Shopping for a diamond ring can be overwhelming. Here is some practical advice from Diamonds on Fifth to help you with your choices.
The engagement ring may be the single most important gift you will ever give. Budget is the key. The generally established rule is that a man should spend roughly two months salary on the engagement ring. Most men spend more than they plan to. We, at Diamonds on Fifth, recommend that you do not commit yourself to a set dollar amount before you familiarize yourself with all the options. There are small compromises that can be made to fit a nice looking diamond into almost any budget. In each of the sections on the four C’s we give you advice on getting the best for your money.
While a good quality round diamond with an ideal cut will certainly be very beautiful, very good and good cuts might be just as attractive without costing as much. Diamonds on Fifth recommends that for fancy shapes, good and very good cut grades will result in the best performance. Consider the length to width ratio of the diamond and the design of the mounting when selecting a fancy shape.
While colorless stones are rarer and cost more, near colorless stones will look very much the same to the eye once set in jewelry. Choosing a G-K color instead of one in the higher DEF range will enable you to get a larger diamond for the money, without a substantial compromise in performance or beauty. If the diamond is to be set in white gold or platinum, Diamonds on Fifth recommends you aim a little higher on the scale than you would if setting it in yellow gold. Yellow gold disguises body color whereas white metal reveals it.
Fluorescence can add eye appeal to near colorless diamonds and therefore be a benefit. Diamonds on Fifth does not recommend fluorescence to a colorless stone as it may reduce its value.
Diamonds on Fifth recommends that you select an “eye-clean” diamond – one that has no inclusions which are visible to the unaided eye. Diamonds of this clarity are much less expensive than IF o FL grade diamonds and typically do not contain visible inclusions that detract from the beauty of the diamond. To ensure the highest clarity diamonds, Diamonds on Fifth carries only FL-I1, which represent some for the clearest diamonds available.
Apparent diamond size varies depending on the carat weight and the proportioning of the cut. A 1.00ct stone that is cut a little too deep might actually be smaller looking than a .90 ct stone that is well proportioned. Also, at certain levels, per carat prices increase substantially. By staying just under these so called magic marks, it is sometimes possible to get real price savings.. For instance, a well cut stone of .45 ct. might be quite less expensive than the same quality .50ct.. yet appear almost the same. The important magic marks are .50ct., .70ct, 1.00ct,1.25ct, 1.50ct, 2.00ct, 3.00ct, 5.00ct.
