Are you getting married? Shopping for an engagement ring within your budget could be tedious. You must remember the following guidelines for engagement ring shopping which should help you ensure finding your perfect ring.
Know your 4 C’s While Diamond Shopping
Diamond Color:
Diamonds come from range D (colorless) to Z (strong yellow tint) – D – F are regarded as colorless (and most expensive), G – H are near colorless – If possible try and view a diamond in day light or under a day lamp, as many jewelers have lights which make a diamond look brighter than it actually is. Paring down the color score could help you get some price reductions.
Diamond Carat:
The diamond carat is the weight of a diamond. Prices vary at what retailers call “magic points”. Magic points are 0.5ct, 1 ct, 1.5ct, 2ct etc. Best appraisal is to buy at just under the magic points, e.g. a 0.9ct stone can cost up to 20% less than a 1 ct stone with both diamonds looking same in size.
Diamond Clarity
Only 1% of the world’s diamonds are flawless, all others have clarity characteristics that were made when the diamond was being synthesized millions of years ago. Clarity ranges from Flawless to substantially included.
Diamond Cut
Cut is the most significant of the 4 C’s. If a diamond is not cut correctly it will not have maximum brilliance, fire and scintillation.
Diamond Luminance
Luminance is the diamond’s response to Ultra Violet (UV) light. If a diamond has glow, it may turn hazy on a sunny day when there is strong UV light. The luminance of a diamond will appear on the certificate. It may be difficult to know the luminance of the diamond if the stone is uncertified.
Certificate for the Diamond
A certificate simply means that the carat, color, clarity, cut has been verified by an independent third party. The top three certification bodies are GIA/HRD/IGI. Always ask to see the certificate when buying a diamond.
Insurance for the Engagement Ring
In a scenario where if your engagement ring is lost or stolen, most insurance companies replace the ring or write a cheque for the replacement value.
Metal Used for the Engagement Ring
Platinum, White gold, and Palladium are the metals jewelers use to place diamond stones on engagement rings. Many jewelers will promote Platinum mainly due to the fact that there is a larger margin on this metal. Palladium is cheaper than platinum or white gold and is catching people’s attention slowly.