How to Buy a Beautiful and Sturdy Engagement Ring

It’s summer; it's beautiful outside and you have also been invited to what seems like a thousand weddings. And this has finally got you thinking, that it's time to pop that all important question! So, you read a few blogs, do a little bit of research and with an optimistic heart full of hopes to marry the love of your life, you’re at the jewelry store about to buy the most perfect engagement ring there will ever be!

But before you do that, there are some aspects you need to consider while buying the ring – the size of the center stone, the metal that brings it together and any little detail that you could add to make your ring special and personal?

What about how practical the design is and how sturdy it is? In the excitement of buying the most sparkly, beautiful engagement ring people often forget about the durability of the jewelry that they’re planning to invest in for life. Of course, it’s a great goal to make your ring gorgeous but it’s practical to also make sure that the expensive ring you are buying is secure and strong enough to be worn on a daily basis. It is very important to choose your engagement ring carefully to minimize the risk of damaging it. Here are the things to keep in mind in order to buy an engagement ring that is beautiful and sturdy.

The Setting 
One of the most important aspects of a good engagement ring is the setting that you end up with. There are quite a few settings that you could go with that will give your ring the ultimate protection. If you are looking to have diamonds on your engagement ring band, then you should know that the channel setting is a very safe way to set small diamonds in a band, as the setting holds the stones in a secure metal channel.

Another great one is the bezel setting. This setting offers a protective metal rim around your center diamond that holds it securely in place and makes sure the edges of your diamond are way less likely to get chipped. The top of the diamond is not sticking out in this setting so it will not get snagged on sleeves.

Now, there are certain settings which are quite popular for engagement rings but they may not be the best choice for your partner's lifestyle. One of them being the cathedral setting that places the center diamond very high above the band and uses prongs to secure the diamond in place. The advantage of this ring setting is that it focuses attention on the center diamond beautifully by placing it so high. The setting also allows a lot of light to pass through the diamond so it sparkles like crazy. There are many good things to recommend about this setting but if your partner is someone who has an active lifestyle or someone who has to put on gloves and take them off through the day, this setting may not be the best for everyday use. So, it's all about finding an engagement ring that matches her life.   

The Gemstone
Diamonds are a great choice for a sturdy engagement ring as it is one of the hardest natural materials. It is very hard to destroy and break a diamond during everyday activities. Other strong gemstones that you can consider are rubies and sapphires which are variations of the same stone – Corundum. Although they are about four times less hard compared to the diamond, these gemstones are quite durable and make great jewelry to wear daily.

Emerald is a gemstone that is often used in engagement rings but is actually not a very great practical choice. Emeralds are softer than gemstones like rubies and sapphires and you need to take extra care to prevent them from getting scratched, chipped or damaged.

Next, let's talk about diamond or gemstone shape. Shapes like heart, pear, and princess have sharp pointy ends and that's where they are most vulnerable. So, if you do choose a diamond with pointy edges, go for a setting that secures these pointy ends. A bezel would be excellent or tab prongs that protect the edges are perfect.

The Metal
Whenever you are choosing a metal for jewelry there are two factors that you need to consider: hardness and toughness. The hardness makes sure that the metal doesn’t scratch easily and toughness helps it to not bend and break. Platinum has tremendous toughness and is a great option for an engagement ring as it is sturdy and very hard to bend. So platinum is actually a great metal to consider for the prongs that will hold your center stone. While pure gold itself is a pretty soft metal, white gold, that’s mixed with copper, zinc, and nickel and then platted in rhodium for extra strength is a great choice for your ring band as it is quite durable and not easily scratched.

Anything worn every day of your life, like an engagement ring, will tend to get banged around quite a bit so how the metal will hold up is also very important. Platinum over the course of years develops a patina while white gold loses its rhodium plating. You can love the look of rich patina the platinum develops and you can always have white gold re-plated with rhodium – it's a matter of personal choice. 

If you need more help, our diamond and jewelry experts will be happy to help. Give us a call on 1-866-522-2539 or get started on your engagement ring here. 

