as the cut can be difficult to make. If you choose a heart shaped diamond, carefully examine the stone to ensure there are no obvious flaws or imperfections present.

 

  • Princess

 

Princess diamonds are square shaped and look exceptionally well set in a three-stone ring design because of their unique shape, which works well with accent stones. Examine the color of a princess shaped diamond carefully, as lower-quality diamonds can show color differences towards the corners of the stone.

 

  • Marquise

 

Characterized by a slim oval shape with ends that taper into a point, the marquise diamond is a classic choice for a bride that loves the traditional look. While the stone can be used in engagement rings, marquise shaped diamonds are more often used in bridal ring sets.

 

  • Oval

 

Oval diamonds are typically used in more elaborate settings, accented with other stones to complement the diamond. Ovals also work well as simple solitaires.

 

While these are the most common diamond shapes, specialty shapes such as trilliant, asscher or cushion diamonds are more rare and should be carefully selected because of their uniqueness.

 

It may seem intimidating when faced with so many diamond shapes to choose from, but with a little research and some careful planning, you can find the right diamond shape for a beautiful engagement ring the bride-to-be will love.

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