The most widespread of engagement traditions is the groom presenting his bride to be with a ring. Most often, the engagement ring is often a diamond ring. While diamonds are the best beloved by brides to become, diamonds are usually not the only precious stones used in engagement rings.
If your choice of engagement ring is really a diamond ring, be prepared to spend. The diamond jewellery retail market is really a $30 billion market. Over $5 billion is spent on engagement ring in the U.S. market.
To the untrained eye, most diamonds look very similar. Many people differentiate between diamonds according to size, shape, and price. A lower price usually means lower diamond quality, not necessarily a bargain.
Judging diamond quality requires skill and experience, also it involves grading a ring determined by a combination of characteristics such as cut, clarity, color and carat weight. The above characteristics are called the “4 Cs”. A diamond’s weight is measured in carats, similar to one fifth of a gram. Ordinarily diamonds range from 0.25 up to many carats. Weight is only one method of valuing a diamond, color is another. Colorless diamonds are the most rare and they are the best valuable. Colored diamonds with a touch of yellow tend to be more common and less expensive.
Diamond colors are coded from D to Z. A D grade is the most precious and Z is least valuable. Diamonds graded D-F are considered colorless and they’re the most valuable. Various reputable jewellery stores will not sell K thru Z grade diamonds.
The most valuable color grades:
D: Absolutely colorless. The highest color grade, which is very rare.
E: Colorless. Only minute traces of color can be detected by an experienced gemologist. A rare diamond.
F: Colorless. Slight color detected by an expert gemologist, but still measured a “colorless” grade. A higher-quality diamond.
Another essential factor determining the price of a diamond is its cut. The same as color, cut, is equally difficult to evaluate for the untrained eye. The grading certificate that typically is included with the diamond will give you a good idea. Independent testing laboratories, such the GIA, provide certificates using a diamond’s grading from excellent to poor. A licensed diamond also means an even bigger worth tag.
The clarity of the diamond simply refers to its purity. Most diamonds have minuscule markings called “inclusions”. A flawless (no inclusions) diamond is extremely rare and important, while a diamond riddled with inclusions is less expensive. Clarity is ranked from “flawless” (FL) to “imperfect” (I1 to I2). Most diamonds fall between those with very, very small inclusions (VVS1) to rocks with slightly larger inclusions (S1). If you’re willing to compromise on clarity, you are able to expect to save. To verify a diamond’s clarity, examine the laboratory certificate.
If you’re on a decent budget, attempt to avoid the big name jewels stores. Brand name usually is included with a bigger price tag. Buy wholesale might be an option. Normally the wholesaler’s core business is selling diamonds to retailers, but they also sell for the public. Because they you should not advertise in the traditional methods, nor are they located in shopping malls, you must seek them out. You can see some wholesalers listed as diamond merchants in the Yellow Pages.






























