The History of the Diamond as an Engagement Ring

A man presents his prospective bride with an engagement ring upon acceptance of his marriage proposal. Anthropologists believe this tradition originated from a Roman custom in which wives wore rings attached to small keys, indicating their husbands' ownership.

In 1477, Archduke Maximillian of Austria commissioned the very first diamond engagement ring on record for his betrothed, Mary of Burgundy. This sparked a trend for diamond rings among European aristocracy and nobility.

The sentimental Victorians popularized ornate engagement ring designs that mixed diamonds with other gemstones, precious metals and enamels. Often these rings were crafted in the shapes of flowers and were dubbed “posey rings.” Diamond rings crafted during the Edwardian era continued the tradition of pairing diamonds with other jewels, commonly mounted in filigree settings.

In 1947, De Beers launched its now classic slogan, "A Diamond is Forever." This campaign spurred even more sales. The implied durability of a diamond conveyed the meaning in the American psyche that marriage is forever. A diamond's purity and sparkle have now become symbols of the depth of a man's commitment to the woman he loves in practically all corners of the world.The opening of the DeBeers mines in Africa made diamonds more accessible. In the 1930s, when demand for diamond rings declined in the U.S. during hard economic times, the De Beers Company began an aggressive marketing campaign using photographs of glamorous movie stars swathed in diamonds. Within three years, the sales of diamonds had increased by 50 percent.

Diamonds still signify the celebration of a union and cherished memory, though more cuts make more styles an easy option for diamond lovers.

The History of Popular Cuts

Over the years, the most popular cut for diamond engagement rings has always been the round brilliant, consisting of 58 facets that divide the stone into a top and bottom half. Runners up include the princess cut, the emerald cut and the oval cut, with the cushion cut quickly gaining popularity as a recent trend.

Source: American Gem Society

How the Tennis Bracelet Got Its Name

At the 1987 U.S. Open, tennis star Chris Evert was playing in a hotly contested game. She suddenly stopped mid-match and asked the officials for a time out. The reason: The clasp on her diamond bracelet had broken and the bracelet had fallen off her wrist, and she wanted to find it before playing the next point. When asked about it in an interview, she called the missing piece of jewelry her “tennis bracelet,” and so the iconic name was born.

 The bracelet Evert was wearing during the match was a line bracelet set with diamonds made by noted jewelry designer George Bedewi. Traditionally featuring diamonds, this style of bracelet can also be set with colored stones or a combination of diamonds and colored stones. Thanks to Evert’s incident that brought it into the national spotlight, sales of the bracelet exploded and became forever known as the tennis bracelet.

Considering Evert’s famous mishap, you might be wondering if wearing a tennis bracelet during a match is a good idea. GIA experts offer a few suggestions so you can wear your bracelet without fear:

1. In addition to the clasp, add a safety catch on the side of the bracelet for added protection.
2. Have the tennis bracelet routinely checked by a jeweler to make sure the clasp, safety catch, and mountings are secure.
3. Keep the diamonds sparkling with periodic cleaning.

Nearly 30 years have passed since Evert’s unforgettable on-court incident, and the tennis bracelet is still a fashion accessory for the sophisticated set. Below, we share some tennis bracelets that are a grand slam.

Stackable jewelry creates a great look that’s versatile. You can be the fashionista at the club when you wear these three tennis bracelets available in 10K yellow, white, or rose gold, each sporting a total of 4.50 carats of diamonds.

Don’t like bracelets? How about these earrings fashioned as tennis players? Notice how one is serving and the other is returning. These creative earrings are set with approximately 2.20 carats of diamonds in platinum and 18K white gold.

The tennis bracelet remains popular because it’s an elegant piece of jewelry that comes with a fun story. Now you have some ideas to decorate your wrist.

Source: GIA.Edu

How Much You Should Spend on an Engagement Ring

Ready to put a ring on it? When you’re ready to take your commitment to the next level, you’ll want to make sure to get it right with the perfect ring and an amazing, heartfelt proposal. After all, this is the moment she’s been dreaming of since she was a little girl. At first glance, buying an engagement ring may not seem all that difficult. Simply find a jewelry store and remember to bring your wallet, right? But as you stare at the rows of rings in different shapes, sizes and prices (and don’t even get us started on the 4Cs!), you may find that a little research goes a long way when it comes to choosing and deciding how much to spend on an engagement ring. Here, we’ll take a look at the average engagement ring cost in 2016, cut through the myths surrounding how much to spend on an engagement ring, and highlight the factors to consider when selecting the best ring for your partner and your budget.