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If You're Shopping for an Engagement Ring, Don't Make These Mistakes

If you are trying to buy an engagement ring for your fiancé by yourself, we understand it can be difficult. Getting the perfect engagement ring and planning the perfect proposal are a nerve wracking experience. And if you're someone who doesn't know much about jewelry, then the whole process can get confusing and difficult. But don’t worry! We are here to help. These are some common mistakes that men usually make while buying an engagement ring, without help.

Not Considering Her Style
Surprising your partner with the engagement ring may seem like a very romantic thing to do and some partners may prefer it. But we always suggest having a fair idea of her personal style before buying the ring as she will the wearing the ring for a long time.

So, how do you know her style without giving away the surprise? Think about her personal style – does she like to try colors and patterns or does she stick to a classic wardrobe? Her other jewelry can give you a hint. Does she have a lot of vintage, detailed jewelry or does she only have a few pieces that are classic?

If that doesn't help you narrow down on a ring, her social media can give you a big clue to her style. We suggest Pinterest - she may already have a jewelry board. If all else fails, ask her family and friends. Once you know her style, choosing the right engagement ring always become easier.

Not Researching Diamonds At All
Would you buy a car or a TV without any research? So, a diamond ring isn't any different. Walking into a jewelry store without any knowledge about diamonds whatsoever is one of the worst things you can do. Before you even look at diamonds, read up about diamond 4Cs, i.e. Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat.

This isn't as difficult as you think it is. There is so much information available online. If you don't like to read, you will find video tutorials online. An informed decision is the best way to go about buying your engagement ring.

Not Setting a Budget
You have to have a budget. We're not talking about those clichéd guideline that says that you need to spend at least three months’ salary to buy the perfect engagement ring. Engagement rings are available in a wide spectrum of prices - anything from $2000 to $20,000. So, have a budget in mind when you start browsing for rings. Also know that beautiful engagement rings can be found in all budgets - it's a matter of balancing the 4Cs.

Once you're ready with all three, explore b2cjewels.com to find the ring of her dreams.

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What to Know Before Buying an Engagement Ring

First of all – Congratulations! If you are reading this article it means that you are about to pop the question to your special someone on Valentine's Day. It is a very romantic gesture and a really exciting time in your life.

There is one rule – There is no rule
There are a lot of traditions, rules and myths that come with buying an engagement ring. The truth is that there is no particular rule that you need to follow to buy the perfect ring. Your perfect ring is subjective and only you know what it looks like! A big rule that people often follow is that you need to keep the engagement ring a surprise from your to-be fiancé. But practically, making such a big purchase for a ring that she is supposed to wear forever and keeping it a secret from her does not really make sense. It is a great step if you include your partner and take her to pick her own engagement ring. This way she can pick exactly what she wants and you won’t have to risk having to return or exchange the ring after the proposal. After she has picked out the perfect engagement ring, you can still keep the proposal a surprise. You can plan it exactly the way you want to and where you want to. No magic is lost here!

Another really practical and smart thing that people are starting to do is that, they are only buying the center stone and not the entire ring setting. People have different tastes in jewelry and to buy something completely different than one’s preference can cause a lot of complications in the whole proposal situation. You could always buy the diamond and mount it on a placeholder – It is temporary setting and looks like a solitaire ring, and propose to your significant other with it. She can always make all the other decisions regarding the details of the ring and you can both end up creating an engagement ring that’s gorgeous and works perfectly!

Read up – Do your research
You definitely should not go into it without any research done at all. The “I’ll figure it out on my own” attitude absolutely does not work when it comes to engagement ring shopping. If you were buying a house, TV or car would it make sense to just blindly go into a store and get the first thing you see? No – Right? The same judgment applies here. You need to get good research done and have to put some effort before making a big purchase like this. But thankfully, this is not as complicated as it might seem. There is a whole world of information regarding engagement rings online in the form of articles, videos and ebooks. Just browse through a few blog posts and you will gain a lot of perspective. There are forums where you could post your queries and diamond experts will answer them for you. You must read up on the 4Cs – It helps a lot!

