When it comes to fine jewellery, few items can compare with the sheer timeless glamour and beauty of a diamond ring. As such, picking up expert tips regarding how to choose your diamond ring can spell the difference between an item to treasure for a lifetime and beyond… and one which fails to make the ultimate impact.
Whether you’re looking for advice regarding how to choose a diamond ring for a loved one – either as a precious gift or to signal an engagement – or wish to know how to choose a ring for yourself, we’ve got the tips and tricks to ensure success every step of the way.
1. Why choosing a diamond ring is important (even more than other jewellery)
If you’re already spending time wondering how to choose a diamond ring, and have taken the time to open this blog and begin your research, then the chances are you’re already more than aware of the importance of this choice.
A diamond ring is so much more than just another item of jewellery. It’s a statement, a grand gesture, and sometimes the medium via which life’s most important questions are asked.Choosing the right ring involves careful thought and planning.
2. Why being informed is crucial
While the notion of the perfect ring revealing itself to the buyer in a shower of sparkles and celestial music is surely romantic, dramatic, and perfect for the movies…
The reality for most of us is that in order to choose a diamond ring, we have to be informed.Selected properly and carefully, a diamond can bring a lifetime of pleasure and no shortage of sweet and happy memories.
3. Their style VS your budget
A diamond ring embodies a single moment yet possesses a timeless quality that no other item of jewellery can match. As a result, following professional advice, talking to the recipient about what their ideal diamond ring looks and feels like, and considering your budget carefully, are key.
4. Don’t rush. Really, don’t rush.
Diamonds have been forming deep beneath the Earth, subject to unimaginable seismic forces and pressure, for millions upon millions of years. Believe us – you don’t need to hurry to choose a diamond ring. A rushed and frantic choice is very, very unlikely to lead to the results you or your partner would really wish for.Perfection, by its very nature, takes time.
5. Find out any deal-breakers
If you truly want to make the most memorable impression possible with your diamond ring, make sure that you’ve considered the various styles on offer to you, and – even if it’s for a marriage proposal – do what you can to find out or discuss your partner’s preferences, sense of style, and deal-breakers beforehand.
6. Consider the ‘Four Cs’
Diamonds are a natural treasure, and as such, every single diamond is as unique and as meticulously formed by nature as a snowflake. The Four Cs of the diamond world – the cut, colour, clarity, and carat – will all define the appearance, quality, and price of your diamond.
You don’t need to be a gemmologist to understand the basics of the Four C’s, and an elementary grasp of how they impact your diamond ring is generally enough to be able to start filtering your options. However, let’s briefly go through each of them, in turn, to see how they might affect your choices:
● Cut
The art of diamond cutting is a complex and fascinating one, aimed solely to heighten the beauty and sparkle of the stone. Diamonds can be cut in many different ways, but each and every method and approach is based upon perfectly proportioned facets, meticulously undertaken to maximise the way that light is reflected and refracted through the gem.
● Colour
Generally speaking, the quality of a diamond is measured by its lack of colour, as a pure stone will have the brightest, whitest, and most flawless appearance. However, naturally coloured diamonds have become increasingly en vogue in recent years, certain colours are incredibly rare and prized.
● Clarity
The vast majority of diamonds will have some ‘inclusions’ – tiny imperfections which affect the stone’s clarity. Often, that which separates grades of clarity is all but completely imperceptible to the naked eye, meaning selecting a diamond with a lesser clarity level can save you considerable amounts of money without necessarily affecting its general appearance.
● Carat
When it comes to diamonds, carat is a measurement of weight, not of size. Those looking for a solitaire ring with a sizable and impactful diamond should look for a greater carat count, although it goes without saying that this will greatly influence the price of the ring.
7. Consider your diamond ring setting
It’s all too easy to become solely focused on the diamond when choosing a diamond ring. However, every beautiful ring is made up of important components, which together produce a whole. The setting is crucial to the overall look of your diamond ring; it’s the framework in which the diamond will sit, providing context, stylistic flourishes, and the ability to take the beauty of your chosen gemstone to new heights.
Generally speaking, a diamond ring setting will come in four distinct forms, which are as follows:
● The solitaire
Simple yet exquisite, a solitaire setting exists to highlight the beauty of a single stone. With its timeless sophistication and attention-grabbing style, the solitaire is a setting which will simply never fall from fashion.
● The halo
Featuring a ring of smaller diamonds radiating outwards from a larger central stone, the halo setting is a popular choice for those seeking a vintage-inspired, breathlessly romantic engagement ring.
