Engagement Diamonds: What YOU need to know!

So the day has come when you're starting to think about engagement diamonds, engagement rings, engagement parties and your future life with your fiancé. For most of us, this will be the first time in our lives that we buy an important piece of jewelry—at least one that has any real significance—and it all starts with the all-important diamond!

We've been there and researched the heck out of this, so don't worry, we'll guide you through the process and tell you exactly what you need to know, and what to look for.

As we said it all starts with the diamond which means that the diamond is the first thing to consider when looking at engagement rings. So here are the basic things that you need to consider when starting to shop for a diamond engagement ring:

	Diamond Ratings: There are Diamond Ratings which were developed by the Gem Institute of America in order to be able to classify and compare individual stones. The ratings are based on the 4Cs which are extremely important to understand since they determine the value and cost of the stone. They are: Diamond Cuts, Diamond Carat, Diamond Clarity, and Diamond Color.
	Diamond Shapes: You also need to learn about Diamond Shapes. There are about 10 basic shapes that you are likely to encounter when looking at engagement diamonds.
	Diamond Settings Wedding ring settings and more specifically diamond settings refer to the type of metal used (gold, platinum, etc.) and the way the stone is mounted to that metal. The setting is more than just a question of style it has substantial bearing on how brilliant and fiery the diamond will appear to be. There are also some very interesting unique ring settings that you may want to have a look at in our engagement ring section.

Those are the basics but there are still a couple of other things to consider.

There's a lot of buzz about fake diamond rings and making sure that you're getting what you paid for. People always want to know " What if it's a fake?"  Check out our tips on how to help differentiate between fake engagement diamond rings and the real McCoy. 

Another popular topic these days, and an important one, are conflict diamonds also known as blood diamonds and their counterparts, non-conflict diamonds or conflict free diamonds. Basically, conflict diamonds are those that are traded illegally and fund conflicts in war torn areas of the world. So you should always ask the origin of the stone that you're looking to buy.

Finally, lots of people ask us about buying loose diamonds because a quality engagement ring usually comes in two parts, the diamond and the setting, and each are chosen separately.

Now let's start our diamond education by learning about Diamond Ratings.

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