Title:

Buying The Engagement Ring

Word Count:
538
Summary:
The most widespread of engagement traditions is the groom presenting his bride t
o be with a ring. Most frequently, the engagement ring is a diamond ring. Even t
hough diamonds are the most desired by brides to be, diamonds are not the only p
recious stones used in engagement rings.
If your choice of engagement ring is a diamond ring, be prepared to spend. The d
iamond jewelry retail market is a $30 billion market. Over $5 billion is spent o
n engagement ring in the U.S. market...
Keywords:
wedding favors, wedding party favors, unique wedding favors, wedding shower favo
rs, chocolate favors
Article Body:
The most widespread of engagement traditions is the groom presenting his bride t
o be with a ring. Most frequently, the engagement ring is a diamond ring. Even t
hough diamonds are the most desired by brides to be, diamonds are not the only p
recious stones used in engagement rings.
If your choice of engagement ring is a diamond ring, be prepared to spend. The d
iamond jewelry retail market is a $30 billion market. Over $5 billion is spent o
n engagement ring in the U.S. market.
To the untrained eye, most diamonds look very similar. Most people differentiate
between diamonds based on size, shape, and price. A lower price usually means l
ower diamond quality, not necessarily a bargain.
Judging diamond quality requires skill and experience, and it involves grading a
ring based on a combination of characteristics such as cut, clarity, color and
carat weight. The above characteristics are called the "4 Cs". A diamond's weigh
t is measured in carats, equivalent to one fifth of a gram. Usually diamonds ran
ge from 0.25 up to several carats. Weight is only one way of valuing a diamond,
color is another. Colorless diamonds are the most rare and they are the most val
uable. Colored diamonds with a hint of yellow are more common and less expensive
.
Diamond colors are coded from D to Z. A D grade is the most valuable and Z is le
ast valuable. Diamonds graded D-F are considered colorless and they are the most
valuable. Many reputable jewelry stores do not sell K thru Z grade diamonds.
The most valuable color grades:
D: Absolutely colorless. The highest color grade, which is extremely rare.
E: Colorless. Only minute traces of color can be detected by an expert gemologis
t. A rare diamond.
F: Colorless. Slight color detected by an expert gemologist, but still considere
d a "colorless" grade. A high-quality diamond.
Another essential factor determining the price of a diamond is its cut. Just lik
e color, cut, is equally difficult to judge for the untrained eye. The grading c
ertificate that typically comes with the diamond will give you a good idea. Inde
pendent 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 simply refers to its purity. Most diamonds have minuscu
le markings called "inclusions". A flawless (no inclusions) diamond is very rare
and valuable, while a diamond riddled with inclusions is less expensive. Clarit
y is ranked from "flawless" (FL) to "imperfect" (I1 to I2). Most diamonds fall b
etween those with very, very small inclusions (VVS1) to rocks with slightly larg
er inclusions (S1). If you are willing to compromise on clarity, you can expect
to save. To verify a diamond's clarity, examine the laboratory certificate.
If you're on a tight budget, try to stay away from the big name jewelry stores.
Brand name usually comes with a larger price tag. Buying wholesale may be an opt
ion. Normally the wholesaler's core business is selling diamonds to retailers, b
ut they also sell to the public. Because they do not advertise in the traditiona
l methods, nor are they located in shopping malls, you have to seek them out. Yo
u will find some wholesalers listed as diamond merchants in the Yellow Pages.