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The most popular of all cuts – the round diamond. Traditional, yet classy; modern, yet timeless; this cut is sure to make any traditional girl happy. The round cut is the safest when it comes to picking out which diamond to get your girl.

Also known as the “Brilliant Cut” the round diamond was first calculated by Russian mathematician, Marcel Tolkowsky, who calculated the specifics of getting the most sparkle from a diamond. The round cut has 57 faucets and 58 with the cutlet, this ensures that scintillating sparkle which your girl will surely love.

The round cut diamond follows a set of guidelines which ensures the quality of the diamond:

Cut – how brilliant is the glimmer of the diamond? The more faucets a diamond has, the more brilliant it will be. The cut also determines how fragile a diamond is; feel the weight of the diamond and ask for a certificate of the diamond to make sure of the quality of the cut.

Color – how white is the diamond? The color of the diamond is permanent and won’t become more yellow with time,

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rather, it will keep the white/the original color it had when bought. Make sure you check the diamond certificate to know what color it is. Color is graded on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow, strong yellow). Colorless and near colorless are good ranges for a diamond.

Clarity – Does that diamond have nicks? A lack of clarity means that there are flaws in the diamond when it was conceived in the earth. These flaws can also occur when being cut by a jeweler, the more skilled the jeweler the more clear the diamond will be. Researching jewelers to find the best is a good idea when looking for the perfect diamond.

Carat – How big is that diamond? The bigger the diamond the more carats it has. The bigger the carat the more sparkle there is. Once again check in with the certificate of the diamond to understand how many carats it has.

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The art of selecting a black diamond for your future bride certainly means you are quite the man, the black diamond is considered a man’s diamond, however this shouldn’t stop you from presenting your girl with it. Black diamonds are known as the diamond of reconciliation, so if you and your girl are going through a rough patch the black diamond may be your way of escape. However, this diamond is a little on the expensive side when making an apology, but for an engagement ring, the price is right! Black diamonds cost the equivalent of white diamonds. More often than not, a solitaire white diamond has black diamond baguettes on either side or the band is paved with black diamonds. However, there are some instances when a black diamond solitaire has white diamond baguettes on either side or is paved with white diamonds as a beautiful compliment. Black and white diamonds are lovely paired together and probably so, for what the black diamond lacks in sparkle the white diamond makes up for, they are complete opposites that make a completely beautiful ring.

Carbonado is another name for black diamonds. Black diamonds are very rare and are mainly mined in Brazil. These diamonds are just as hard as white diamonds, however, the black diamonds have a pitted surface due to the crystals within them, which makes cutting them difficult.

Here are some things to look for, when considering a black diamond:

Black Diamond Engagement Ring

• Black diamonds are lovely against platinum, titanium, white gold, or silver because the gay hues of the black diamond are brought out perfectly. But yellow gold is also a nice color against the black.
• There are different variations of the black diamond, there can be greenish tones, a translucent black, gray tones, or solid black.
• Beware of fraudulent black diamonds. Because gems can be easily converted to black to look like black diamonds.

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An engagement ring is a symbol of your love and will be the pride and joy of your bride-to-be. There isn’t a standard rule for the price of the ring, but the average cost of a diamond engagement ring is $3,500 to $4,000, but according to tradition the guy is supposed to pay for the engagement ring using two months of his salary. Now, this depends on the girl and the ring.

You may have heard or considered a diamond engagement ring as an investment, and it is, it is an heirloom. Part of the diamond engagement ring is the emotion and commitment it represents. Do not be persuaded by the jewelers who may question the commitment you have for your girl when they question how much you are willing to spend on the ring. Also, don’t be pressured into paying more for the ring than what you have, it is respectable to be able to pay for your ring in full without going beyond what you can afford.

A diamond engagement ring is dependent on many things, but mainly the four “C’s.” Carat, cut, cost, and color – these things lay the foundation of whether or not your ring will pass the wow factor. Of course the clearer the color, the more expensive the diamond, yet you can get around getting a cloudy diamond that still looks clear and radiant through the naked eye. Cut is dependent on how many carats your diamond will have. Do you want a big cut (such as a round)? or a smaller cut (such as the Asscher)? The bigger (more carats) the diamond is the more expensive it will be. The metal is also a key factor, metals like titanium and platinum are some of the most expensive in the ring realm. However, silver and white gold are some of the less expensive metals to use in an engagement ring. The price is dependent on all these factors.