Average Engagement Ring Cost

One thing’s for sure—diamonds aren’t getting any cheaper! According to The Knot’s annual Real Weddings Study, the average cost of an engagement ring is at an all-time high in 2016, clocking in at $6,163. That’s roughly 3% higher than the prior year, and 21% higher than just five years ago, with an average cost of $5,095 in 2011.

With these double-digit increases in engagement ring prices, how do you come up with an amount to spend on the engagement ring for your significant other? Unfortunately, the answer is both multi-faceted and highly subjective. The truth is, there is no “right” answer, but that doesn’t mean you need to go into major debt for the ring of her dreams. Let’s take a look at some of the myths you’re sure to run into as you decide how much to spend on an engagement ring.

 “Rules” for How Much to Spend on an Engagement Ring

One/Two/Three month’s salary rule: You’ve probably heard the “one month’s salary” rule, which indicates that you should spend one month’s gross income on an engagement ring. In recent years, this silly notion has been trending upward, to two and even three month’s salary. Following the three months rule, if your annual income is $150K, you should spend $37,500 on an engagement ring. Just…no.

Few people realize that this “guideline” began as a marketing initiative that diamond marketers used to enhance sales around the start of WW2. It’s highly unrealistic these days, since it considers gross income rather than net, and doesn’t look at debt load (at an all-time high for young adults due to student loans). Despite what the jewelry stores may want you to spend, it’s never a good feeling to spend the first several years of your marriage paying off the engagement ring, so feel free to toss out this “rule”!

Engagement ring calculator: From downright silly to only marginally helpful, engagement ring calculators attempt to help you decide how much to spend on an engagement ring by gathering information about your income, lifestyle, and debt-to-asset ratio. And of course, there’s one that wants to know how attractive your significant other is in order to make its determination. Are you rolling your eyes like we are? If you’d like to use an engagement ring calculator to determine a ballpark budget, go right ahead, but be sure to steer clear of the hokey versions. Better yet, keep reading for some helpful (and legit!) tips to figure out how much should you spend on an engagement ring.

How Much to Spend on an Engagement Ring

Every person looking to purchase an engagement ring develop a plan of action that begins with a budget. He suggests, “The best place to start when you're beginning this process is to set a budget. This will guide all of your decisions going forward, and it's important to have a handle on how much you're looking to spend. From there, we recommend thinking about priorities—are you looking for a high-quality diamond? Are you willing to sacrifice a bit on quality in order to make it a larger diamond? Are you planning for a simple band which will be cheaper, or something with a lot of smaller diamonds that will take more of your budget?”

In keeping with this advice, here are some factors you’ll want to consider as you determine how much to spend on an engagement ring:

Financial Situation. Whether you’ve saved for a down payment or plan to finance the entire cost of the ring, figure out what you’re comfortable with if you’ll have monthly payments going forward. Think about your current bills and your current income, and determine whether either will change (for better or worse!) in the foreseeable future.

Partner’s Expectations. By now you should have some idea of what type of engagement ring your significant other is dreaming of, but if you don’t, now’s the time to find out! Your main goal is to purchase a ring that she’ll love and feel proud of, regardless of the price tag. You could ask your partner outright for ring options, or go “window shopping” together to figure out what she really wants. If you want your proposal to be a complete surprise, consider asking her friends, or check around for hints she may be leaving you; has she mentioned a friend’s beautiful new sparkler? Are there magazines laying around that “happen” to be open to a page with a picture of a ring? Has she created a Hint page on The Knot? Consider her individual style, along with gifts you’ve given in the past that she’s enjoyed.

Meaningfulness of Ring. In most cases, a well thought out ring that speaks to her individual personality will be much more meaningful than the biggest ring you can find that maxes out several credit cards. Got a family heirloom on your hands? Perhaps your partner would prefer the heirloom over a ring at any price since it’s so special to you. Or maybe she’d like to break with tradition and skip a diamond altogether.

How to Save Money on an Engagement Ring

When you’re finally ready to whip out your wallet, you’ll want to be sure you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck.

Shop online. Delaney advocates shopping online in order to ensure you’re getting a good price and product. “Go with an online retailer like James Allen. The total savings come in at 30–50% versus a regular store. Also, thanks to the tremendous selection, you can ensure that you get exactly the diamond and ring that suits you and your budget and not be pressured into something the store has in their jewelry case.” Shopping online not only offers substantial savings on the engagement ring cost, but it also allows you to customize the ring, ensuring your partner gets exactly what she wants. See below for additional tips on buying an engagement ring online.

