Budget for an Engagement Ring
Buying a diamond engagement ring is one of the most important and emotional purchases you will ever make. The first thing you want to do is establish a budget. A starting point is usually 2-3 months of an annual salary. We personally believe its what you want to spend and if your budget can get the type of ring you want. The classic engagement ring is composed of two parts, a diamond or a gemstone, and a setting. For the best value, find the engagement ring setting she’ll love then devote the remainder of your budget to a beautiful, diamond, or gemstone.
Anatomy of Your Engagement Ring
The Stone will account for 75-90% of the overall cost of the ring.
The Setting holds the center stone. A strong precious metal is imperative in securing your investment.
The Band will endure the most wear over time since it’s in constant contact with the fingers and everything that the hand touches.
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Choosing The Right Metal
Choosing A Setting
Choosing The Diamond
What Comes With Your Order
Platinum
- Strongest, most pure jewelry metal-composed of 90%-95%
- Rarer and more expensive than gold
- Strongest jewelry metal
- Resistant to damage and does not wear away
- Won’t tarnish
- Develops a satin finish
- Difficult to polish and repair
18K Gold
- Most common engagement ring setting. Available in Yellow, White and Rose
- Less expensive than platinum
- Composed of 75% gold and 25% metal alloys to give it strength.
- Softer, malleable metal and more easily damaged
- Tends to wear away over time
14K Gold
- Most common engagement ring setting. Available in Yellow, White and Rose Gold
- Less expensive than platinum
- Composed of 58.3% gold (White Gold and Rose Gold also have durable metals like zinc, nickel, silver, and copper along with a rhodium plating.)
- Most hypoallergenic of the three gold types
- Is the easiest gold color to maintain over time
Solitaire Settings
The Solitaire Setting is Eye for Gem’s most popular engagement ring setting. The prongs position the center diamond to catch the most light and it is dazzling. In a prong-setting, the diamond is inserted into metal prongs that form a basket-like base. Then the ends of the prongs are bent over and shaped so that they rest against the crown, just past the stone’s girdle holding the stone snugly in place. The four-prong setting shows more of the diamond while the six-prong setting offers a bit more security in anchoring the diamond.
Engagement Rings with Sidestones
Another popular setting is one with diamonds or gemstones for additional sparkle or color. Channel settings protect side stones from abrasions by keeping them flush. The bar-channel setting allows more light to enter the side stones and creates a scalloped edge of brilliance.
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Three-Stone Diamond Rings
This classic setting features 3 diamonds chosen by you for a truly unique, individual design. The 3 diamonds symbolize the past, present, and future. The stunning diamonds are set in an elegant three-stone setting.
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Settings with Matching Bands
Another popular setting is an engagement ring with a matching wedding band. If you’d like to wear your wedding on the same finger with your engagement ring, consider settings with wedding bands designed to match.
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Evaluating Prong Settings
Prong Setting Advantages
- Prongs are tiny, so more of the diamond (or other stone) is visible.
- Prong settings are fairly quick to make, so they are usually less expensive than more intricate settings.
- Stones set in prongs are usually easier to clean. You do have to have them tipped over time as they wear down.
Prong Setting Disadvantages
- The girdle area of the gemstone is not covered, so prongs offer less protection for the diamond than other, more enclosed settings.
- Prongs have a tendency to snag clothing and other items they touch.
Evaluating Prong Settings
- The gemstone should be held snugly by the prongs, and not wobble around.
- The prongs should be formed so that the stone sits at an even height, not up or down on any side.
- Very thin, flat prongs can eventually break or wear away, putting the gemstone at risk.
- Hooked prongs, where the prong end forms an open loop before it touches the stone, will open up in time.
Choosing The Diamond
An engagement diamond may be the most important purchase you’ve ever made. Our guide will provide the best information to help you select the best quality diamond and setting at an outstanding value.
Selecting the Diamond Shape
Your first step is to find out what shape she likes. The majority of diamond engagement rings today are set with a round diamond. The majority of the remaining rings are usually set with Princess-cut diamonds. Other shapes included Oval, Emerald, Asscher, Marquise, Radiant, Pear-shaped, and Heart-shaped diamonds. View Diamond Shapes
The 4 C’s: Carat, Clarity, Color, and Cut
The most important physical properties to look for in a diamond are referred to as the “4C’s” – Carat, Clarity, Color, and Cut. The concept behind the 4C’s is that all of these qualities work together to create the best diamond for you.