Check online before offline
Here is something that you probably did not know – Engagement rings online are way cheaper than the ones in jewelry retail stores. It is 100% true that you will get good quality diamonds at a comparatively lesser price than the same ones at an offline retailer. High-end jewelry stores have high priced engagement rings as they include their overhead charges in their prices. Overhead charges are basically the price that these stores have to pay for a large staff, store upkeep, rent or mortgages etc. Online jewelry stores do not have these costs associated with their production and so they pass on this benefit to their customers. Another thing to keep in mind is that online stores usually have a bigger collection of engagement ring options, and it is way easier to look through different stores and compare prices online than it is in real-life jewelry stores.

We hope you shop smart, informed and stress-free for the loveliest engagement ring! Start here to get your ring in time before Valentine's Day!

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Diamond Education: Diamond Cut

The 4Cs of diamonds are the basics you should know when you decide to buy a diamond. The 4Cs stand for Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat. Let's understand Cut, first.

Why Is Diamond Cut the Most Important?
Cut is the most important of the 4Cs because the way a diamond is cut determines how much it will sparkle. And, isn't the sparkle and brilliance the most important thing about a diamond?

What Is Diamond Cut?
What exactly is diamond cut. The cut refers to the way facets or polished flat surfaces have been cut on the diamond. When light enters a diamond, it refracts and reflects on these facet. An expertly-cut diamond will refract and reflect the most light due to the way these facets have been cut on the diamond. So, better cut equals better sparkle. And this is why cut is the most important factor of diamonds.

Is Diamond Cut the Same As the Shape?

There's often some confusion between cut and shape. Cut is not the shape of the diamond. Diamonds shapes such as the round or emerald are often called as the round brilliant cut or the emerald cut but that's just a turn of phrase.

What Are Diamond Grades?

Like the other 4Cs, diamond cut is given a grade. Independent gemological labs such as the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and the AGS (American Gem Society) grade diamonds without any bias. There are many gemological labs that diamond vendors use but the GIA, AGS and HRD are widely recognized and the most reputable. You should choose diamonds certified by these authorities to know what you're getting. Also, it becomes easy to compare engagement rings across retailers when they are graded by either the GIA, AGS or HRD.

What Is the Grade Chart?

The GIA grade scale goes from Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair to Poor. While the AGS grades on a scale of 0 to 10, 0 being the best possible grade. These grades are assigned on the basis of the proportions, facet pattern and other factors.

Round Brilliant Diamond

A round brilliant diamond has 57 to 58 facets or polished surfaces. The angles and proportions at which these facets are cut can predict how a diamond will sparkle.

Cut Advice

Always choose the best possible cut grade that your budget allows. You can play around the grades of rest of the 4Cs. But, never compromise on the cut.

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What No One Tells You About Buying an Engagement Ring

Between posting pretty Instagram pictures and posing for perfect engagement photos, buying the right engagement ring and proposing have become a pop culture phenomenon that can put a lot of pressure on couples. Falling in love and wanting to spend your life together is a wonderful and fun process and we're here to tell you that the engagement ring shopping experience can be the same.

The Rules of Engagement Ring Shopping

There's no reasons why you can't go engagement ring shopping together. It's a major purchase and she will be wearing the ring for the rest of her life. If the surprise proposal matters to you or your partner, keep the proposal a surprise, not the ring!

Here's another trend that we're seeing and we love. Tastes in jewelry can be very specific and also your partner may have a certain idea in her mind about how her ring should look. So, a lot of men are buying the diamond or the center stone but not the ring. You can always choose a ring setting or design later and then have the diamond mounted. How does this work? You can have the diamond mounted in a placeholder setting like a simple solitaire and then design her dream setting together.

Remember, it's your day! You set the rules. You don't have to do what everyone else is doing or listen to some arbitrary rules.