Give up a fraction of carat size. According to Shannon Delaney, “go with an under-size diamond. These are diamonds whose carat weights are slightly below traditional cut-off points. For example, a 0.97 carat diamond is identical to a 1.0-carat diamond to the naked eye, but has a much smaller price tag.”

Go big on cut but sacrifice on color and inclusions. Learn the 4Cs of diamonds, outlined here. The cut of the diamond is one you won’t want to sacrifice on, since a well-cut diamond will shine brilliantly. According to the American Gem Society, which rates the cut of a diamond on a scale from 0 (ideal) to 10 (poor), “If you compare a well-cut small diamond side-by-side with a slightly larger diamond of lesser cut quality, the smaller diamond may look larger to the naked eye.” So opt for the best cut you can afford, but maybe skimp a bit on clarity and color if you need; slight inclusions (or flaws) and faint coloration will not be visible just by looking at the diamond, and will result in substantial savings.

Skip the solitaire. Purchase a ring that’s made of several smaller diamonds rather than a solitaire. This is a fantastic way to find a stunning ring without spending that three month’s salary we talked about. And you’re in luck if you go this route—the halo ring, a setting that encircles a center gemstone is totally on trend right now, and it makes even a small center diamond look stunning (and huge!). 

How to Buy an Engagement Ring from an Online Diamond Retailer

Yes, it’s possible to buy an engagement ring online, where the average engagement ring cost is much lower. Online diamond retailers are a great option, especially if you’re a budget-conscious shopper. The convenience and lower price can’t be beat, but there are risks. It’s important to recognize the difference between bogus diamond websites and those of professional jewelers. Tom Shane, CEO of Shane Co., and customer service representatives at reputable retailers should be more than happy to disclose this information.

Note that despite the lower engagement ring prices, you’ll want to do your research before purchasing an engagement ring from an online retailer. Make sure you fully understand the company’s payment and shipping methods, and the return policy. It’s also a good idea to read through the reviews on the company’s website. Finally, requesting certification on any diamond is always a good idea. There are a number of ways to verify the authenticity of a diamond, like GIA’s Report Check, and customer service representatives at reputable retailers should be more than happy to disclose this information.

Source: The knot

9 Tips Before Buying Engagement Ring

Buying an engagement ring for your loved one can seem rather confusing these days, especially with all the choice and technical details that come with such a purchase. With all this to consider Jewellery Monthly decided to try and make this a little more simple for you. We have even linked through to other articles dotted around our site if you decided you want more information to make sure your final engagement ring purchase is perfect.

Engagement Rings Tips to consider

1.      Decide your budget – Two months salary is normally what the average person is willing to pay. The key is to make sure you are comfortable with what you can afford.

2.    Metal type – Check your partners existing jewellery, they might like Yellow Gold, Rose Gold or prefer a whiter metal, such as White Gold, Platinum, Palladium or Silver. The Cost will vary depending on the type of metal you choose. Platinum is the most expensive followed by Gold, Palladium and finally Silver.

3.    Stone shape – The stone shape is very important from the wearers perspective. You have quite a few options to choose from. Think about what will suit your partner.

4.    What’s affordable? – Ok so you have decided on a metal color and design and now your thinking about affordability. We have selected a few good retailers to help you get going on your search for the perfect engagement ring.

5.   What technical details do I need to know? Well you could do with knowing about the diamond color and diamond clarity. When it comes to diamond color grade D is the most expensive, as it is graded exceptional white. The diamond color J is slightly tinted yellow. This grade will be less expensive. Anything below the grade of J for diamond color should not really be considered.
Diamond Clarity should also be considered. The grade of FL means flawless, this will be a very expensive diamond. The scale continues down to IF – VVS1 – VVS2 – VS1 VVS2 – VS1 – VS2 – S11 – S12 – and S12.

The further you go down the scale the more inclusions your diamond will have and this will effect the overall cost. Inclusions are tiny lines or black dots inside the diamond. These can’t be seen by the human eye but can be seen under a magnifying glass. For some alternative info you can check out these:

 6.   Popular engagement rings – So what is currently popular when thinking about buying your engagement ring? Its important to get the design of the ring right. Think about your partners style, are they classic, trendy, original or designer? We have selected a few fine examples for you in the following article. 

7.   I’m looking for something completely different, You don’t want to follow the crowd? High street Jewellery is popular due to it’s cost, but it doesn’t suit everyone. There are some very creative styles that stand apart from standard engagement rings. If you want designer then check out some bespoke design collections by companies such as Tiffany or designers such as Shaun Leane, alternatively you can look at the more creative trends such as:

§  The Lego engagement ring

§  The Frog Prince

§  Bubble rings filled with gems

8.   Buying online could save you a small fortune. You can buy a really nice engagement ring online and save a small fortune these days. The main reason for this is your not paying for overheads of a shop front. If you do decided to buy online then look out for the following.

