The "4 Cs"
The Setting
The Band
Gold
Platinum
How to Select a Setting
Fastidious Fingers

The "4 Cs"

The quality of a diamond is determined by four factors commonly known as the "4 Cs" -- Carat weight, Clarity, Color, and Cut. The first 3 Cs are very straightforward and will be explained here. However, beware of "cut"!!

The difference between a "great" cut, a "good" cut, and a "bad" cut can be subtle to the untrained eye, but will make a huge difference in terms of the value and beauty of the stone. An unscrupulous jeweler will sell you a heavy stone with superb clarity and color for an unbelievably low price and still make a substantial profit, if the 4th "C" -- the cut -- is inferior!

A few tips on selecting a ring

Finding the right engagement ring is strictly a matter of personal style. A simple ring with a single stone is called a solitaire and can make for a beautiful engagement ring. If you prefer more decoration, there are a wide variety of rings with side stones or baguettes that will add to the total price of the ring but also make it more individualized.

The typical engagement ring consists of two main parts, which will be discussed individually:

The setting (which holds the diamond)

The band (surrounds the finger)

The Setting

Settings are usually made out of platinum (even on a gold ring) because of platinum's strength and durability. In fact, when you're selecting a ring, be sure to verify that its setting is made out of platinum. The other common choice is whether to get 4 or 6 prongs. With 4 prongs, you will show off more of the diamond, but 6 prongs will hold the diamond much more securely. If the ring will be worn regularly, 6 prongs are highly recommended to avoid losing the stone.

There are other types of settings that do not use prongs. Some use pressure to keep the diamond in place, and others form a "channel" where the diamond is inserted. Again, your personal sense of style should guide you in selecting the setting.

The Band

The first decision you will have to make regarding the band is the size. There are two easy ways to do this:

Visit our store, bring your partner along, and ask to have the finger ring sized

If the ring is a surprise, "borrow" a ring that your partner currently owns (and you know fits well) and bring it to us to be measured. Be sure to return the ring quickly!

The second decision regarding the band is the choice of materials. By far, the most common choices for engagement rings are platinum and gold. Although your choice is ultimately a matter of personal style, here are a few facts about each metal:

Gold

Gold has been popular in jewelry-making since the beginning of time, but because pure gold bends easily, it is usually alloyed with nickel, copper, and/or zinc. The purity of gold is measured in karats. A 24-karat ring is made of pure gold, whereas a 14-karat ring is 58.3% gold. Most gold jewelry sold in the United States is 14 karats, whereas 18-karat jewelry is more popular outside of the U.S.

When worn daily, gold will tend to dull. Brightening it again is as simple as soaking the ring in warm water and detergent-free soap, and scrubbing it gently with a soft-bristled brush.

Platinum

Because platinum is an extremely "hard" metal, its popularity in jewelry-making is not as long-lived as that of gold. Platinum is also more rare than gold; in fact it costs roughly four times as much as gold. However, if you want a silver band that will never tarnish, platinum is the choice for you. And if your partner is in any way allergic to metals, platinum is the clear choice since it is hypoallergenic and will not irritate the skin.

The purity of platinum is measured by a 3-digit number. If your band is marked "950 platinum", the band is 95% platinum alloyed with 5% palladium or iridium.

How to Select a Setting

There are as many innovative, magical and contemporary settings out there as there are traditional, ageless classics for diamonds. Indeed, if you cannot find a setting that you like but have an idea in your head, you can simply find a jewelry artist or design group and collaborate on the design yourself, though with the enormous amount of available settings this often seems hardly necessary.

Most obviously, you should choose your setting first and foremost depending on the personal taste of whoever is to wear it. If you are buying the diamond for yourself, the best thing to do is to thumb through a few jewelry magazines, looking at the advertisements to find what you most like. If you and your partner are in on this purchase and selection together then the two of you can consult.

First, here are a few tips on which styles complement which fingers and hand types.

Fastidious Fingers

Sometimes even oneself is not the best judge of what looks good on one's fingers. In general if you have long, bony fingers, and/or muscular hands, a larger, thicker ring with a more prominent stone or stones flatters your hand. If you have large hands and long fingers, you are probably the only type of person who can look good in a large pronged setting, in which the diamond sticks out from the ring. You are terribly lucky, because these kinds of rings are often the simplest style and really do show off the stone over and above the setting. You are also unlucky should you get stuck with a ring like this and not be able to wear it because it does not fit your lifestyle. For instance, if you do a lot of work with your hands, a pronged setting can be a setback-- the stone will snag on your clothes and scratch your desk. Whether the setting is classic 20th century , minimalist modern, or antique is up to your own sense of taste, so long as the setting is thick and the ring large.

If you have rather wide and short fingers, a medium sized ring with a large stone can look gorgeous, so long as it remains flat against your hand (try to stay away from pronged settings, in which the diamond seems to jump out from the ring). Again, the style is up to you-- what goes with your casual and evening clothes.

If you have small fingers that are thin and delicate, thin and delicate settings complement your hands quite nicely. And those with short fingers should stick to small stones. Again, the choice of style-- antique reproduction ("repro"), modern, or classic-- is up to you, but you should try to keep it simple so that the ring does not swallow your hand. For example, classic 20th century styles would not look good on small hands, because such styles tend to swallow up the finger.