Do your research

If you had to buy a new TV or even a car, would you go into a store and buy the first shiny, pretty thing you see? Sounds absurd, doesn't it? You have to put in the same amount of research and hard work into buying a diamond engagement ring. But, here's the thing – it's not as difficult as it sounds. There's a whole world of knowledge out there in the form of blog posts, videos and ebooks. You can even post queries on forums and experts will answer your questions for free! So, don't go into a store blind and be fooled into buying something you don't know the value of by a pushy sales agent. Know your 4Cs like you're studying for a test.

Go Online

Buying an engagement ring online is actually a smart decision. Here's a little secret most jewelers won't tell you: the reason why their diamond engagement rings are so expensive is because of their high markup charges. Good quality diamonds are quite affordable. It's a myth perpetuated by chain jewelry stores that diamonds are prohibitively expensive.

Most online diamond retailers have affordable rings because their markup charges are reasonable (as low as 10% to 20%).  Mall stores and chain jewelers can sometimes mark up their engagement rings up to 200%! These stores have the overhead of sales staff, rent or mortgages, and store upkeep which must be added into the cost of the diamonds. As online retailers don't have to bear these same costs, they pass on the benefit to their customers.

Still Not Sure?

There's always a return policy. Like most online retailers, online diamond retailers also have a return policy. Online stores also have other attractive policies like free shipping and one year warranty. All you have to do is choose your diamond retailer wisely. Established stores that have been in the business for a couple of years and that have positive reviews are as safe as your neighborhood jeweler. If you're worried about whether the ring will fit, most stores also do resizing.  

You can upgrade the diamond. Yes, really!

Don't have the budget for a big diamond right now? You can buy a budget diamond now but upgrade it later. Most online diamond retailers have an upgrade policy. When you return the original diamond, they give you a store credit of the cost of your original stone minus a small restocking fee.

Customization

Don't be afraid of customization. Customizing an engagement ring may sound expensive, complicated and something only celebrities do. But, it's not. It actually helps you save and you get exactly what you want.

This is how the customization process works: You pick the diamond and the ring setting separately. The major chunk of your cost is for the diamond or the center stone so do your research and choose the best diamond within your budget. You can have this diamond mounted onto any ring that you like. For example, you buy a beautiful one carat loose diamond. This diamond can be mounted on a solitaire ring or a halo ring.

Unlike pre-set engagement rings where the stone is already mounted, customization allows you to choose the diamond wisely and that's the most important aspect of buying a diamond engagement ring. You can also be sure of the quality of the diamond as you'll know the exact cut, color and clarity grade of your diamond.

Go ahead and buy her the engagement ring she'll love while staying in your budget with these insider tips.

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A Guy's Guide on How to Buy an Engagement Ring: Part 3

So, you know all about the 4Cs and you did your research on lab grading reports (sometimes called certification) – are you ready to buy the engagement ring? Now for one last step. You have to understand ring settings and styles.

When making this very important decision, you need to know your bride-to-be's sense of personal style. If you have paid attention to her you may have heard terms like ‘solitaire’ or 'cathedral' or ‘halo.’ It’s a good idea to know what these styles and settings look like to make the right choice.

Insider Tip:  Check her Pinterest or other social media pages often. If she is thinking about marriage, there is a good chance she is showing others (and you) exactly what she wants.

What is a ring setting? The setting is about how diamonds or other gemstones are 'set' or placed on a ring. The type of setting you choose is important because different settings affect the way diamonds look on a ring.
What is a ring style? Ring style refers to the overall design of the ring, such as, a solitaire ring. Let's take a look at some of the popular settings and styles.

Prong Setting

This a prong setting without the diamond in it. This setting is also known as a peg head setting. The peg is soldered onto the shank of the ring. It is a popular settings due to the clean look and simple design. Four prongs or six prongs are quite commonly used to secure the diamond. The major advantage of this setting is that the diamond is the star of the show. The light enters from all sides, allowing the diamond to really sparkle.  The one drawback of this setting is that the prongs can become bent or loose over time making the diamond less secure, though it is very rare that a diamond ever becomes dislodged.  If you choose this setting, be sure to bring your ring to a professional jeweler for checks every six months.