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The Diamond? (Check)
The Girl? (Check)
The Proposal? (Check)
The Setting? . . .

Although the style of the setting may seem like an unnecessary factor of the ring to look into, it is the main defining part of your girl’s diamond that will set hers apart from the others. There are many things to consider when looking for the right setting for your girl’s ring:

The Metal:

• Platinum is one of the most popular metals to get when looking into an engagement ring. With a look like silver, but an nontarnishable surface it is one of the sturdiest and purest engagement ring bands out there, and suitable for any fiancee-to-be. Platinum won’t wear away, but polishing it may prove to be a task, going to a jeweler would be the best way to get it polished.  The care for a platinum setting will be minimal, but when it does need repair it will be difficult due to its durability. The popular setting that uses platinum is art deco; if you want an original antique ring, platinum is what you will find in these original art deco settings.
• White Gold is the perfect solution to expensive metals. Platinum is the most expensive when it comes to metals in an engagement ring, but white gold is the perfect alternative due to its look like platinum without the expense. Its more durable than silver and looks lovely when paired with a diamond. White gold is gold blended with a silver alloy rather than copper to give it that silver look. It is also plated with Rhodium to give it that silver luster. White gold is often found in Edwardian and Victorian original engagement rings.
• Yellow gold is the traditional metal used in an engagement ring. It is very soft and must be melded with other metals to give it a more durable quality. 18ct. is one of the purest forms of gold in a band. The more carats found in the gold, the purer the gold is and more expensive it will be.

The Style and added Features:

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The style of the engagement ring is also crucial. Is your girl a vintage and antique lover? Does she pay attention to the details and love traditional aspects of life? Antique engagement rings may be the way to go. These types of rings are often called, Edwardian, Victorian, and Art Deco. They are lovely and consist of a terraced design and vine looking swirls within the band.

Does your girl like the glamor and sparkle of diamonds? Perhaps you want to add an extra diamond on either side of the largest diamond, this is called a baguette setting. Or you could get the band paved with diamond all around. This is called a paved setting and is very lovely.

Is your girl simplistic? A plain band on a solitaire diamond is just beautiful and accentuates the natural beauty of the diamond.

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Blue diamonds are some of the rarest for engagement rings. However, they do do a good job giving your finger excellent taste, through this eye catching gem. Blue diamonds are dependent on the minerals that are around them during the time of their birth. High heat and carbon dioxide and a few other minerals within the earth’s mantle help construct this lovely diamond of the earth’s bosom. Natural blue diamonds are a true rarity, so many jewelers have come up with a process of making their own blue diamonds using heat, radiation, and pressure. This process is very close, almost authentic, to the process that the earth uses to conceive blue diamonds. But the downside to this process is that it is expensive to do, which results in a more expensive engagement ring, yet the lovely deep blue diamond upon your finger will be worth every penny of it.

Blue diamonds look prime in a platinum or silver setting, but yellow gold will surely cause your blue diamond to radiate perfectly. Cuts that look good with this diamond would be the round cut, which would give it optimum sparkle. But if you decide this unique color deserves a unique cut, the emerald, or Asscher cut would be perfect for you. But check out some pros and cons before purchasing your blue diamond engagement ring.

Pros:

Blue Diamond Engagement Ring

• It will catch the eyes of all who see your finger
• Sets your status
• Will satisfy the quota for “something blue” in a traditional bride’s wedding
• Blue diamond settings are normally in white gold
• There are many styles in which the blue diamond can be set in

Cons:

• Blue diamonds are expensive
• Usually smaller in size due to their expense
• It is man-made, because real blue diamonds are too rare and expensive
• Shopping for blue diamonds is difficult

Be Aware:

Genuine blue diamonds are very rare, so when you run into a jeweler who is selling genuine blue diamonds be a little suspicious and ask for a certificate of that diamond before purchase – it most likely won’t be real. If you want a blue diamond without the price, look into aquamarines or sapphires. You will be guaranteed the color and eye catching quality with these gems, that are all natural and less expensive than a blue man-made diamond.