● Three stone
Romantic and symbolic, a three stone setting for a diamond ring allows for a trio of diamonds or gemstones, symbolising the past, present, and future of a relationship.
● The cluster
Cluster settings have seen a considerable increase in popularity in recent years. This setting is designed to bring together several smaller diamonds, exhibiting a unique sparkle which can have every bit as much impact as a single larger stone. Perfect for making a bold statement.
To discover all 12 main ring styles – visit our Ring Guide
8. Diamond shapes to suit his or her style
As mentioned, every diamond is unique, and every diamond will be cut primarily to enhance and beautiful that all-important sparkle. However, there are several distinct diamond shapes which have evolved across the ages, each with a distinct personality and stylistic flourish. These have been designed to reflect not only the quality of the diamond itself, but also the unique character of the wearer.
From timeless Round Brilliant shaped diamonds to glamorously elegant square Princess Cut stones, and from Cushion diamonds to Emerald, Asscher, Oval, Heart-shaped diamonds and beyond, there’s a perfect shape for every individual.
Read more – How to Choose a Diamond Shape?
9. Selecting the perfect metal
The other key component to consider when choosing a diamond ring is the metal used for the band. Again, this is something that is all too often overlooked, and yet it’s a feature of the ring that should be considered every bit as carefully as any other.
There are a number of different factors which might draw you to a particular metal band: the colour of the metal itself, the skin tone of the person who’ll be wearing it, the durability of the material and your budget. Of course, it might be as simple as finding out the personal preferences of your partner.
Here are the metals you’d most likely expect to see from a quality diamond ring selection:
● Platinum
Rare, precious, and flawless, platinum is a luxurious choice prized for its beautiful white colour and incredible durability. Platinum provides a secure and reliable setting for a diamond, and suits both classic and contemporary diamond ring styles.
● Yellow Gold
Since antiquity, yellow gold has been associated with royalty, regality, and the divine. Highly reflective, untarnishable, and glowing with its own innate luxury, yellow gold has long been the first choice for those seeking beautiful jewellery coupled with pure white diamonds of all shapes and sizes.
● White Gold
Highly fashionable and sought-after, white gold is an alloy made by mixing yellow gold with a white metal, usually silver or platinum, before being coated in rhodium to provide a flawless finish and lasting lustre. Ideal for those seeking a more modern ring appearance, it’s an elegant choice that works perfectly with white diamonds.
● Rose Gold
Rose gold has been a runaway success with the millennial market, who are seeking a distinctive style matched by undeniable femininity and charm. Made by blending yellow gold with copper, rose gold exhibits a stunning warmth and gentleness which makes it perfect for vintage and contemporary styles alike.
● Silver
We generally don’t recommend silver for rings worn daily, such as engagement rings, because silver is quite a soft metal and can easily bend out of shape if knocked. However, silver diamond rings are popular as promise rings and for gifts. If you do choose a silver diamond ring, do pick sterling silver as it’s of the highest quality.
10. Don’t forget to check the size!
We’ve said it before, and we’ll most likely say it again: do not forget to check the ring size. If the ring is for yourself, simply get your ring finger measured – preferably with a ring sizer tool that you can order here for free.If the ring is destined for another, and you want to maintain the element of surprise, you may have to be a little more creative. You could:
- ask a friend or family member to casually inquire after their ring size
- borrow another ring of theirs to find out the perfect size for your diamond ring
However you manage it, discovering the ring size is an important aspect of how to choose a diamond ring, so please don’t leave it to chance.
11. Consider lab grown diamond
Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds. They are optically, physically and chemically the same as mined diamonds, but instead of being extracted from the earth, they are grown in a high tech laboratory that mimics the conditions under which Mother Nature produced diamonds under the Earth millions of years ago.
The great thing about lab grown diamonds is that they are more sustainable than mined diamonds (since they have not been dug up from the earth) and they can give you up to 50% more carats for your budget. They’re a great choice if the environment and/or your budget are important factors for you when choosing a diamond ring.
12. The ‘Fifth C’ – Confidence
Buying a diamond ring isn’t a choice that should be taken lightly, and nor should it be undertaken without passion and confidence. Like so many things in life, when you find that perfect diamond ring for yourself, your partner, or your prospective fiance, then nothing else could possibly suffice. When you know, you know!
We want to ensure that all of our customers do so much more than ‘choose’ their diamond ring. We want you to fall in love with it.Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need advice, no matter how big or small your question.
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