Basket Setting

This is called a basket setting and it resembles a basket with thin bars on all four sides securing the center diamond. This setting also allows the diamond to shine brilliantly as light passes through the stone on all sides.

Halo Setting

The halo setting is one of the most popular settings for engagement rings. The center diamond is completely encircled by a 'halo' of smaller accent stones. Halo rings often have accent stones on the shank, like the ring above, but you can choose one without the accent stones.

Insider Tip: The concentric ring of smaller accent stones around the center diamond can make it appear larger and enhance its brilliance. So, you can have a halo ring customized with a smaller center diamond, like a 0.90 ct. one, and it may appear similar to 1.0 ct stone. This is an affordable and beautiful way to enhance the size and brilliance of your stone.

The halo ring is available in range of styles, like the square halo ring below or the double halo ring.

         
Bezel Setting

             
In a bezel setting, the center stone is fully surrounded by your choice of gold or platinum. While the setting is quite secure as it is fully surrounded, it doesn't allow as much light to pass through as a prong-style setting.

Channel Setting        

A lot of engagement rings incorporate accent stones. They are smaller stones, about .015 to 0.18 ct. in weight, that complement the center diamond. These stones have different setting styles, one of the most popular being the channel setting. In this particular setting, the stones are embedded between two parallel walls of metal. The sparkling row of gems looks quite beautiful when paired with the shining center diamond.

Pave Setting

Pronounced “Pah-vay”, the accent gemstones are set closely together by small beads of metal. This setting is quite popular because it looks like the ring shank is encrusted with diamonds.

Shared Prong

In a shared prong setting, adjacent diamonds share metal prongs, hence the name. This setting allows more light to pass through than a channel set diamond, giving the accent diamonds more brilliance and fire.

Bar Setting

     
In this type of setting, the accent stones are held together in place by parallel, vertical bars. It is often used for baguette and other rectangular stones.

Ring Style
Solitaire Ring

 
A ring style may have different settings. This is a classic solitaire ring where the diamond is set in a prong setting. This ring style is one of the most favored – the classic engagement ring. It features one sparkling center diamond. With the solitaire ring, it's all about the diamond. If you go for this particular style – get the best diamond you can.

Side Stones Ring

 
In this style, both sides of the center stone are adorned with a row of sparkling accent stones. The center diamond can be set with prongs or it can be a halo setting. The side stones can also be set with different techniques: shared prong, pave and channel are quite popular. This style is also a classic when it comes to engagement rings.

Three Stone Ring

This style is not quite as common as the side stone and solitaire but it has a beautiful symbolic meaning. The side stones are said to represent the past and the future while the center diamond represents your present.

Insider Tip: Often times you can use other gemstones, like sapphires, for the two smaller stones if your future bride likes a little color.

How Do You Choose the Engagement Ring?
Now that you know how the different styles and settings look – how do you buy the perfect engagement ring? How do you choose a ring that she will love? You spy!

Hopefully you have picked up clues from her Pinterest board and other social media platforms. Take a moment to look through her stash of fashion magazines, noticing if she has anything circled or bent any ‘dog-eared’ pages. She may have also dropped some hints, so keep those in mind. Ask her friends, sisters or her mother about any particular style she may have talked about.  Also be intuitive about her style, take a look at your partner's current wardrobe and accessories. Does she follow a specific style? Us her and her preferences as your guide.

Vintage-Style Rings

   
Does your girlfriend love hunting for unique things through estate sales and antique stores? Then, she may fall in love with a vintage-style ring. As the name suggests, these rings are inspired by Georgian or Victorian era jewelry. Often, they will have milgrain detailing on the shank. Milgrain is the tiny bead shapes you see placed right at the edges of the ring. Vintage rings may have engraved shanks, like the one above. These rings have a definite romantic appeal to them. Another hint? If your future bride loves Jane Austen novels, this may be the ring to woo her. Lovers of vintage clothing and beautiful antiques often times appreciate vintage-style rings.

