Posts Tagged ‘diamond engagement rings’

When considering the transformation of a rough diamond into a polished gemstone, many people confuse the term “cut” with “shape”. 

The cut of a diamond refers to the how many facets there are in the finished gemstone and how they are proportioned.  The skill and precision of the faceting affects the gemstone’s fire and sparkle, making it look dull or flash with fire.  The most common cuts are Round Brilliant, Princess, Oval, Baguette, Trillion and Marquise.  Click HERE for more information on these cuts.

The shape of a diamond is the overall outline of the gemstone.  Whilst it is determined to a very large extent by the proportions of the faceting of a particular cut, the two terms are not interchangeable.  Different shapes have different proportions and dimensions which will suggest a specific way of faceting the gemstone for best appearance, depending on the particular diamond size and shape.

Whilst the actual cut of the diamond will be dictated by the sixe and proportions of the diamond rough, the finished shape is often decided by the diamond cutter.  This is because the cutter must consider the initial shape of the raw stone and any flaws that must be removed. 

For example, one of the most common cuts of all is the Round Brilliant cut.  In this cut the 57 facets and proportions of the finished gemstone are mathematically calculated for optical brilliance so that the finished diamond has large amounts of brilliance and internal fire.  However, if a diamond rough lends itself to this particular cut but it has a highly localised flaw which cannot be masked by clarity enhancement, than the diamond cutter may be able to shape the Round Brilliant into a Heart shape.

Similarly, diamond roughs which favour the Oval cut and the Marquise cut in different areas can be expertly shaped into Pear shapes.

Because the standard of the cut is of exceptional importance in making a diamond valuable, diamond cutters can become very skilled.  Most common cuts can be improved for individual gemstones, by trimming or rounding corners, or by adding extra facets or even by cleaving an entire area of the diamond. 

In fact some jewelers become so closely associated with their specialised cuts that they license it under a brand name.  Examples of these cuts are Assher, Crisscross, Lily, Hearts on Fire and Leo.  Specialised cuts like these are often more expensive because of the brand name and because more of the rough diamond is lost in the cutting process.  And that is definitely something to bear in mind when you buy an engagement ring!

Saving up for and engagement ring can take a long time because you still have to pay for all your living, travel and housing expenses etc, each month.  So when the time comes to buy a diamond engagement ring, here are five top tips to make your budget stretch a bit further! 

1 Buy in a Sale
Most jewelers offer deep discounts when sales are slow or when they are making room for new inventory.  Your budget will go further if you buy your engagement ring in a sale.  Look for special offer codes on this site.

2 Buy White Gold Instead of Platinum
Although most of the cost of an engagement ring is in the price of the diamond, choosing a white gold engagement ring over a the very expensive platinum one will make a noticeable difference to the price of the engagement ring.

3 Add Baguettes
If you choose to build your own engagement ring, why not add tiny baguettes to accent a smaller good quality diamond?  This will add a significant amount of extra sparkle for not much extra cost. This is a much better option than simply choosing a poorer quality, but bigger carat diamond, which will have less sparkle and look dull by comparison.

4 Do Not Buy Top Quality
If you cannot appreciate the subtleties between top graded diamonds and those that are next tier down, why pay top dollar for the best?  To the untrained eye, G,H or I color white diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from the very expensive D, E, F grades, making them cost effective choices. 

In the same way, choosing a “good” or “very good” cut diamond, rather than the top priced “ideal” cut, will make your budget go further since the differences in sparkle are only apparent when the various cut qualities are compared alongside each other.

5 Buy Online
Many jewelers use online stores to showcase old stock and are able to offer special discounts because of their lower overheads.  So your budget will go further and you will find the best bargains when you buy your engagement ring online.