The first thing you need to decide when choosing a diamond engagement ring is what type of ring you want to buy. The second consideration should be your budget. Shopping for a solitaire ring is different than shopping for a cluster ring or diamond band. And the criteria for how to shop for each of these items varies as well. You want to stay within a budget so you can feel comfortable about your jewellery purchase.

Decide on how much you want to spend before you go shopping and stick as close to your budget as possible. This not only narrows your choices and saves you time, it prevents you from having “buyers remorse” later on.

You will want to spend a little more for a quality piece that is well made and contains the highest quality stones you can afford. Cheaper jewelry is often not made as well, leaving the jewelry vulnerable to breaking or dropping stones. Also, the jewels in budget jewelry are often inferior which becomes obvious when you wear the piece.

For a diamond solitaire ring, the quality of the diamond is important. First, determine what size solitaire you can afford. Diamonds are sold by the carat weight, with one carat representing 200 milligrams of actual weight. The larger the carat weight, the more expensive the stone. The C in the word “carat” represents the first of four words beginning with C (or the four C’s ) that are used to measure a diamonds worth.

Then second thing you should look for in a solitaire is the color. This is the second of the four C’s. Diamonds come in many colors, both natural and lab created stones. Diamonds come in almost every color under the sun, including brown, yellow, pink, blue and red. Colored diamonds are referred to as fancy stones. Natural fancy stones (as opposed to lab created ones)of high quality are extremely rare, however, and therefore very expensive. The most expensive diamond in the world is a blue diamond from India that sold in December of 2008 at a Christie’s auction for $24.3 million. Most people are on a budget and therefore choose to stay with the white or clear diamonds. These stones are graded on how pure the color is. Pure white, with no tinge of yellow, are the highest valued stones.

After you have decided on the carat and color of your diamond, you need to consider the third C on our list or clarity. Most diamonds contain microscopic bits of carbon spots known as flaws. Some of these spots can be seen with the naked eye and some are invisible unless the stone is viewed under magnifying loop. The fewer these flaws, visible or not, the higher the value of the Diamond. The highest valued diamonds are those with no flaws or F for flawless. Most diamonds fall in the VS category, or Very Slight inclusions only visible with magnification. You can buy a VS diamond of half a carat or more for a reasonable amount of money if you shop around.

The last factor you need to decide on is the last C in our list or Cut. The cut of a diamond has a huge effect on how it presents. If the cut is wrong, the stone will not sparkle or show to its full potential. The cut must be extremely precise and delicate to release the diamonds brilliance by reflecting the most light. Choose your cut wisely.

There are many varieties of diamond shapes you can choose from, but the quality of the cut is the most important factor to consider when choosing on one. The cut diamonds are rated as “Very Good” “Good” “Fair” and “Poor”. Choose the best grade of cut you can afford, as the more a diamond sparkles, the larger it appears. If you consider the four C’s, do your homework and stick to a budget, you will end up with a high quality diamond piece that will give you years of pleasure.

Author Bio: Why its important to avoid conflict diamonds in Edmonton engagement rings or Vancouver engagement rings is a topic that warrants continued debate. The Canadian Jewellery Directory enforces a code of ethics among Canadian Jewellers.

Category: Relationships
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