Engagement & Wedding Rings: What to Look For
When shopping for a diamond engagement ring, styles and price vary tremendously. It is often confusing to decide how to best proceed. Focus on selecting a single beautiful diamond within your budget, and then choose a style of ring in which to mount it.
Before you buy, understand diamond value. Selecting the perfect center diamond is paramount to choosing the ideal engagement or wedding ring. View a wide array of loose diamonds and browse with confidence after arming yourself with the facts concerning diamond quality. Diamonds are graded according to four internationally accepted categories, called the 4 Cs. Where the stone fits into these categories influences the appeal of the diamond and thus the price.
CUT-Balance and proportion is key
Often thought to be referring to the shape, cut actually has to do with the placement of individual cuts or facets and their proportional relationship to the overall area of the diamond. A standard diamond contains at least 54 symmetrically placed facets. These cuts enable light to enter the stone and bounce around inside, reflecting and refracting to produce the unsurpassed sparkle and radiance that only a diamond can offer. The more perfectly placed these facets are, the more dazzling the diamond will be.
COLOR-Whiter is better
When concerning white diamonds, stones are graded on an alphabetic scale between D and Z inclusively. This scale actually measures the absence of color in a diamond. The letters D, E and F represent colorlessness, while G, H, I and J represent near-colorless diamonds. The letters K through Z signify that there is a tinge of yellow, which is readily discerned by the eye. Diamonds of obvious color are graded on a very different scale having to do with intensity, saturation and hue. This scale is reserved for those stones having a greater amount of color than the white scale.
CLARITY-Use magnification to see the real story
The clarity scale for diamonds ranges from characteristics within the diamond that can be seen by the naked eye to no characteristics at all. This range consists of included (I), slightly included (SI), very slightly included (VS), very very slightly included (VVS), internally flawless (IF), and flawless (F). I clarity diamonds contain blemishes such as dark spots that can be seen without magnification. These imperfections deter from the beauty of the stone.
CARAT WEIGHT-Size matters
Diamonds are weighed by carats, which are subsequently divided into points. One hundred points is equal to 1 carat, which is the most widely desired size of a single center diamond. Total diamond weight (TDW) refers to the combined weight of all diamonds in the ring.
After making the all-important center diamond selection, consider the style of your loved one and choose a setting that will reflect your good taste and be comfortable for them. An engagement ring is a symbolic testament of eternal love. Take the time to choose the perfect diamond ring to reflect your undying devotion.
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