Engagement Ring Guide

Courtesy of DiamondEngagementRingsInc.com

The History of the Engagement Ring:

In many cultures, the engagement ring has become the ultimate symbol of love and commitment in a relationship.

Although there is no real hard evidence about the engagement ring history there certainly are no shortages of tales that date far back in time.

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Such as:

• It is believed that the cave man tied up his woman of choice so that she wouldn’t run away! He also may have tied her to him so he could keep track of her. When he trusted her enough to untie her binds, she wore a ring of rope around her ankle that was linked to one of her fingers. How romantic!
• Moving along to the ancient Greeks and Romans … they used a ring called a betrothal ring. The word betrothal can be translated many different ways; however the most common would be as “a pledge of truth”.
• Jumping ahead a few decades we have what is now known as the Claddagh ring. The heart in the center of the design represents love, the hands that surround it represent friendship, and the crown at the top (if present) is symbolic of fidelity.
• In 1477, His Imperial Highness Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph, Archduke of Austria, gave his bride to be, Mary of Burgundy, a diamond engagement ring. Supposedly this is the earliest account of the giving of an actual diamond engagement ring that was “officially” recorded.

Why is an engagement ring worn on the left hand ring finger?

It is believed that the habit of wearing the engagement ring on the fourth finger of the left hand is based upon an ancient Egyptians and Romans who believed that the ring finger follows the "vena amoris" or vein of love which is directly connected to the heart thereby linking the couple's destiny.

Even though Science discredits this theory – many romantics at heart still follow this practice today.

The 5 “C”’S of Diamond Buying:

There is almost an entire science involved in understanding diamonds – and we by no means intend to skip over the importance of knowing your facts.

We highly recommend that you do your homework about diamonds before making your final selection. However, for the sake of those of us who are not gemologists – the definitions below are simplistic enough for you to gain a minimal understanding.

• Color: The "color" refers to a diamond’s degree of "yellowness." The perfect diamond will be completely colorless, and therefore it will be the most expensive. Very few diamonds are perfect – or flawless!
• Clarity: “Clarity” is a measurement of the number and extent of a diamond’s flaws. Basically, the fewer the flaws, the more valuable the diamond.
• Carat Weight: "Carat Weight" is simply the weight of the diamond. Don't confuse the weight of a stone and its size, as they are two different things!
• Cost: The bottom line is – buy what you can afford! Whoever thought up the notion that the ring should cost as much as three months worth of the groom’s annual earnings was not being realistic!
• Cut: Last but not least – we have the “cut” of the stone. Which refers to both how the stone is cut and what its shape is.

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Diamond Shapes:

There are an incredible variety of diamond engagement rings available for selection; deciding which style is right for your partner is often the most challenging of tasks.

Several factors must be considered when searching for suitable diamond engagement rings.

Below are descriptions of some of the most popular diamond shapes to choose from:

Round Brilliant
This is by far the most popular shape of diamond solitaire and represents almost 75% of the diamonds purchased today. If you want a diamond with lots of “sparkle” this is the one to choose.

Oval
This elongated design is very popular among women with smaller hands or shorter fingers. Its symmetrical cut gives an illusion of length & is flattering to the hand.

Marquise
Pronounced “marKEES”. Similar to the oval but with pointed ends. The name was inspired by the smile of the Marquise de Pompadour.

Pear
A combination of the oval and the marquise, it is also known as the “teardrop” shape.

Heart
This cut can be considered the ultimate symbol of romance and is gaining in popularity. Find a diamond with an even shape on both sides of the heart and a well-defined outline.

Emerald Cut
A rectangular shape with cut corners. Flaws are much more visible with the type of cut so make sure you are careful to take notice of clarity and color.

Princess Cut
The princess cut is a relatively new cut and has become a very, very popular choice! Most women would love to have this stone for the center stone of their engagement ring. It has a square cut with numerous sparkling facets.

Trillian or Trilliant (Straight or Curved)
The designs vary greatly depending on the natural characteristics of the stone and the preferences of the gemologist who cuts it. Basically the stone is triangular in shape.

Radiant (Standard or Box)
Most radiant stone cuts have a maximum of 70 facets to maximize the light refraction. This square or rectangular cut combines the emerald shape diamond with the brilliance of the round.

Baguettes, Bullet, Trapezoid, Half Moon, Pave: These diamond shapes and cuts are usually associated as “accent” stones which are used to enhance the beauty of the solitaire diamonds they surround.

In Summary:

Keep in mind whatever type of diamond engagement rings you are searching for; your partner will likely be in love with it no matter what style you ultimately choose.

When all else fails, if your partner knows of your intentions take her with you to shop for diamond engagement rings, that way you are certain to select a piece that solicits compliments and admiration!

One last little bit of information: Believe it or not?!

New York diamond appraiser Saul Spero, spent 25 years interviewing over 50,000 people to determine if there were any correlations between personalities and preferences of diamond shapes.

In his book Diamonds, Love, and Compatibility, he states that if a woman has a strong preference for any of these shapes, she can be characterized as follows:

• For more information about engagement rings, and engagement ring settings, Please visit our Buyers Guide