§  Established company.

§  30 – 40 days return policy.

§  Your ring comes with certified certificates.

§  Live customer reviews.

§  Customer service line.

§  Read the terms and conditions.

§  Please make sure they are a reputable jewellery company.

 

9.  You might want to consider getting it insured. You should be able to do this on your existing home insurance policy. You should not need to get separate insurance.

Source: Jewellery Monthly

The 5 C’s of White Gold vs. Platinum

Color & Care

In order to get the silvery white color of white gold, yellow gold must be mixed, or alloyed, with some white metal(s) such as silver, nickel, manganese and/or palladium. Therefore there is really no such thing as “pure white gold.” Often it is also coated in rhodium to give it a whiter, shinier finish. Every few years it should be re-dipped to retain its white color and shine and replace its rhodium plating; otherwise it will revert back to the color of its main ingredient: yellow gold. While this may seem like a hassle, in truth the process is relatively inexpensive, and many jewelers actually offer this service for free.

Platinum, on the other hand, has a natural grayish white color. In order for it to be sold, it must have at least 90-95 percent platinum; if less, it would be called a platinum alloy. Over time, platinum’s color will not fade to yellow like white gold, but its shiny finish will dull to a natural patina, which some people actually like because it makes the diamond appear even more sparkly by contrast. Platinum can also be shined professionally to restore its original luster, a process which is comparable in cost to caring for white gold.

While the colors of white gold and platinum are certainly similar, they are not exactly the same, as you can see for yourself when trying on a ring of each type on the same hand. White gold is more silvery whereas platinum is more gray. Both complement white diamonds beautifully, but they should not be mixed in a bridal set. In other words, if your engagement ring is platinum, don’t get a white gold wedding band. Stay consistent with the metal you choose if you plan to wear the rings on the same hand. 

Cost

The biggest advantage of white gold over platinum is certainly the cost. Platinum is more expensive because it is rarer and mined much less than gold. Only 160 tons of platinum are mined annually, as opposed to 1,500 tons of gold. Also, platinum is more dense than gold, so the same ring will weigh significantly more in platinum than in gold (and precious metals are priced by weight). Therefore, it’s easy to understand why a white gold setting costs approximately half as much as a comparable setting in platinum. For more or less the same color, then, you can save quite a bit of money going with white gold — savings that you can then apply to upgrading the quality of the ring’s center stone. 

Composition

Most white gold engagement rings are offered in 14K or 18K versions. The former is 58.3 percent pure gold, and the latter is 75 percent pure gold. The higher the karat amount, the purer the gold content, but the less durable the metal. Gold at its purest form is 24K but in that state it is too soft to use for mounting jewelry. It must be alloyed with other metals in order to harden it. 

Platinum is a very durable metal, and as I previously mentioned, is stronger and heavier than gold. This affects more than just price; one must consider whether they want to wear a lighter or heavier ring. Platinum does take the cake when it comes to being the densest precious metal. Whether or not you like your ring to be heavy or light is a matter of personal taste. I suggest you try on both and see what you like.

If the bride-to-be has an allergy to nickel, then platinum is the way to go. Nickel is often one of the white metals alloyed with yellow gold to produce white gold. Platinum, on the other hand, is purer and is considered hypoallergenic. (It may be possible, however, to find nickel-free white gold. Check with your jeweler.)

Culture

Gold symbolizes wealth, wisdom, and divinity, as in the Bible’s “golden rule” and Aristotle’s “golden mean.” “The golden age” and “golden years” signify good times, and the 50th wedding anniversary is said to be the golden anniversary. Gold is also considered by most to be the traditional metal of wedding and engagement bands. Since gold does not tarnish over time, it helps to symbolize the couple’s eternal vows to each other, and has often been incorporated in the nuptial jewelry in many cultures, e.g., the gold adorning Indian brides.

Though gold often implies the top prize — such as the gold medal in the Olympics — platinum seems to be the new symbol of wealth and prestige. Think of the “platinum credit card,” which often has better benefits and privileges than the “gold credit card.” Add Hollywood’s obsession with platinum on the red carpet, and you’ll see how, for some, platinum has become the new gold. 

Whether you go with white gold or platinum, being informed about the pros and cons of each will help you make the most informed decision. And that will give you the peace of mind to pull the trigger on what may be your biggest jewelry purchase to date.

Source: Huffingtonpost