It's only a few days until Valentine's Day, when the most romantic, decide to propose to their lovely partners. This of course turns into one of the busiest times for a jeweler. If you are one of those romantics looking for a diamond engagement ring, or if you are shopping as a couple, let me give you some sound diamond advice.
The first step is to do a little research and instruct ourselves. If you are selecting diamonds, and most of you will, you first have to be aware of the the four C's. They are:
Cut: refers to the shape of the diamond. It can be round, square, oval, emerald cut which is rectangular, square (also known as princess cut), pear shaped, etc.
Color: When a gemologist of jeweler refers to diamond color we are usually referring to the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. Color is a result of the composition of the diamond, and it never changes over time.
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| Beautiful diamond engagement rings by Daniella Kronfle Jewelry. |
A colorless diamond allows more light to pass through it than a colored diamond, so a colorless diamond will emit more sparkle and fire. Only a few rare diamonds are truly colorless, making a diamond that is whiter have a greater value. The diagram above is the professional jewelers' color scale. When you are choosing a diamond keep in mind that even though the most valuable diamonds are naturally graded D through F, diamonds graded G through I show virtually no color to the untrained eye.
FYI: These rules do not apply to fancy colored diamonds by the way. These are rare and expensive and come in colors such as black, yellow, and blue. I love working with these because they are very special, although I usually don't use them when I'm designing an engagement ring.
Clarity: describes the purity of the stone. It refers to its imperfections or "inclusions". Inclusions interfere with the light passing through the stone. The fewer inclusions a diamond has the more beautiful and valuable it will be. The GIA rates them from Flawless to Imperfect 3.
Carats: is how we measure the size of the stone. The more carats you buy the bigger the bling. This however is only one way to determine the value of the stone. Two diamonds of the same wight will not necessarily reflect the same value. Chose wisely.
Whatever your choice may be, the most important thing to take into consideration is the bride's taste. We all remember the infamous scene in Sex and the City where Carrie gets that hideous ring. It is so terrible she will only wear it around her neck!
The last thing you want is that kind of a reaction. So the best advice? Know who you are shopping for. If you do (and I hope you do since you will marry them) anything you choose will be nothing short of spectacular. Just remember, wherever you purchase the ring, to get a certificate of authenticity with all the details of the piece.
Happy diamond shopping
Dani K
Happy diamond shopping
Dani K
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