Need advice buying an engagement ring, check out K&W jewelers.
I have been helping individuals and couples get engaged for over thirty years. I have learned invaluable lessons over these years. I would love to take a little time now to educate blog readers and just go through the 4 C’s: color, clarity, cut, carat.
Let me preface this lesson with the obvious truth which is sometime overlooked… the 4 C’s are important, yes, BUT these labels do not determine if YOU or your FIANCE think the diamond or the ring fits what YOU want… remember what this whole process is about – Y.O.U.
As you begin to search for your diamond, remember that your budget is critical and no matter how much or how little you are looking to spend, you can have a fabulous ring that will make your friends “fall over just looking at it”
Diamond Color:
Color goes from D-Z…but what you need to know is that if a D is a white shirt at the store in a wrapper then an I color is a white shirt that has been laundered a few time. Get it? They are all white so don’t get caught up if you don’t have to. Stones from J-Z show some color. If within your budget you prefer a bigger stone…then make a comfortable trade off…color to size.
Diamond Clarity:
What about Clarity? Basically, from Flawless to SI2, stones look the same to the naked eye – CLEAN! In this range, the brilliance (or the sparkle) is the same and the only difference you’ll find is in the price. Again, make your trade-off between size, color and clarity.
Diamond Cut:
Cut. Cut refers to the shape (round, pear, oval, marquise, emerald (traditional – rectangular, square – Asscher), radiant, cushion). Cushion is a very popular cut today – keep in mind that cushion equals the word pillow… how many different shapes of pillows are there? That’s almost how many different cushion shapes there are. As for shape, remember that there is again no right or wrong. Whichever you like is the one! Cut also refers to how well a diamond is cut – how well proportioned it is, how well the facets line up, and how diligently the cutter worked to bring out the brilliance of the stone. A very important note to make: a great quality stone poorly cut will be less sparkly than a lesser quality stone excellently cut… brilliance comes from cut!
Diamond Carat:
The last C is of course Carat. Carat is the measure of weight in a diamond with 100 points making a carat (5 carats make a gram). A diamond is 3-D so “bigger” can mean in depth or in width (or both). The bigger the stone the more expensive it is (assuming the same color and clarity) and prices in this department can grow exponentially.
In order to pick your perfect ring, when considering the stone think about balancing all these categories within your budget.
With so many options and variables, how do you pick the right one? Find an expert than can guide you through the process, sticking within your parameters. And the most important thing to remember while looking for that perfect engagement ring is to TRUST YOURSELF. Beauty is in “your” eye.
If you look at a ring or a stone and from your mouth comes the word
“WOW”, know you can stop looking…you really can’t get much better than “WOW”!
For me info on engagement rings visit http://www.kwdiamonds.com/
Advice provided by Philip Weisner, owner of Kestenbaum & Weisner