The diamond engagement ring is often the most important piece of jewelry that a young man will buy and is often the one that causes the most stress. You can’t just walk into a jewelry store and grab the first ring that catches your eye and fits into your budget, after all. This is a ring that will be given at a very important point of your life.
It is especially important that you choose the right ring if you are going to surprise your intended. There are five factors that you should be looking at when choosing the right diamond called the Five Cs. In addition, you will have to choose the right band to suit that diamond as well.
The Five Cs of Diamond Shopping
Simply put, the Five Cs of a diamond are: certification, carat, clarity, color and cut. You don’t have to be a diamond expert to choose the right diamond, but you should know a few of these criteria and how they affect the value of the stone and the appearance of the finished ring.
Certifcation: a grading report that relates to the value of the diamond Carat: determined by its weight. 1/5th of a gram of weight equals one carat. In addition, diamonds are rated by points. There are 100 points in a carat so a diamond with .50 points is equal to a half carat. Clarity: most if not all diamonds have minor flaws including blemishes and inclusions that can only be seen by a special eye piece called a “loupe” Color: the whiter the diamond, the higher its value. Cut: this does not refer to the shape of the diamond but rather how it was cut from the larger stone by the master craftsman.
The Shape of the Stone That You Buy
Are you shopping for a round diamond or something more unique? Does your bride to be want a princess cut ring, for example? If you don’t know her favorite cut, you might try to find out which she prefers. If you can’t find out without tipping off your plans, you can choose a simple but elegant, brilliant cut which is almost universally accepted. Most women will have to have their rings sized once they receive them so if you have selected the wrong one, you may be able to trade this ring in for something more suitable.
Finally, the band that you choose matters as well. There are options such as white gold and yellow gold as well as other metals like platinum and titanium. Steel rings are also making a comeback because they are very inexpensive and are not harmful to the environment. In addition to choosing the right metal for the band, you will have to decide on its width. That might depend on the style of the ring, the size of the stone and of course, the length of the finger you will be slipping it onto.
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