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We have all heard of Emerald City and know very well that an emerald is green just like this picture, but how does that convert into a cut or style for a diamond? An emerald cut is distinguished by its rectangular shape and steeped faucets, meaning the edges of the emerald cut look like stairs. This cut was originally deigned for colored stones only, however, its sophisticated look quickly became popular and was brought into the diamond realm. This cut begs for a clear cut diamond, for it doesn’t reflect light in the best way, due to its limited faucets, but it still shines with a quiet elegance. The emerald cut is also called “the table cut” or “Step cut” due to its unique faucets. This cut is normally sided with other stones to balance out its elongated shape. However, it is quite a beautiful statement as a solitaire.

Emerald Shaped Diamond

So what personality would best go with an emerald cut engagement ring? A sophisticated girl would love this cut in her engagement ring. It is guaranteed to be classy and lovely despite the setting; the setting can only enhance its beauty. An Emerald cut is the most economical cut to get your girl. It’s not as modern as the princess, nor is it as traditional as the round; the emerald is timeless and beautiful and is easy on the wallet.

If your girl has long slender fingers this cut will enhance the long-ness of her fingers, but if her fingers are shorter then this cut may seem a little disproportionate to her fingers.

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The asscher cut diamond is probably the most complex of the all the ring cuts. It’s unique name is a mystery in and of itself. So how is a guy suppose to know of the Asscher cut is right for his girl? The best way to describe an Asscher cut is that it is cut like a princess cut with the corners cut off, making it look like an octagon. However, as of late the modern design for Asscher cut diamonds is with smaller cut off corners, and more faucets, a total of 74 to give the diamond more sparkle. If a couple chooses the route of an authentic, antique engagement ring then the deep cut off corners would be the look with fewer faucets for sparkle. But it would be guaranteed an original and antique, an heirloom.

This cut was originated by the Asscher brothers from Amsterdam, Holland in 1902. Their name has stuck as the description of their designed diamond. When one purchases an Asscher cut diamond, it will have the mark of the Asscher family, who patented this design. This mark isn’t visible to the naked eye, but with magnification the purchasers can ensure its authenticity.

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Asscher cuts tend to come in smaller diamonds. A big diamond isn’t the way to go when it comes to asscher cuts, because their are so many faucets and details to be added it is easier to slip in little niches rather than use a larger diamond. The diamond may be small, but the quality must be fine; for in an Asscher cut, the diamond will be accentuated to the max, so any flaws will be noticed right away. Pick the highest quality diamond that will still remain in your price range.

The Asscher cut diamond must be locked in by four prongs to ensure its safety. Asscher cut diamond engagement rings look lovely as simply a solitaire or framed by baguettes, either way, this cut is a classy vintage way to go.

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The princess cut diamond is one of the most chic cuts out there and is the most popular for brides now. With its clean cut sides and many faceted look, it will be perfect for your girl. Here are some things to look for when considering a princess cut diamond engagement ring:

1. Princess cut is a modern flair to the classic round.
2. The princess cut must be exactly square in dimensions.
3. When looking at the stone straight down, one must be able to see a clear X reflected by the light. If this X is off balance or a little off kilter, this is a result of a poorly cut diamond.

Princess cut diamonds may seem simplistic in nature, but this cut can be altered to give it a modern and fun flair. Often the princess cut is flipped around to give it a diamond shaped look, another way to give it a defining look is to add baguettes to the side of the ring with any square or rectangular cut, such as an emerald or cushion cut. The metal also plays a key part in helping to give the princess cut definition. Platinum is a lovely metal to accentuate the bold lines of the princess cut. However yellow gold is also a good metal for a unique look.

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When purchasing the princess cut for your girl, make sure her personality matches with the cut. Is she a princess? Does she love the trends and tend to follow the ways of fashion? Is she one with great designing skills and loves to shop? This ring will capture the essence of your girl if this eludes to her personality.

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Yellow gold, rose gold, white gold? What is white gold; you may be asking, it seems like silver and almost like platinum, however its called gold; how can this be? Gold, when it is melted is blended with several other metals to make the color of the metal. Particularly in white gold, metals such as: palladium, platinum, or silver help create the white gold look. This also ensures its stability and tends to be stronger than silver and look like platinum without the expense; white gold is a great cost effective alternative to platinum. The main metal which helps to define the white gold glow is rhodium, which is plated over the white gold to give it it’s glow; without rhodium white gold would look more like silver.

