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When we are planning for a wedding we tend to think of the reception, flowers, the dress, and the honeymoon. But we forget that the planning properly happened months ago when your partner went shopping for the engagement ring.
If you are reading this and you are engaged, ask your partner how they choose your engagement ring. It can make for a great story.
If you are in the process of looking for an engagement ring, I have found some great charts (scroll below) to help you choose the right diamond courtesy of All about Diamond Buying.
Interesting fact: Did you know that Ancient Greeks heralded diamonds as tears from the gods and Early Romans believed diamonds were splinters from falling stars
When choosing a diamond understanding the 4 C’s is important. Cut, Colour, Clarity, and Carat. I found this information from The Diamond Guild of Australia.
Of all the 4 C’s, the cut has the greatest effect on a diamond’s beauty. Two diamonds of the same size, colour, and clarity will look vastly different to the eye if cut differently – one may look brilliant and bright, the other dull and drab. The better quality the cut the more brilliance and beauty the diamond will have.
A truly colourless diamond is extremely rare. Most diamonds possess varying degrees of colour creating substantial differences in value. The highest grade for a diamond with absolutely no colour is D and letter grades are assigned alphabetically all the way to Z. An ‘icy white’ diamond is typically D, E or F. However, some people like the ‘warmth’ of a I, J or K colour.
Diamond clarity is symbolic of ‘purity’ – the more flaws, the less valuable the diamond. Flawless, VVS (Very Very Slight), VS (Very slight), and SI1 (Slight Inclusion 1) have the least ‘inclusions’ or flaws. SI2 (Slight inclusion 2) is borderline where inclusions become visible to the naked eye. I (Inclusion) rated diamonds have obvious inclusions or flaws.
Diamond carat is the standard used to measure diamond weight. A carat equals 1/5 of a gram. As diamonds increase in size, their cost tends to increase exponentially. Weight does not always enhance the value of a diamond – particularly if it is cut badly. Indeed a good cut can enhance the perceived size of a diamond.
Happy Planning Everyone
x Christine