I recently got engaged to my girlfriend and have been writing a number of articles on purchasing engagement rings. When you go to purchase a ring you will most likely buy the setting and the stone separately. While there are many stones that you can have placed in your ring setting it is likely you will choose a diamond. To help you find the best value here is how to understand the quality of a diamond and what aspects are most important. Diamond quality is measured according to the 4Cs which are Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat.
White diamonds portray a lack of color (If you choose chocolate diamonds or something similar the color scale will not apply). The ratings system runs on a scale from D all the way to Z (including all the letters in between). There are a five categories of diamond color within this scale: Colorless (D,E, F), Near Colorless (G, H, I, J), Faint Yellow (K,L, M), Very Light Yellow (N, O, P, Q, R) and Light yellow (S-Z).
The next question to answer is what she wants in the ring. Things to ask her (she may not know the answers so have pictures prepared) include: the type of metal (white gold, yellow platinum, etc.), the type of stones (white diamonds, rubies, sapphires, etc.), the shape of the stone (round, pear, princess, marquise, etc. ), the style of the ring (there are dozens have her identify a few that she likes), separate or welded wedding band. Lastly, you need to know her ring size. When purchasing a ring you want her exact size (jewelers will have no problems sizing the ring for you).
This one is more personal and there really is no rule here other than pleasing your girlfriend. It used to be said that two months' salary was the right amount but ignore folklore and look at your finances. It probably is not worth going into debt just to begin a marriage but it is up to you. Knowing your spending limit will help you when making decisions later.
There are six grades or categories that a diamond may fall under. Flawless (FL) means there are no inclusions or blemishes visible under 10x magnification (these diamonds can be very pricey). Internally Flawless (IF) means that there are no inclusions visible under 10x magnification although there may be blemishes. Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) means that there are inclusions so slight they are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10X magnification. Very Slight Included (VS1 and VS2) are observed with effort under 10X magnification, but are minor. Slight Included (Sl1 and Sl2) have inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification. Finally, Included (I1, I2, I3) have inclusions obvious under 10x magnification.
When people buy a boat, they often feel like the only real cost is the cost of purchasing the boat. But to be financially certain, there are many other costs that you need to take into account in order to understand the true burden a boat may be on your finances. Balancing these costs with the desire for a boat will help you to decide if a boat is right for you.
Diamonds that are too shallow (larger surface area and shallow depth) will have light travel straight through the diamond without reflection. If the diamond is conversely too deep the light will enter the diamond and then be refracted to the side out of the bottom of the stone. The ideal diamond will reflect the light entering the stone back up to your eye. Ideal diamonds have an equal mix of light and dark portions when looked straight down on the diamond. Poorer diamonds will be either very dark or a bland light color.
The easiest to understand carat simply refers to the weight of the stone. Each carat can be subdivided into 100 points. Each point matches up to the hundredth of the decimal. A diamond .35 carat diamond is a thirty-five pointer. Not surprisingly larger diamonds are more rare and more valuable. A note to make is that carat weights that are exactly the following (.5 carat, 1 carat, 1.5 carat, 2 carat, etc.) can be very expensive. However, if you have carat weight that is slightly off one of these exact measurements the diamond will be much cheaper. If you are worried more about the size of the stone you can search for stones based on top surface area measured in millimeters, (but remember having a shallow or deep diamond will affect the brilliance of the diamond).
Return home with your arsenal of information and lay it out before you (again mine was in excel). Continue to eliminate stores that after the visit don't meet your standards. Identify a handful of potential rings you could use. Remember to consider the stone you will select, its quality and accompanying price. Now, you may want to check back with your girlfriend to see if your choices are acceptable but that depends on her preferences. After you have weighed the pros and cons of each select your ring and return to the store. Locate your ring, sign the necessary papers (make sure to read these) and purchase the ring. Now on to your proposal, good luck my friend.
White diamonds portray a lack of color (If you choose chocolate diamonds or something similar the color scale will not apply). The ratings system runs on a scale from D all the way to Z (including all the letters in between). There are a five categories of diamond color within this scale: Colorless (D,E, F), Near Colorless (G, H, I, J), Faint Yellow (K,L, M), Very Light Yellow (N, O, P, Q, R) and Light yellow (S-Z).
The next question to answer is what she wants in the ring. Things to ask her (she may not know the answers so have pictures prepared) include: the type of metal (white gold, yellow platinum, etc.), the type of stones (white diamonds, rubies, sapphires, etc.), the shape of the stone (round, pear, princess, marquise, etc. ), the style of the ring (there are dozens have her identify a few that she likes), separate or welded wedding band. Lastly, you need to know her ring size. When purchasing a ring you want her exact size (jewelers will have no problems sizing the ring for you).
This one is more personal and there really is no rule here other than pleasing your girlfriend. It used to be said that two months' salary was the right amount but ignore folklore and look at your finances. It probably is not worth going into debt just to begin a marriage but it is up to you. Knowing your spending limit will help you when making decisions later.
There are six grades or categories that a diamond may fall under. Flawless (FL) means there are no inclusions or blemishes visible under 10x magnification (these diamonds can be very pricey). Internally Flawless (IF) means that there are no inclusions visible under 10x magnification although there may be blemishes. Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) means that there are inclusions so slight they are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10X magnification. Very Slight Included (VS1 and VS2) are observed with effort under 10X magnification, but are minor. Slight Included (Sl1 and Sl2) have inclusions are noticeable under 10x magnification. Finally, Included (I1, I2, I3) have inclusions obvious under 10x magnification.
When people buy a boat, they often feel like the only real cost is the cost of purchasing the boat. But to be financially certain, there are many other costs that you need to take into account in order to understand the true burden a boat may be on your finances. Balancing these costs with the desire for a boat will help you to decide if a boat is right for you.
Diamonds that are too shallow (larger surface area and shallow depth) will have light travel straight through the diamond without reflection. If the diamond is conversely too deep the light will enter the diamond and then be refracted to the side out of the bottom of the stone. The ideal diamond will reflect the light entering the stone back up to your eye. Ideal diamonds have an equal mix of light and dark portions when looked straight down on the diamond. Poorer diamonds will be either very dark or a bland light color.
The easiest to understand carat simply refers to the weight of the stone. Each carat can be subdivided into 100 points. Each point matches up to the hundredth of the decimal. A diamond .35 carat diamond is a thirty-five pointer. Not surprisingly larger diamonds are more rare and more valuable. A note to make is that carat weights that are exactly the following (.5 carat, 1 carat, 1.5 carat, 2 carat, etc.) can be very expensive. However, if you have carat weight that is slightly off one of these exact measurements the diamond will be much cheaper. If you are worried more about the size of the stone you can search for stones based on top surface area measured in millimeters, (but remember having a shallow or deep diamond will affect the brilliance of the diamond).
Return home with your arsenal of information and lay it out before you (again mine was in excel). Continue to eliminate stores that after the visit don't meet your standards. Identify a handful of potential rings you could use. Remember to consider the stone you will select, its quality and accompanying price. Now, you may want to check back with your girlfriend to see if your choices are acceptable but that depends on her preferences. After you have weighed the pros and cons of each select your ring and return to the store. Locate your ring, sign the necessary papers (make sure to read these) and purchase the ring. Now on to your proposal, good luck my friend.
About the Author:
Neighbors Plus Insurance Services has been independently owned and locally operated, to ensure that the needs of the community are being met. We work hard to ensure that our clients in Lakewood, Long Beach and Southern California are able to have the most affordable and reliable insurance choices available.
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