Modern Rings

Is your girlfriend's apartment filled with modern, angular furniture, dark colors and chic accessories? A ring, like the one above, may be for her. It has a princess diamond with angular prongs securing it to the ring and a tapered, knife-edge band.
 
Classic Rings

Does your girlfriend wear beautifully-tailored suits to work? Does she love a beautifully set table when friends are over? She may love classic styling. This ring has a beautiful solitaire accented by smaller diamonds on both sides.

What If She Doesn't like the Ring?
First of all, it came from you – so she has an emotional attachment.  But if it’s not quite what she hoped for, don't worry, it can fixed! Encourage her to be open and honest with you and find out what it is, exactly, that she doesn't like about the ring. Since you've done your homework about the diamond, most times, it is simply the style or setting that troubles her.  The setting and style can be changed. The metal – platinum, white gold, rose or yellow gold can also be changed. Be sure, to choose a jewelry retailer that will let you return or exchange the ring.

How can I get the most bang for the buck?!
Shopping online is a great way to make sure you get an amazing deal. Most online retailers have a 'no-questions-asked' return policy. At B2C Jewels, we have a 'try it for free' service where we send our customers up to 3 replicas to try at home, before deciding on one.

You are ready!
With this information, coupled with our Insider tips, you can confidently buy a beautiful engagement ring. Buy the right diamond accompanied by the right ring, and look forward to spending your life together.

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A Guy's Guide on How to Buy an Engagement Ring: Part 2

When you want to wow your fiancé-to-be with just the perfect ring, it is best to understand diamonds beyond the 4Cs. If you need a refresher on the 4 C’s, check Part 1 of the guide before reading this.

Lab Report (Sometimes called Certification)

Always buy diamonds that have been graded by gemological labs like the AGS or the GIA. How do you know whether the diamonds have a grading report? Just ask, “Is this diamond graded by GIA or AGS?” The diamonds should always be accompanied by the grading report. If you're doing your engagement ring shopping online, many retailers upload the report online. Simply put –you know what you're buying when you choose lab-graded diamonds. These labs are independent institutions that grade diamonds without any bias. So, the rating is impartial.

 It is easy to read these reports. They state the cut grade, color grade and clarity grade of your diamond along with the carat weight. The GIA also has the grading scale on the report so it's easy to refer to it. The report will also include grades for other factors like polish and symmetry. These terms relate to the way facets are cut on a diamond. Besides these factors, the report also has the proportions of your diamond. This brings us to the next point – The Proportions.

The Proportions: Anatomy of a Diamond

The sparkle or the 'light performance' of the diamond is based on the way it is cut. If you read Part 1 then you know just how important this is!  You many notice that all diamonds sparkle beautifully in a store. The bright store lights are designed in such a way to enhance the brilliance of all diamonds. So, how do you know if your diamond will still have that 'bling' when you bring it home?

This image shows the anatomy of a round brilliant cut diamond. The table ratio, the depth and the angles of the crown and pavilion all go together into determining how the diamond will sparkle. These details are mentioned on the grading report. 

Insider Tip: So, what do you do with these numbers? You will find a tool online called the Holloway Cut Advisor. It is a free online cut grading tool that is patented. Input the numbers from the grading report to find the score. Diamonds within the 0 to 2 range are considered as excellent. The wonderful thing about using this tool is that it is scientific, no artificial lights or pushy sales agents. 

ASET Images

What is a diamond ASET image? The Angular Spectrum Evaluation Tool® (ASET) was developed by the American Gem Society. It looks a bit like a jeweler's loupe and can bought online. When a diamond is viewed through this tool, the resulting image shows how the diamond returns light using a color dispersion technique. 

An ASET image has red, green, blue and white in it. Red shows areas in a diamond where the light is reflected from angles which favor intensity and brilliance, green represents areas from angles which will return light with less intensity. The blue (sometimes black) areas are a reflection of the dark camera lens. What you should do not want to see are large black areas that are not part of the arrow pattern, or white areas which show light ‘leaking’ from the diamond, meaning it will fail to sparkle. So, in simple terms, the ASET image of your diamond should show plenty of red.