Some things to keep in mind when buying white gold:

• When purchasing white gold make sure your girl isn’t allergic to nickel, because most of the older white gold rings were made with nickel which can cause an irritating effect to the finger.
• White gold can deteriorate over time, keep an eye on the ring band and the prong for wear. When the prongs or places in the ring start to wear it is good to fill it in with platinum, especially the prong to secure a hold on the diamond.
• 18 carat white gold is the softest gold and most expensive, because it is the purest. 10 carat is the hardest, as well as, the least expensive. However, one can’t really tell the difference in carats due to the rhodium plating.

Rose Gold. . .

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Rose gold is another type of gold of which the color is derived mainly from the metals melted with it. Rose gold is blended with the same metals as white gold, however copper is added instead of silver, to the blend to give it a pink tone. 18 carat rose gold will tend to be a lighter tone because more gold is in that blend to make it softer and purer. 10 carats of rose gold will tend to have a darker pinker tone because less gold is in it. Either of these weights in gold is a good thing, depending on what tone you would want in the ring.

Some things to keep in mind when purchasing rose gold:

• The types of ring bands that more commonly have rose gold are Edwardian, art deco, filigree, and Celtic engagement rings.
• Rose gold is very rare, so although copper is less expensive than silver, it will end up being the same cost with all the arrangements to finding and purchasing a rose gold ring.
• Also make sure your girl isn’t allergic to copper, because that is the main metal in rose gold.

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An engagement ring will surely be expensive, but what about paying a million for a ring? This truly is an investment on the guy’s side of things. But what exactly makes an engagement ring expensive? Here are some things to consider:

1. The size of the carat. Carat by definition is a reference to weight in the diamond. The more weight in the diamond the more expensive it naturally gets.
2. The color of the diamond. Looking to buy a yellow canary diamond? These are some of the most expensive diamonds depending on their color. The exquisite the color such as yellow the more expensive the diamond tends to become. Also considering another gem instead of a diamond? This also will play a role in the expense of the ring. Depending on what gem you choose to purchase.
3. The clarity of the diamond. The clearer the diamond, the more expensive it is. It is difficult for jewelers to find and purify a diamond so that it is flawless. The clarity of the diamond is determined by a scale which is crucial to know when purchasing a diamond. The scale ranges from FL (flawless) to I1 (semi-flawless).
   

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• FL (flawless) – IF (internally flawless); Flawless diamonds are the most rare and lovely, they contain no imperfections. Internally flawless means the gem is only minorly flawed on the surface, and that is at 10x magnification, this is also a rare gem.
• VVS1 – VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included); Very, very slightly included means there are minor flaws, but they are barely visible under the 10x magnification.
• VS1 – VS2 (Very Slightly Included); meaning the diamond has flaws seen at the 10x magnification and can barely be seen with the naked eye. These types of diamonds are less expensive.
• SI1 – SI3 (Slightly Included); this is when the diamond has flaws that are seen with 10x magnification, and can be seen with the naked eye, but it still maintains its integrity depending on where the flaws fall in the diamond.
• I1 – I3 (Included); shows flaws to the naked eye and may have an effect on the brilliance of the diamond.

Now, we probably aren’t going to go out buy the most expensive engagement rings out there, but here are some engagement rings to tickle your brain with extravagant:

1. Currently residing in the Elizabeth Collection of House of Taylor Jewelry down in Los Angeles, this engagement ring is set in platinum and designed with floral in
   

   House of Taylor Diamond

   mind. The diamond in the center is internally flawless and is 5.98 carats in weight! Smaller diamonds surround the center diamond to make up 3.96 carats. This elaborate engagement ring comes to a total of $1.3 million!

2. This 5.11 carat yellow diamond with a radiant cut set in platinum from De Beers costs a whopping $400,000!
3. Ross-Simons also boasts of a rather large canary yellow diamond, with 6.10 carats this rectangular diamond is a lovely arrangement in a ring. It is framed by two trapezoid diamonds that together amount to 1.35 carats! This ring adds up to $99,995!
   

   The Secret Kiss of the Roses Ring (De Beers)

4. Does your girl like pink? Well this ring, known as the secret kiss of the rose, is one to look into with 4.18 carat rose cut diamond and .8 carat diamond set in platinum it is beautiful piece. It comes to $545,000!
5. This De Beers diamond is number one in clarity, it weighs a little more than 9 carats, but is nearly flawless in design, this ring comes to huge price of $1.83 million!