Choosing ‘The Rock….'

Most engagements involve a sparkler, but what type are you having?

Some people have a family heirloom as their engagement ring. This can be very special due to sentiment and also makes your ring unique. If you suspect that your partner might be planning to do this, make sure he knows your ring size……and very importantly……your taste in jewellery. As thoughtful and sweet as it would be to receive a family heirloom, if you don’t like the style of it then speak up, otherwise you are going to have to look at a ring you don’t like every day for the rest of your life! According to Tiffany & Co., you will look at your ring over one million times in your lifetime….so make sure you love it!


Diamond Guide

To help the right Rock for you, be sure to consider the 4 C’s:

The closer a diamond is to having no colour, the more valuable it is. When jewellers speak of a diamond's colour, they are usually referring to the presence or absence of colour in white diamonds. Because a colourless diamond, like a clear window, allows more light to pass through it than a coloured diamond, colourless diamonds emit more sparkle. The formation process of a diamond ensures that only a few, rare diamonds are truly colourless. Thus the whiter a diamond's colour, the greater its value. However, fancy colour diamonds do not follow this rule. These diamonds, which are very rare and very expensive, can be any colour from blue to green to bright yellow. They are actually more valuable for their colour.

Clarity
The clarity of a diamond also influences its value. Most diamonds contain some inner flaws, or inclusions, that occur during the formation process. The visibility, number and size of these inclusions determine what is called the clarity of a diamond. Diamonds that are clear create more brilliance, and thus are more highly sought after, and more highly priced.

Carat
A carat is a unit of measurement, it's the unit used to weigh a diamond. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams, or 0.2 grams. The process that forms a diamond happens only in very rare circumstances, and typically the natural materials required are found only in small amounts. That means that larger diamonds are uncovered less often than smaller ones. Thus, larger diamonds are rarer, therefore more valuable. Remember - Size does matter. It is not, however, a measure of your love! Keep in mind though that size is clearly visible... even to the untrained eye. You might not be able to tell the difference between a D grade diamond (colourless) and a G grade (near-colourless), but you can tell if it looks big or not.

Cut
Firstly, don't confuse diamond "cut" with "shape." Shape refers to the general outward appearance of the diamond, (see below). When a diamond jeweller (or a diamond certificate) says "cut," that's a reference to the diamond's reflective qualities, not the shape. Diamond cut is perhaps the most important of the four Cs, so it is important to understand how this quality affects the properties and values of a diamond. A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance, which is that brightness that seems to come from the very heart of a diamond. The angles and finish of any diamond are what determine its ability to handle light, which leads to brilliance. When a diamond is well-cut, light enters through the table (this is the large, flat top facet of a diamond) and travels to the pavilion (the lower portion of the diamond, below the girdle. It is sometimes referred to as the base) where it reflects from one side to the other before reflecting back out of the diamond through the table and to the observer's eye. This light is the ‘brilliance’, and it's this flashing, fiery effect that makes diamonds so mesmerising.

Some shapes to consider:

Round - This shape reflects almost all the light that enters it, therefore said to be the most ‘brilliant’. The round brilliant shape is the most popular diamond shape, closely followed by the Princess.

Princess – These diamonds are square-shaped with untrimmed corners.

Radiant – These are square like the Princess, except they have trimmed corners.

Emerald – Emerald shaped diamonds are rectangular and are usually set with side stones.

Marquise – The Marquise diamonds are oval-shaped with tapered ends. (These can look particularly good on small fingers.)

Pear/Teardrop – as the name suggests.


Your engagement ring will generally look more stylish and in-sync if it is made from the same metal as the wedding ring itself. Wedding rings/bands are usually gold, white gold, red gold, or platinum…..more on this in the next blog……

Lucy
Scottish Wedding Planning