Buying The Engagement Ring
The most popular of engagement traditions is the groom presenting his bride-to-be with a ring
. Most often, the engagement ring is a diamond ring. Although diamonds are the most preferred by brides-to-be, diamonds are not the sole precious stones used in engagement rings.
If your choice of engagement ring is a diamond ring, be ready to spend. The diamond jewelry retail market is a $30 billion market. Over $5 billion is spent on engagement ring in the U.S. market.
To the untrained eye, most diamonds appear very similar. Most people differentiate between diamonds depending on size, shape, and price. A lower cost generally indicates lower diamond quality, not always a bargain.
Judging diamond quality requires skill and experience, and it entails grading a ring depending on a blend of features for example cut, clarity, color and carat weight. The mentioned features are called the "4 Cs". A diamond's weight is measured in carats, equivalent to one fifth of a gram.
Diamond colors are coded from D to Z. A D grade is the best valuable and Z is least precious. Diamonds graded D-F are considered colorless and they are the most precious. Numerous respectable jewelry shops don't sell K thru Z grade diamonds.
The most precious color grades:
D: Totally colorless. The highest colour grade, which is very rare. E: Colorless. Only tiny traces of colour could be detected by an expert gemologist. An uncommon diamond. F: Colorless. Slight color detected by an expert gemologist, but still considered a "colorless" grade. A high-quality diamond.
One more important factor determining the price of a diamond is its cut. Just like color, cut, is just as difficult to judge for the untrained eye. The grading certificate that usually comes with the diamond will give you a great idea. Independent testing laboratories, such the GIA, provide certificates with a diamond's grading from excellent to poor. A certified diamond also means a bigger price tag.
The clarity of a diamond merely refers to its purity. Most diamonds have minuscule markings called "inclusions". A flawless (no inclusions) diamond is very uncommon and valuable, while a diamond riddled with inclusions is less expensive. Clarity is ranked from "flawless" (FL) to "imperfect" (I1 to I2). Most diamonds fall between those with very, very little inclusions (VVS1) to rocks with slightly larger inclusions (S1). If you are inclined to bargain on clarity, you can anticipate to save. To validate a diamond's clarity, check out the laboratory certificate.
If you are on a tight budget, try to stay away from the big name jewelry stores. Brand name usually comes with a larger price tag.
by: Christine Jackson.
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