Wedding Ring Quick Tips

Wedding Ring Quick Tips

• Many independent women are seeking alternative stones and metals other than gold and silver in their engagement rings and wedding bands that reflect individual tastes as opposed to time-honored traditions.
• Most popular among women are rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, but even more unusual stones are gaining popularity.
• Men tend to prefer blue sapphires or black onyx, in making a more neutral statement.
• Known as "the Four C's," the cut, color, clarity, and carat weight indicate the quality of the stone.
• Cut refers to the shaping and faceting of the stone. A good cut adds priceless beauty to your ring without added expense. A well-cut faceted stone will reflect light back evenly across its surface area when held face up. If areas appear dark, the stone is probably too deep and narrow. If the stone appears washed out and lifeless, it is probably too shallow and wide.
• Cut is the most important factor in determining a stone's quality. A well-cut stone reflects light from the top of the stone, while a spread-cut stone reflects light from the back, and makes the grease and oil that collect behind any stone much more visible.
• Many jewelers may try to sell you by the size of the stone instead of the cut.
• Ask if there is an ideal-cut stone for you to measure your prospective purchase against. If they don't know what you are talking about, they aren't aware of the proper information they need to ensure you that theirs is a quality stone.
• The best diamonds are colorless and disperse white light into a rainbow of colors. Still, these diamonds are very rare and expensive, so you would be better off opting for a diamond with a slight tint that is invisible to the naked eye.
• Clarity is determined by the presence or absence of inclusions, or tiny flaws. Most stones have inclusions, so you would do best to choose one with the least visible flaws.
• Always examine diamonds free of any mounting, because often-times inclusions are hidden in this way.
• Carat weight refers simply to the size of the stone. Carats are subdivided into 100 "points"--a fifty point diamond weighs one half of a carat. Choose a carat weight appropriate to your budget as well as your lifestyle.
• For engagement rings as well as wedding bands, platinum is making a big statement. Fused with gold or by itself, this metal offers an interesting new look without an outrageous price.