Tips and Style Guide to Consider When Shopping for a Diamond Ring

With so many ring designs to choose from, buying the perfect diamond ring can be overwhelming. This piece of jewelry can be one of your most expensive purchases. Hence, making sure you are doing it right is a must, not only because it is costly but also because you want the receiver to love it as much as you love them.

Whether you’re buying a diamond ring for yourself or someone special, there are a lot of things you must carefully think about before buying one.

Diamond Ring Shopping Guide

Below are shopping tips you should consider before purchasing the diamond ring.

Understanding the 4Cs

The 4Cs is the official diamond grading system. This is to ensure you get the best quality of diamonds perfect for your taste. Here is what the Cs in 4Cs stands for:

• Cut

Cut determines the sparkle factor of the diamond. The stone shape sometimes accompanies it. This factor is typically graded from excellent to poor.

• Carat

The weight or size of the diamond is measured by carats. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams, which is usually the diamond’s average size in an engagement ring. Furthermore, the greater the carat, the higher the cost.

• Clarity

Clarity determines if a diamond has imperfections, also known as inclusions. They are usually seen as tiny black/white spots or lines on the surface of the stone. Clarity is rated from flawless to included. Hence, diamonds with fewer inclusions tend to have a higher price.

• Color

Diamonds come in different colors. However, the rarest one (and the most expensive) would be colorless. When it comes to color, diamonds are ranked from D to Z. D means colorless while Z means yellowish.

Select The Shape You Prefer

Choosing the diamond shape will entirely depend on your own style and preference. Here are some of the most popular diamond shapes various jewelry aficionados love:

• Round Cut

Most people prefer round cuts because it shows off a diamond’s brilliance the best, making no one doubt why it is the reigning stone. Round cuts work well in three-stone settings, as solitaires, and in geometric settings. If you love the classic look, this stone shape is the way to go.

• Princess Cut

The princess cut is one of the most popular engagement ring styles. It presents a geometrical and modern look every woman will love. Besides that, a princess cut is less expensive than the famous round cuts. 

• Cushion Cut

A cushion cut is sometimes compared to a pillow. It has a square shape with rounded corners and has been in the market since the 18th century. It has recently gained popularity, especially for vintage lovers.

• Emerald Cut

The emerald cut is great in showcasing the diamond’s excellent clarity. When set vertically, this cut will make your fingers look more slender and longer. However, the emerald cut is not a flashy style type. Hence, if you are into diamond rings that show more sparkle, this isn’t the one that you are looking for.

• Marquise Cut

The marquise cut is also known as the navette cut. It shows off an elegant football shape that boasts a brilliant sparkle. However, since it has delicate pointed edges, it is prone to breakage and chipping if not set correctly.

• Oval Cut

The oval cut is an elongated version of the round cut. Its shape can make your finger look longer. And just like the round cut, this cut also carries as much capacity to sparkle.

• Radiant Cut

This cut was invented by Henry Grossbard way back in 1977. The radiant cut spectacularly catches the light, hence its name. It mimics the emerald cut but produces way more extra sparkle due to its shape.

• Pear Cut

The pear cut dates back to the 1400s and is also popularly known as the teardrop. The hybrid of oval and marquise shape is the perfect choice for vintage-loving brides.

• Asscher Cut

The Asscher cut has been popular since it was shown off in the tv series, Sex and the City. It was named after the designer who patented it way back in 1902. This cut has 58 large step facets and an octagonal shape.

• Heart Cut

The heart is the ultimate symbol of love, and choosing this shape can be very romantic. However, this cut can be very complicated and might cost you more.

• Baguette Cut

This stone shape can be traced back to the 1920s. The baguette cut shows off 14 facets and a long rectangular shape. It is perfect for brides who don’t want a flashy center stone. Moreover, this cut is usually used to accent other diamond shapes like a three-stone engagement ring.

• Trillion Cut

The trillion cut originated in the beautiful country of the Netherlands. It is a popular choice for brides who want a unique diamond shape on their ring. Trillion cuts look great as accent stones or as center stones on a three-stone ring. However, they also look stunning as a solitaire gem.

Decide On Where to Buy Your Diamond Ring

There are a variety of places you can choose from to buy your diamond ring. You can opt to buy from a national jeweler, private jeweler, local jewelry stores, online jewelry stores, diamond districts, and even auction houses like the Pacific Auction House. Each of these choices carries its own advantages. Hence, it would help if you do your research and shop around.

Know Your Budget

To help you decide what diamond ring to buy, you should set a budget. Apart from your personal preference, your budget can play a big role in what type of diamond ring you will purchase. If you don’t have enough budget, it would be best to choose a simple diamond ring design that costs less instead of going for something extravagant.

Find Ways to Save Money

To get your money’s worth, try out some of these tips:

• Choose a lesser carat: Instead of 1 carat, you can opt for 0.9. The difference in weight is little, but you can save as much as 20%.

• Compromise on clarity and color: If you compromise these two factors, you can leave room on your budget to buy a larger stone.

• Choose a stone with low clarity but with a brilliant cut: The cut’s facets will most likely hide those inclusions anyway.

• Don’t pick a platinum setting: You can opt to choose an 18k white gold setting instead to save money.

Diamond Ring Styles That Are On-Trend

The following are the trendy diamond ring styles you should be aware of:

Solitaire

The solitaire is perfect for those who love the classics. Its design is more traditional and simple, yet elegant. In order to elevate this design’s beauty, it would be best to mount it on a simple band with a claw or prong setting.

Cluster

Cluster joins together many smaller stones to create a larger diamond effect. Because of this, they are often called illusion rings. This ring style is a cheaper alternative to buying a larger diamond stone.

Pavé

Choosing a pavé setting is an exquisite way to personalize the diamond ring. It involves placing tiny diamonds or gems into the ring band. By doing so, the ring will reflect more light, making it sparkle even from a distance.

Cathedral

This ring style has been popular for quite some time because of its elegant and traditional look. Moreover, this design got its name due to its curves that similarly look like a cathedral’s arches.

Halo

This ring style creates a beautiful shimmer, with several interconnected tiny diamonds on the band creates a halo around the center stone. Because of this, it lets the center stone shine even brighter.

Oval Halo

The oval halo can maximize the size of your ring because the shape is elongated. If you want a vintage, regal look that will make you feel like a queen, this ring is perfect for you.

Three Stone Ring

The three-stone ring is sometimes called the trilogy style. They are quite symbolic and have a pretty romantic meaning. The three-stone ring symbolizes “you, me, and us” or “past, present, future.”

Double Diamond

Do you want to be more extra when it comes to your diamond ring? A double diamond ring style is perfect for you. After all, two is better than one. This ring style represents you and your partner, intertwined for the rest of your lives.

Geometric Ring

The geometric ring designs combine different angular shapes to create a unique jewelry piece. This style is all about sharp edges and clean lines while showing off brilliance. If you are into a more contemporary look, this one is a good option.

Minimalist Ring

Minimalist designs have been popular recently, with a lot of people nowadays preferring to have a simple ring on their finger. A thin band in a beautiful metal such as yellow gold and a solitaire diamond is a minimalist’s dream come true.

Takeaway

You have a lot to learn before you can select the right diamond ring. From ensuring its quality to selecting different ring styles, indeed, it can be pretty overwhelming. However, since it is quite an expensive purchase, it would make sense if you do it correctly.