Insider Tip: So, how does this help you? The cut, color and clarity grades stated on grading reports help you narrow down your diamond search. Use the HCA tool and ASET images to buy the perfect diamond from your list.

Think of choosing the diamond as a series of tests that get progressively harder to pass. First, you have the cut, color and clarity grade. By browsing diamonds with excellent cut grade, clarity range of FL to VS2 and a color grade range of D to H, you narrow down the search considerably. Further, the HCA tool helps you narrow down the list of eligible diamonds. And finally, the ASET images can help you choose the perfect diamond as it shows the light performance or the brilliance.   

Let's take a look at two diamonds graded by the GIA. Both the diamonds are graded as GIA excellent cut but the ASET shows the difference between light performance or the sparkle. 

Insider Tip:  ASET images are either ‘backlit’ meaning the image shows the leakage as white – this is most telling environment in which to view ASET images, or the images are not-backlit where the leakage shows up as black.  Both methods show the same information, but it is sometimes easier to conceal flaws in the non-backlit pictures.

Before knowing this, all diamonds in engagement rings may have looked the same to you – shiny. Now, we are sure you will be able to find a 'top-performing' diamond for your engagement ring with these insider tips.Impress your partner with your newfound knowledge and buy her a diamond she will always treasure.  

Insider Tip: Many online jewelers take the guess work out this by offering “Branded” diamonds.  At B2CJewels this is the “Perfection cut for Performance” line of diamonds. Each individual diamond in this line has been evaluated as a GIA XXX or AGS Ideal cut diamond, the HCA and proportions examined, and the ASET picture verified. This can save you, the consumer, a tremendous amount of time and energy as you know, when selecting one of these diamonds, that it is a top-performer.

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A Guy's Guide on How to Buy an Engagement Ring: Part 1

So, you've found the one – congratulations! Maybe you are planning to surprise her with a proposal on Valentine's Day? You must be Nervous? Excited? Anxious? Confident? No matter your state of mind, you’ve come to the right place. Follow these easy guidelines and you will feel confident and secure that you have purchased a fantastic engagement ring. With Valentine’s day right around the corner, this is the perfect time to go ring shopping. Let’s get to it.

Consider this: Would you buy a car without detailed research? Of course not. Diamonds and engagement rings are even more important. Do the research, and be prepared and you will get the best possible ring you can afford.

This brings us to the first point – The Budget.

The Budget
Have a budget in mind before you start ring shopping. The budget depends completely on you – forget about any advice you may have heard in the past. Take stock of your financial status and think about your future goals. Great diamonds and great rings may be more affordable than you think!

The 4Cs
Cut
Chances are, you know a little bit about the 4Cs – cut, color, clarity and carat. No matter what anyone else has told you the cut is the most important of the 4cs. Cut determines how the diamond will sparkle. And, let’s be honest, that’s the most important question – does it sparkle?

The cut refers to the way facets or polished flat surfaces have been cut on the diamond. When light enters through a diamond, an expertly-cut diamond will refract and reflect the most light. So, better cut equals better sparkle. Period.

The good news is that you don't have to take the jeweler's word on whether the cut is good or bad. Independent gemological labs such as the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and the AGS (American Gem Society) grade diamonds without any bias on all of the 4Cs. You should choose diamonds certified by these authorities to know what you're getting. Also, it becomes easy to compare engagement rings across retailers when they are graded by GIA or AGS.

Color
Next, the color should be considered. The GIA grades color on a scale of D to Z. These grades signify the 'white-ness' of diamonds. The grade D signifies bright white diamonds, without the presence of yellow or any other tinge. Unless compared side-by-side against a white background, most people do not begin to notice color in a diamond until around the grade of I or J. Diamonds with a grade of Z show noticeable hue.



Insider Tip: Diamonds between the grades D to H are known as "face-up white diamonds". This means that when these diamonds are set face-up in an engagement ring, they appear white to the untrained, naked eye. You can save by choosing diamonds near the grade H as colorless diamonds are more expensive than the near colorless ones.

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