| There is much to consider when purchasing a | | | | extremely expensive and difficult to find. |
| diamond - especially diamond engagement | | | | Poor quality diamonds are a lot cheaper and |
| rings! The tradition of presenting a woman | | | | more common but the sparkle and beauty of |
| with a diamond engagement ring when proposing | | | | them is obviously diminished. |
| began in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian | | | | |
| presented a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy | | | | Color ranges from D-Z and then the fancy |
| - and in most cases, the woman you plan to | | | | colors such as blue, pink, yellow, etc. D |
| propose to will expect a ring to accompany | | | | color will be the highest quality, the |
| that proposal! | | | | clearest, and the highest priced. Quality |
| | | | decreases as you move down this alphabet |
| First, do a little detective work to find out | | | | scale until you get to the fancy colors in |
| what your fiance would like to have. After | | | | which the price rises again. The color of the |
| all, she will be wearing it for a very long | | | | diamond changes from colorless to yellow to |
| time. So you can subtly get her opinion on | | | | brownish as you get to Z. You generally want |
| the subject by suggesting that a friend is | | | | to get a color somewhere between F and I or |
| seeking your help in picking out a ring for | | | | colorless to near colorless to stay in a |
| his fiance and ask your fiance's opinion. She | | | | better price and quality range. Fancy colors |
| will most likely describe to you exactly what | | | | are not traditional for engagement rings but |
| she would like. You could also enlist her | | | | again it's a matter of preference. |
| friend, sister, mother, etc, to go shopping | | | | |
| with her and see what she tries on at the | | | | Clarity ranges from Perfect to imperfect. |
| jewelry store. Or the friend could start up a | | | | Perfect diamond have no flaws and are the |
| conversation about engagement rings and | | | | most expensive and least available. Imperfect |
| what's popular and what you fiance's opinion | | | | diamonds have eye visible flaws such as black |
| is on the subject. | | | | carbon spots, cloudiness, and crystal like |
| | | | imperfections. The in-betweens are VVS1, |
| Next, determine how much ring you can afford. | | | | VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2,and SI3. You will |
| Most people use the two or three months | | | | most practically and affordably want to stay |
| salary rule. This means that the ring should | | | | in-between in the SI range. The diamonds in |
| cost the equivalent of two months of your | | | | this range are eye clean and attractive. |
| current salary. Because you have other bills | | | | |
| to pay, saving up this amount of money may | | | | Carat weight and cut are a matter of personal |
| take quite a bit of time. You should consider | | | | preference. The higher the carat weight, the |
| financing. Simply go to the jeweler of your | | | | bigger the diamond. Common practice is to buy |
| choice and tell them that you plan to buy an | | | | one carat total weight or one carat solitaire |
| engagement ring, and that financing will be | | | | with side diamonds. |
| necessary. Go ahead and get the credit check | | | | |
| out of the way, find out what your payments | | | | And as far as cut, which is the shape of the |
| will be, and how much of a down payment is | | | | diamond, there is a variety of shapes |
| required. Make sure that the jewelry store | | | | available which can be viewed on an education |
| you buy the ring from will allow you to | | | | page. Princess cut or square cut is the most |
| return the ring, if that is required, or | | | | popular diamond shape these days. |
| allow your girlfriend to exchange it for | | | | |
| another if she is not happy with it! | | | | The different metals you have to choose from |
| | | | for the setting and the band of the ring are |
| You will want to take into consideration how | | | | white gold, yellow gold and platinum. |
| your fiance feels about jewelry. If she's | | | | Platinum is the rarest and most expensive of |
| really into jewelry, you will want to get her | | | | the precious metals. Some ladies prefer white |
| as much ring as you possible can. Say she's | | | | gold, some prefer platinum and so on. White |
| not into wearing jewelry so much. You could | | | | gold is in highest demand over yellow gold as |
| get her a less expensive ring with a lower | | | | of recent. Platinum is, of course, the most |
| profile (not so raised off the finger and not | | | | sought after due to it's rarity but it is not |
| so flashy) and she will be very pleased. Just | | | | the most affordable due to recent price rises |
| take notice on how much and what type jewelry | | | | in the platinum market. |
| she wears and what her opinions are on the | | | | |
| subject and use your best judgment. | | | | There is also the matter of which |
| | | | style...solitaire, solitaire with side |
| Quality is very important. There is a great | | | | diamonds, cluster, 3 stone rings and so on. 3 |
| range of color, clarity, carat weights and | | | | Stone Diamond Engagement Rings are extremely |
| cuts. All these aspects of diamond engagement | | | | popular. There is also a variety of carat |
| ring buying can be very confusing and | | | | weights, yellow or white gold, platinum and |
| intimidating if you don't know much about it. | | | | different cuts (shapes) available to choose |
| Perfect diamonds are very, very rare, | | | | from. |