Bridal Special – tips on buying an engagement ring

When most people decide to get married for the first time they probably have never had an opportunity to make any decisions about diamonds, gold, platinum or how to design a setting.  In addition, what about value of all of this?  How do you decide what to buy and how much to pay?  To help newlyweds with this difficult task we have put together some basics for you below.  Additional details are also available in other parts of the Resources section.

Selecting a diamond
Gold, white gold or platinum
Designing the setting

Selecting a Diamond

About the 4Cs
Every diamond is unique. Each reflects the story of its arduous journey from deep inside the earth to a cherished object of adornment. Yet all diamonds share certain features that allow us to compare and evaluate them. These features are called the 4Cs.

Cut: The GIA Cut Scale ranges from Excellent to Poor. 

 G.I.A. provides a cut quality grade for standard round brilliant diamonds that fall in the GIA D-to-Z color range.

A.G.S. provides a similar quality grade from 0, (zero being the best), to 10, (the lowest grade).

A polished diamond’s beauty lies in its complex relationship with light: how light strikes the surface, how much enters the diamond, and how, and in what form light returns to your eye.

The Light Performance is a result these attributes:  Brightness; the combination of all white light reflecting from the surface and interior of a diamond; Dispersion is the colored flashes that can be seen in a diamond, also known as Fire.  Planned light leakage and Contrast help make up what is known as Scintillation, describing the sparkle of light you see in a diamond, and the overall pattern of bright and dark areas when you look at a diamond face-up.

A polished diamond’s Proportions affect its light performance, which in turn affects its beauty and overall appeal. Diamonds with good proportions optimize the interaction with light, and have good brilliance, fire, and scintillation.  This also takes in to consideration weight ratio and durability factors.
Polish and symmetry of a diamond also affects its cut quality, and are considered in determining a diamond’s cut grade, under the category of Finish.

Color: The GIA Color Scale extends from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown). Although many people think of gem quality diamonds as colorless, most diamonds used in jewelry are nearly colorless with tints of yellow or brown. Color grades are determined by comparing each diamond to a master set. Each letter grade represents a range of color and is  a measure of how noticeable the color is.

Clarity: The GIA Clarity Scale includes eleven clarity grades ranging from Flawless to I3.  Given that diamonds form under tremendous heat and pressure, internal and external characteristics are common. These characteristics help gemologists separate natural diamonds from synthetics and simulants, and identify individual stones.  There are two categories of clarity characteristics: inclusions and blemishes – the difference is based on their locations. Inclusions are enclosed within a diamond while blemishes are confined to its surface. 

Fluorescence: Many diamonds emit a visible light when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Although fluorescence is not a factor in determining color or clarity grades, a description of its strength and color is provided on GIA Reports for identification purposes.

Carat Weight: One carat equals 1/5 of a gram in weight.
Each carat is divided into 100 points – similar to pennies in a dollar. 0.75ct. = 75 points, ½ ct. = 50 points.

To gain a deeper understanding of the 4Cs and to help you make an informed decision when the time comes to purchase a diamond, we invite you to take GIA’s fun and interactive tutorial, How to Buy a Diamond.

Gold, White Gold, or Platinum? What you need to know about jewelry metals

There are a variety of metals used to make fine jewelry.  The metal types commonly used to make jewelry include platinum, white gold, yellow gold, palladium, titanium, silver and tungsten carbide and stainless steel.  Platinum and gold are the most popular choices for men's and ladies wedding rings and engagement rings.  Platinum is the purest, and most precious.  Gold is alloyed into a variety of colors:  white, yellow, rose, green and many other exotic colors.  There are two things to consider when looking at gold. First, which gold karat to choose and second, the gold color or the combination of gold colors available.  Then you should consider the character of each metal, their costs, and lastly the possible repair needs of each.  The comparison chart and information below can help you sort through the practical side of your decision.  Please visit our “Platinum vs. Gold” page [LINK: platinum vs gold] for more detailed information.  You are in good hands with Houston Jewelers, regardless of which metal you choose. 

 Designing the Setting

Sometimes the jewelry that you see in catalogs or in the store does not quite match what is in your dream.  In that case we have the answer.  Our in-house artist and fashion consultants will help you create that special, custom designed piece of jewelry; a work of art made exclusively for you!  We offer a large variety of possibilities, from re-designing older styles into new fashions to simple modifications.  Our staff has the best training and qualifications and we have available the latest technologies in our industry, from C.A.D.-Cam custom designing to computer-generated wax building.  You can be assured that you will be pleased with your custom piece of jewelry from Houston Jewelers.