If You Want To Choose The Right Diamond Ring, Read This

Buying the right diamond ring requires time, thought and planning. Here’s some help you can use:

Read up on diamonds –

While diamonds are the most popular gemstone you can think of, purchasing one is not super tough. It comes with its own guide – the 4 Cs – cut, carat, color, clarity. Do your research on each one of these so you can frame an idea in your mind about what your requirements are.

You don’t need to go in for a natural diamond.

There’s a reason why man-made diamonds are all the rage today. They undergo the same process – extreme heat and pressure – to become a diamond. Thus, chemically you will see no difference between a lab created diamond and one found in the wild. What’s more, you can provide the material that goes into making the diamond. This makes the diamond even more personal.

Once you’ve decided on what kind of diamond, do the crucial thing – have a figure in mind. Don’t look at what needs to be the right amount to be spent. The important thing is what you can afford and how much you want to spend, because you need to keep in mind that there will be other expenses too. The stone, the metal, the making charges etc.

Think about the metal you want to use –

The ring is gorgeous when the metal choice is an intelligent one as well. Yellow gold is a popular choice, as is white and rose gold. Platinum is a great choice too. Yellow gold wears out in time and may need replacing. Platinum lasts longer, but loses its shine as time passes. Do you want the ring engraved? Hand engraved designs cost more than machine made. Think about the metal and design elements that would go best with the stone.

The metal choice depends on the diamond, its design and shape. The most popular choice for shape is the brilliant cut, a round shape. There is a large amount of wastage in this design, given the kind of shape it has. Next to this is the princess cut, which is a square or rectangle – there’s little wastage in this design which keeps prices low too. The marquise cut is tapered at both ends and broad in the middle. It’s a good choice but needs protection on all sides too because it can get caught in material and break or crack. You need to think about whether you want it to be a standalone diamond or if you’d like other stones with it. Should there be other diamonds or would you prefer stones of a different nature? Maybe rubies or emeralds?  These are decisions you need to think about.

Choosing The Diamond Size

There’s a lot of buzz about getting a 1 carat or 2, 3 or a higher carat diamond. There are two points here. 1) – it’s less expensive to get a stone that’s a shade under the full number – so look for a .8 or .9 instead of 1. Same for the higher number. This can bring your expenses down. A single carat can set you back by up to 20,000 dollars. So any savings is good! 2) – 1 carat does not have to be from one single stone. A collection of small diamonds can add up to 1 carat and not burn a hole in your pocket. What’s more, it makes for fiery, brilliant glory and looks absolutely beautiful.

Find a jeweler who is reputed.

While you might be tempted to try one of the online jewellery site deals, it may not always be what you want. A reputed store is a better bet. You have a place to resell the stone, you know its origin and provenance, including whether it’s conflict-free stone or not. You can also get sound advice from the jeweller – something that may be essential in making crucial decisions. Trust someone who’s been around for a while and knows how to help you.

Make sure your diamond ring comes with certification. It should be from GIA and this is the way to attest the authenticity of the stone.

While you’re at it, consider insurance for the diamond ring too. Yes, it is an added expense, but wouldn’t you pay a bit more for peace of mind?

Tying all these questions together is the important idea – what is the wearer of the stone like? Do they like the classical design or do they have a more modern sensibility? Are they outdoors oriented or are they engaged in quiet work? Lifestyle determines the end result of the ring. So, choose your ring after taking all this into consideration.