Jewellery
All That Sparkles
The key things to know about diamonds.
The sparkle of receiving an engagement ring from your beloved is almost as dazzling as the joy of finding him in the first place! For many brides-to-be there is a clear favourite in a diamond, an earthly reflection of an amazing promise, a glittering icon of your love. For grooms-to-be, the search for an engagement ring is generally focused on choosing the right diamond – that is of course if they are brave enough to choose alone. What is it that enthrals us about these glittering stacks of light? What is it that is so magical about the diamond that captivates couples everywhere?
Here at South East Wedding magazine we have been doing some digging to learn more about diamonds and have found that they remain at the heart of many an engagement. There’s a lot more to a diamond than sparkle however, and with such a variety of cuts to choose from, you may have quite a diamond dilemma on your hands. Here are just some of the elements you might like to think about…
Because diamonds are the hardest natural material on earth they can only be scratched by other diamonds. A word to the wise when you receive your eternity ring! A diamond’s durability therefore makes it a wise choice for a ring that is to be worn for a lifetime.
Carats
The search for your perfect diamond begins by looking at carats. Not the Bugs Bunny kind, but those that reflect a diamond’s weight. A carat weighs about 200mg – if this were true of the vegetable variety there would be a lot more vegetable-willing children! Naturally, the more carats in a diamond, the heavier it is and therefore the higher its value. Rock-wishers beware!
For many hopeful brides-to-be the style of your diamond engagement ring is something that is often formed over a long period of time. You will covertly study the hands of possibly hundreds of women – how the overall ring looks, how the setting appears, how much sparkle, and how much cost…? By the time your proposal arrives, you will often have a very good sense of what you are looking for. Of course most women want the perfect ring to be bestowed upon them in a very Hollywood way, defying all reason, or, the knowledge of your partner’s jewellery shopping abilities!
What Shape To Choose?
What shape to choose - a rectangle, a round, an oval, a pear, a marquise, or a princess? These are just some of the shapes of diamonds available on the market today. The round diamond is still the most popular choice, due primarily to the evenness of its appearance on your hand. Ovals and marquise shape (pointed oval) naturally work better with longer fingers and so often deter brides-to-be. The other popular choices include the princess (square) and emerald (square with angled edges), as these are classic and timeless.
The level of light and sparkle reflected by a diamond is characteristic of both its cut and its clarity. The cut refers to the amount of light reflection in a diamond as well as its overall finish and brilliance. The conical ‘brilliant cut’ is the most sparkling of all due to the light reflections permissible by its depth and shape.
Clarity
Clear thinking is always important and no clarity is as costly as that of a diamond! A diamond’s clarity refers to its natural characteristics present since its formation such as blemishes, spots or lines. The more flawless a diamond is the higher its value and therefore, its retail price. The breaking of several banks may be required for a pure, flawless diamond!
Colour
When we think of a diamond’s colour, we think the classic, dazzling, colourless diamond. There exists in fact a spectrum of a diamond’s colour, an A to Z of the readily available to the rare and expensive if you like. Diamonds exist in black, red, violet and even orange. For those of you who want to be daring, as well as dazzling, then one of these alternative colours may be just right for you.
In the build up to your wedding day, you will think a lot about the setting. Where your diamond is concerned, its setting reflects how the finished engagement ring will look. A setting is basically how your precious rock is mounted. The solitaire setting remains a favourite and beautifully shows your single carat-laden gem in all its glory. Another popular choice is the bezel setting. This style of setting wraps the arms of your preferred metal around the diamond to give it a more striking finish and a complete frame. This is a common setting for round shaped diamonds. For those ladies who want some elevation, then a tiffany setting is the one for you know. One mention of the word “tiffany” gets any diamond-desiring woman going! A tiffany setting is where a number of “prongs” of the chosen metal are used to raise the diamond. This works extremely well for pear or oval shaped diamonds also.
For many, the visit to several jewellers or jewellery designers is part of the sparkle of an engagement. The wide availability of diamonds for sale on the Internet, either as a completed ring, or as loose stones, seems to pale that sparkle, not add to it. Though for those of you who want a higher carat diamond at a lower price, buying your diamond loosely may be the way to go.
Be sure to get a certification report that verifies its carat, cut, clarity and colour to be absolutely sure. After all, you don’t want your new best friend to be less than you hoped for!
Diamonds continue to captivate and with some many styles to choose from across the South East from designers to jewellery stores, you will find the perfect one for you to last a lifetime. Go on – be dazzled!
