Online diamond vendors like James Allen and Blue Nile make this part of the process easier by providing free ring sizers that you can use to work out your partner’s exact ring size before you place an order for your ring.
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This is the safest way, but it’s not always the most romantic, especially if you want to keep your plan to pop the question secret. We’ve shared a few other techniques that you can use to work out your partner’s ring size without raising suspicions in our guide to finding your ideal ring size.
We understand that buying a diamond ring can be a confusing and stressful process, even with the information above. Diamonds are costly, and trying to find the perfect balance of cut quality, color, clarity and carat weight without exceeding your budget isn’t easy.
If you have any questions throughout the engagement ring process, feel free to reach out to us for diamond advice. We help hundreds of our readers find and buy beautiful engagement rings every month, and our diamond experts are happy to answer any and all of your questions.
James Allen James Allen is the leader in online diamond sales. Their imaging technology is the same as inspecting a diamond with a jeweler's loupe. They have the largest exclusive loose diamond inventory online and fantastic prices. They also have the nicest collection of lab-created diamonds online. They currently run a 10% discount on selected lab-grown diamonds!
Blue Nile Blue Nile is the largest and most well-known internet jewelry seller. They have a very large exclusive online inventory. Their high-quality images are catching up to James Allens' and their prices are amazing. Right now, Blue Nile offers up to 50% savings on selected jewelry during a limited-time season sale.
Mike Fried Mike Fried Mike Fried has over 25 years experience in the diamond industry working with Leo Schachter Diamonds, Moshe Namdar Diamonds, and joining The Diamond Pro in 2007. He is recognized as an industry expert and has been quoted in publications such as Us, People, Page Six, The Next Web and more.
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Formed deep within the earth when pure carbon (nature's simplest element) is overcome by intense heat and pressure, diamonds take millions to billions of years to htmlForm. Gradually, the carbon will crystallize and grow into a clear gemstone that will later be pushed to the earth's surface during volcanic eruptions -- when that happens, nature's hardest substance, a diamond, is born!
While it takes many lifetimes htmlFor nature to birth a diamond, most shoppers don't have that long to make decisions about buying diamonds. For these savvy individuals, our diamond purchasing guide will give you the tools you need to begin your hunt htmlFor the best deals!
The carat is the weight of a stone. Diamonds are weighed in metric carats, and one carat equals 0.2 grams (about the weight of a paperclip). Each carat has 100 points (so a 75-point diamond would weight 0.75 carats). Most diamonds used in fine jewelry are one carat or less. A diamond's development is slow and can take millions or billions of years. With this unhurried growth, the biggest diamonds are the rarest -- and therefore the priciest. For this reason, even a fraction of a difference in the carat size can dramatically change the price tag.
Many diamond-purchasing newbies think the "cut" refers to the stone's shape, such as whether it's square or round. But the cut actually has to do with the diamond's proportions, polish, symmetry and how the facets are arranged on the stone.
Believed by many to be the most important of the four "Cs," the brilliance, scintillation and sparkle of a diamond depends mostly on how well it was cut. Basically, the better the diamond's cut, the better it will glisten in the light.
Shopping Tip: Don't skimp on the cut. Top quality cuts ensure that nearly all of the light that enters the diamond is reflected back outward to the eye, creating the tantalizing flashes of light that diamonds are revered htmlFor.
Diamond cuts have several key parts. The classic and most common cut, a round brilliant-cut diamond will have 57 or 58 facets. Known as the cutlet, the 58th is optional and will include a tiny flat facet at the bottom of the pavilion. Cutting even one of these facets poorly will allow light to escape from the sides of the bottom of the stone, instead of allowing that glimmer to reflect back to your eye. Remember, the more light that reflects, the better your diamond will shine.
Also, a poorly cut stone may weaken the diamond and make it more likely to chip or break. And it may make it challenging htmlFor a jeweler to set the diamond, which could make it more likely to fall out of its setting.
Modified Brilliant: This category of fancy cuts has the most options htmlFor shapes, because it is very easy to alter the basic round into a variety of shapes. The number of facets and the arrangement is very similar to the round brilliant, resulting in cut with a great amount of sparkle and fire. Popular cuts include the marquise, heart, trillion, oval and pear shapes.
Step: Resembling tiny staircases, step-cut stones have either a square or rectangular htmlForm with facets placed parallel to the girdle. What these varieties lack in shimmer, they make up htmlFor by highlighting a stone's luster, color (or lack thereof) and clarity, as even the slightest flaw would be easily seen. Popular htmlForms of this cut include the triangle (or trillion cut) and emerald (a type of rectangular cut).
Mixed: Born in the 1960s, mixed cuts are among the newest cuts. By combining elements from step and modified-brilliant cuts, the mixed cuts are increasingly popular because they feature the best traits in the two popular varieties. In most mixed versions, the top will be brilliant cut and the bottom will be step cut. It's a technique that wastes the least amount of the original stone while still maximizing the overall shimmer. The princess or square cut is the most popular choice here. This combination saves the weight and dimensions of step cuts, while giving the sparkle of brilliant cuts.
