RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT WHEN BUYING AN ENGAGEMENT RING

As we all know, Diamonds are a girls best friend hence it is customary for men to buy their girlfriends, sisters and mothers expensive diamond jewelry. However many women tend to or even prefer to buy their own jewelry because of their personal preferences. But when it comes to buying an engagement ring, it's definitely the man's responsibility to buy the ring and above all, get it right.

Jewelry Preference

For any man, shopping for an engagement ring on his own can be a very rewarding experience or it could turn out to be a nightmare if he should get it wrong. You could simply walk into a jewelry store and buy your girlfriend the first ring you like or you could have a ring custom made especially for her. Either way, you need to know the style of jewelry your girlfriend likes and any other jewelry preferences she may have. Should you buy the first ring you like, she may not like it and if you have a ring made to your liking she may not like it either. To circumvent this dilemma, it  requires you to at least know 10 things before you even consider popping the question. 

Does she like dainty jewelry or elaborate jewelry or does the like antique jewelry as opposed to  ultra modern jewelry? Does she prefer  white gold to yellow gold or rose gold is she a platinum girl? Does she prefer  a solitaire ring setting to a halo ring setting or a tension set stone in preference to a tube set ring. Is she into round diamonds or square princess cut or eye shaped marquise cut diamonds or some other shape of stone. Is she into white diamonds or blue diamonds or pink diamonds or any other colour stone. Does she prefer a single stone or a stone  set with accent stones.  Will the size of her complement a 1 carat diamond or are they very dainty so that it would  look oversized on her finger. Perhaps a half carat diamond ring would suit her ring finger better. These are just some of the things you need to know that will make your engagement memorable.


Before you even consider the 4 Cs (cut, color, clarity and carat), at least know what shape stone she loves. Bearing  in mind, shape refers to the actual geometry of the stone, whereas  cut, relates to the angles and the multitude of facets in the stone. View the diamond in natural light shade and not under the bright halogen lights of the display cabinets nor under the flourescent or tungsten lights in the show room. Halogen lights give off blue light and gives the diamond a very slight  blueish tinge whereas tungsten gives it a very slight reddish reflection and florescent light gives it a very slight greenish tinge. Non of these artificial lights gives a true reflection of the diamond. That being said, the whiter a diamond the more it costs. So if your lady is into white diamonds get the whitest reflection you can afford. Before buying a diamond engagement ring know how much you intend to spend but do get the best ring you can without sticking yourself into major debt. And don't be coersed by the counter assistant into buying a ring you didn't intend to buy in the first place.  Also check the what the  store's return policy is because you may want to exchange the stone or the entire ring  if it's not the one she really want.


Choosing a ring with the traditional in a four-prong setting does look nice on a diamond shy of a carat but anything above 1 carat aught to have a six-prong setting because there is less chance of the diamond getting dislodged and loosing it. Yellow gold, white gold, rose gold  or even green gold is just  a few of the metals available for a ring. But the ideal choice ring for a diamond of 1 carat should be platinum because  it's extremely hard and durable. Not only will it compliment the diamond in hardness and durability but it also makes the perfect  hypoallergenic choice should your bride to be have a  sensitive skin.

If you buying custom designed ring, bear in mind  a ring can take a good six weeks to eight before delivery arrive and if you wish to engrave the inside of the ring, don't forget to request the inscription when you place your order. Before taking delivery of the ring ensure you get the specs in writing. Essentially diamonds one carat or larger should be accompanied by a diamond-grading certificate issued by an independent gemological association of note. It also a good idea to "fingerprint" your ring on the bill of sale. The information should include the stone's 4 Cs, shape, dimensions, and any heat or colour enhancements. 

UNIQUENESS OF DIAMONDS

UNIQUE DIAMONDS

As we all know, people are globally diverse, each born with a unique character, specific idiosyncrasies, a biochemical individuality, each with distinguishable retinas and fingerprints; and so much more.  In a nutshell no two people are alike, not even identical twins with their inherent telepathic language. To take this analogy further, there is absolutely nothing in nature that is ever identical in every respect, not even two snow flakes fluttering down from the sky at the exact moment are remotely identical, even though they appear very much alike. That being said, the same principal applies to Diamonds, because no two Diamonds are alike. 

On a stone-by-stone basis, each and every diamond has a different shape, a different carat, a different fluorescence, a different colour, a different sparkle, a different clarity and will, more than likely end up in a differently cut, that  can range from marquise, to round, to oval, to pear, to emerald, to princess, etc. Not even two round diamonds (RBC) of the same carat and identically cut, are exact replicas of one another because, grinding stones wear off as the diamond is shaped, tolerance of grinding equipment vary over time that affects the outcome. The final product even depends on the mood of the stone cutter at the time of polishing. This very loudly shouts that much like people, "diamonds are not born equal" but are rather unique, unique, unique in every respect. The inclusions inside the diamond are even unique.

Fake "tension set" diamonds

Of all the precious and semi precious stones, diamond are the best known and undoubtedly the  most marketed gemstone globally. Diamonds are extremely light and really small, yet have the greatest value amongst the objects of human property. Hence millions of people invest their hard earned cash in diamonds because it's worth it.  Fake diamonds are not only an  insult to real diamonds, but they are an insult to your loved ones who deserve real diamonds rather than fake, imitation, man made diamonds that practically sell for around 70 % of the real thing with claims hat that shine brighter than diamonds.  So don't be mesmerized by their sparkle, their brilliance and  their clarity because they only shine under the display cabinet lights and there is absolutely nothing unique about man made diamonds, manufactured in a lab under artificial conditions.

Moissanite  is a naturally occurring mineral found in limited quantities in the earth.  Initially it was discovered in a crater, created by a meteorite that fell to Earth. In some sense Moissanite could possibly be ill formed impact diamonds. Be that as it may, Moissanite  is often pasted off as diamond though it only measures 9.5 on the Mohr scale. Fake diamonds are commonly known as diamond simulants, man made diamonds, lab diamonds, simulated diamonds, faux diamonds, and diamond imitations. Popular diamond substitutes are made from  Cubic zirconia, Moissanite, Spinel, Synthetic Rutile,  Synthetic Garnet, common glass.

Fake diamonds have a totally different chemical composition than that of real diamonds and are commonly manufactured from Cubic zirconia. Cubic zirconia is a synthetic substance made from zirconium dioxide powder and is probably the most popular diamond substitute, though not the only. The resultant stones are hard, and measure about 8.0 on the Mohr scale. Cubic zirconia is hard yet not as hard nor as durable as real diamond, that measures 10 on the Mohs scale. 

Spinel is a natural mineral that occurs in black, brown, red, green, blue and white. White spinels are in fact are colorless, hence passed off as diamond -fake diamonds, because it only measures 7 on the Mohs scale. Rutile and Garnet are also  natural minerals that occurs in brown, red, however synthetic Rutile and synthetic garnet can be created colorless, which are also past off as diamond -fake diamond though they measure 7.0 on the Mohr scale. Even cheap common glass is sometimes passed off as diamonds though they don't reflect anywhere close to that of diamond.

This is The cubic crystalline form of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) synthesized into a
hard material called Cubic Zirconia (CZ) , that is optically flawless and usually
colorless - aka fake diamond.

Regardless of the  fake materials used to make diamonds, they all scratch or chip and and substantially fragile compared to diamond. In a nut shell, if doesn't measure 10 on the Mohr scale it's fake. Diamonds are durable, more durable than any thing else that glitters, sparkles and shine.