Carat
Carat refers to the weight of a diamond is expressed in carats. The word carat originated from the carob tree – the tiny seeds of this tree are well known for their uniformity and consistent weight. Traditionally, diamonds and gemstones were weighed against these seeds until the system was standardized, and one carat was fixed at 0.2 grams.
One carat is divided into 100 points. A diamond weighing one-quarter of a carat can also be described as weighing 25 points or 0.25 carats or 1/4 carats. Points are generally not used to describe weights over one carat. The larger or more a diamond weighs, the more rare the stone is. For example, a 1-carat diamond is much rarer (and much more expensive) than two diamonds each weighing 1/2 carat. On average, 250 tons of ore must be mined and processed to produce a one carat diamond of gem quality.
Note: Carat is a measurement of weight, not size and so the overall diameter (mm) can differ slightly, either larger or smaller than listed in the chart above. Images are not to scale.
Clarity
A diamond’s clarity refers to how pure the diamond is internally in terms of being free of flaws. To determine a diamond’s clarity, an expert views it under 10x magnification. The number of flaws found internally is called inclusions and external defects are called blemishes. Inclusions can be a result of mineral deposits, irregular crystals, flaws, or cracks. Blemishes include scratches or nicks on the outside of the diamond. Blemishes and inclusions are normally not visible to the naked eye. A diamond that is flawless has no inclusions or blemishes and is extremely rare. Generally speaking, the fewer flaws a diamond has – the greater the value of the stone. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the American Gem Society (AGS) both have created the following scale to grade the clarity of diamonds.
Color
Although diamonds appear to be clear and without color, most diamonds have hints of yellow or brown. When referring to a diamond’s color, this generally means the internal color of a diamond. The GIA and AGS both have created the following system to color grade diamonds. The GIA’s scale ranges from “D” to “Z” – from colorless to light yellow. The AGS’s scale ranges from “0” to “10” – from colorless to fancy yellow.
A diamond without any color is considered to be very rare and the most valuable.
Fancy Color Diamonds
Cut
Cut refers to not only the shape of the diamond but its proportions and finish, two key factors that determine the sparkle of the diamond. A diamond can only be cut by another diamond; therefore the cut is completely in the hands of a skilled diamond cutter.
It’s possible to have two equal polished diamonds, both having the same carat size, color, and clarity, yet they may look completely different. How is this possible? There are many different shapes and facets in a diamond. The way a diamond is cut affects the stone’s brilliance. A stone’s brilliance is greatly determined by the arrangement of its facets.
To extract the greatest beauty from a diamond, the light should enter a diamond and be dispersed as it bounces inside, thereby producing the different colors and sparkly effect, and returning as much light to the eye as possible.
The most popular cut today is the round brilliant, however, there are many different cuts that are available as well. Some of these include Princess, Emerald, Pear, Marquise, and Asscher.
As you can see, there are many important factors to delve into when shopping for the perfect diamond. Just remember, to look into all four C’s when going to purchase a diamond!
What To Know About Your Order
Diamond Certificate
The finest quality diamonds are accompanied by a diamond certificate (also called a diamond grading report) from a qualified, independent laboratory. This diamond grading report is your guarantee of the quality of your diamond’s cut, color, clarity, and size.
All loose diamonds at Eye for Gems come accompanied by a diamond grading report from either GIA or AGS– the most respected diamond grading labs in the industry.
Jewelry Appraisal
All preset diamond jewelry from Eye for Gems come with an appraisal, which can be sent to your insurance company to acquire coverage. Coverage can be purchased to ensure against loss, theft, or damage. Your insurance policy should provide for the equal replacement of your diamond jewelry item which means that the replacement item should be equal value, quality, and appearance to the one which was lost.
30-Day Returns Policy
When purchasing something as valuable and important as an engagement ring, there should always be a return policy. Some custom orders are not refundable as the jeweler may not be able to sell it. Eternity rings also could not be returned if the size is smaller than a 4.5. Before purchasing, make sure you can return the ring if you want to or need to for any reason. At Eye for Gems, you’ll receive a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee.
After You Order Your Ring
After selecting the diamond and setting, as well as learning about the company policies, you’ll want to know what happens after you order your ring. With Eye for Gems, your selected diamond and setting are carefully inspected by our Quality Coordinators and presented to a master craftsman who will meticulously set and create your unique and beautiful diamond ring. Then, the finished engagement ring goes through 3 different quality control process that ensures that your engagement rings are perfectly set and ready for shipping. Finally, an appraisal of your stunning diamond ring is created for you and we are ready to ship.