Engagement Diamond RingRose: Created in the 16th century, the rose cut is rarely seen outside of antique jewelry. It's made with a flat bottom topped with several symmetrical, triangle shaped facets that rise to a point. Round, oval and hexagonal shapes were all once popular
Born from deep within the earth, nearly all natural diamonds usually have external blemishes or internal inclusions. Including scratches, dirt, random debris, air bubbles, cracks and chips, these imperfections often lower the value of diamonds. Flawless diamonds are extremely rare and pricey.
Shopping Tip: It' not always a bad thing to have a flawed diamond. Like a birthmark, these natural characteristics may help confirm ownership and differentiate between different stones. Just be sure to have an independent jeweler evaluate the stone to ensure it's not structurally weakened by the inclusion.
The majority of diamonds are rated by the absence of color; obviously, the clearest diamonds have the highest worth. Exceptions are made htmlFor fancy-colored diamonds, like green, brown or yellow, which are evaluated outside this system htmlFor their intensity and evenness of color. Ranging from "D" (completely colorless) to "Z" (almost colorless); the closer a stone is to "D" the more rare and expensive it is. Diamond graders will compare the diamonds they are evaluating against a "master" stone of a known color to determine a grade.
Shopping Tip: If buying mid-grade (or higher grade), clear diamonds, try setting them in white metal. The whiteness will reflect onto the diamond and back to the eye, making it appear whiter and brighter. This trick does not work well on the lower end of the scale.
When in the market htmlFor diamonds, most shoppers know to be aware of what is commonly called the four C's: cut, clarity, carat weight and color. Many shoppers are less aware of what could be classified as the 5th C: Certification. This necessary documentation should accompany any diamond being considered htmlFor purchase.
What is a Diamond Certificate? A Diamond certificate is a scientific evaluation of the four C's, that is, the cut, clarity, color and carat weight of an individual rock. It is different from an appraisal, which is simply an evaluation of the monetary value of the stone. Certification is performed by independent, accredited 3rd party agencies. Some of the best known certifications and the agencies that grant them are: Gemological Institute of America (GIA), European Gemological Laboratory (EGL), International Gemological Institute (IGI), and American Gemological Society (AGS).
Why buy certified diamonds? Certified diamonds provide a guarantee that the buyer is getting the quality of stone he or she expects. It prevents unscrupulous vendors from selling inferior stones at inflated prices. Some buyers incorrectly think that a certificate is necessary only when looking htmlFor flawless or big budget diamonds, but that is not true. Buyers can save money by purchasing larger stones with more imperfections, and a certificate will detail exactly what they are getting. Furthermore, buyers should look htmlFor certificates that are three years old or newer - diamonds can suffer wear and tear and an older certificate may not accurately detail its current state.
What is the difference between certifications? The difference between certifications from the major agencies will deal mainly with the way each grades color and clarity. GIA is recognized as an industry standard and is considered to be overall most reliable. The US division of EGL is known to be one to two grades lenient on color, while the European division of EGL is considered by some to be not as reliable. AGS is known htmlFor their color grading, and is even considered superior to GIA in this regard. While IGI is the largest agency of its kind worldwide, it is not as well known in some areas like the United States. Despite their internal differences, it is important to remember that any recognized certification will go a long way to ensure a buyer is not getting duped.
Which certificate goes with which stone? Once buyers recognize the importance of certification, one significant question remains. How can they be sure that the certificate they see matches the stone it claims to detail? In some instances, this is easy. GIA offers a GIA Diamond Report, which contains a schematic of the inclusions htmlFor a particular stone. Inclusions can be things like blemishes or chips. This is in addition to the details concerning clarity, color, carat weight and cut - which would be listed in the simpler GIA Diamond Dossier. Without this schematic, buyers are advised to hire an independent third-party to provide a professional evaluation of the stone and compare it to what the certificate says.
A diamond setting is simply the method used to secure the stone to the band. There are various styles of settings which can correspond to different stone shapes and ring types. Each has its unique advantages and all work to enhance the beauty of the stones they contain. Here are some of the most commonly encountered settings.
Solitaire This setting showcases a single stone. There are no side stones around it. Commonly, this is accomplished with a prong setting. In a prong setting, metal prongs extend upward and outward from the center of the ring and hold the stone with a slight arch or metal at the top. There can be a prong at each corner, or several prongs set around the stone. Additionally, V shaped prongs may be used on pear shaped or marquis stones to protect their pointed tips. While prong settings are excellent htmlFor letting in light and prominently featuring a diamond, they can make the stones easy to catch or snag.
Three Stone This setting incorporates three stones. It usually features a center stone and two flanking stones. The center stone can be larger than the two others. Together, the three stones in this setting commonly symbolize the past, present and future of a relationship. This makes them a popular choice htmlFor anniversary rings.
Pave A pave setting sees dozens of tiny diamonds covering the ring of the band. There may be little to no metal showing through, giving the illusion that the ring is paved entirely in diamonds. The tiny gems in this setting are held in place by beads or small prongs.
Halo A halo setting has a diamond center stone that is surrounded by a ring, or halo, of other diamonds. This setting can be used with a wide variety of stone shapes, and may even feature other gemstones besides diamonds in the center.
Channel Set A channel setting is when the diamonds are secured between two strips of metal that htmlForm a channel. The stones lay flush with the metal, which provides a great deal of security, and reduces the chances of stones being caught or snagged. Channel settings can comprise the entire band, or just a portion thereof. Although similar to the pave setting, the diamonds in a channel setting will be larger and more distinct.
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