Which Jewelers Can I Trust?

In response to Bridget's question, it is very simple to locate honest jewelers. By simple visiting the American Gem Society's website, you can search by city or zip code for their certified jewelers. In Wilmington there are 2. Although the GIA does certify jewelers, they do not have a location link on their webiste. But they do suggest how to find the right jeweler for you. Hope this helps!!

More on Settings

A couple more suggestions on settings. If you do want to design your own ring, do it with the assistance of a credible jeweler who is certified and offer suggestions to make a high-quality ring. And it is not likely that the diamond will fall out with only four prongs, but it could happen after the ring has been worn for many years, as it is probably hit and nicked on different occasions. So to avoid this, simply take your rings in for "check-ups" every few years, so the jeweler can tighten the prongs. Although the six prong ring does add more support, I don't think it is a huge difference; six prong rings are simply more expensive and have better quality. Rachel, you cannot take a diamond out of a setting without tools; I would say that's almost impossible, unless the prongs were very loose. The diamond must also be placed with tools and by a professional; if it isn't, then there are many flaws which could occur, as I talked about in the last entry. But then again, David Blaine knows more about magic than I do!!

Setting

The ring setting is the mounting which holds the diamond in place. Most rings have 4 or 6 prongs. With 4 prongs, more of the diamond can be seen. 6 prongs holds the diamond in tighter and is of higher quality, resulting in a higher price for the overall ring. Tiffany's suggests to never build your own engagement ring, because this can effect the quality of the setting. The ring setting should always match the metal of the ring band. For example, if your ring band is platinum, make sure the ring setting is also platinum. Visit Tiffany's to see an upclose picture of a ring setting and to see a picture of one prong Tiffany's also is the place. Also, check for prong flaws. These occur when the setting is placed crooked on top of the band, the prongs do not touch the stone (and are not holding the diamond in place), and prong burrs (when extra metal is left on the prong).

Appraisals???

So, with all the comments on getting the ring appraised, I thought I would address the issue. As with all precious jewelry, the engagement ring should be appraised immediately for two purposes. The first is because you want to ensure the value of the ring is accurate. More importantly, your insurance will need verification of the ring's price and value, in case it was misplaced, stolen or damaged. This would allow the insurance company to reimburse you. The jeweler would also need to know this information to find a comparable replacement or to re-create a stolen ring. So, when the engagement ring is purchased, you should request for an appraisal from the jeweler. Make sure the jewler is AGS or GIA certified; therefore, you know they are trustworthy and their estimation is reliable. The jeweler will give you a copy of the appraisal with a picture of the ring, and also keep one in his records. The AGS states appraisals should be conducted on all jewlery every five years, to adjust for changes in the market and wear on the items, as well as, the repairs needed. So, if your fiancee does NOT receive an appraisal with the engagement ring purchase, definitely have one completed ASAP. If they already have one, it is not necessary, unless you don't trust the source or just want to know the ring's value!!

Engagement Ring Band

The band of the engagement ring (simply the metal holding the setting) is made with one of three types of metal: white gold, yellow gold, and platinum. White gold and platinum actually look like silver. Platinum is the highest quality, and therefore most expensive, type of band. The current trend in engagement ring bands is to purchase platinum, or white gold if this is too expensive. About 20 years ago (when my parents were married), the popular style was actually yellow gold engagement rings. Guys, if you are purchasing the engagement ring and are unsure which type to get, my best advice is to purchase the color she wears most. If she has more silver jewlery, go with the white gold or platinum (remember platinum will increase the value of the entire engagement ring). You can also purchase engagement rings with a combination of the three metals; this is usually done with platinum and yellow gold. The band also determines the ring size; but don't worry if you don't know her ring size, it can always be adjusted by the jeweler (if anything, make it bigger, so when you propose it fits on her finger!!).

A 5th C?????

Yep!!!! Some say Cost is the 5th C, as most people are most concerned with this aspect of an engagement ring. The 4 C's, as well as, the band ad the setting (will describe another time), determine the price of an engagement ring. The carat of the diamond is not a large price determinant. For example, a 1/2 carat diamond ranges in price from $399 to $5,054, while a 1 carat diamond can cost anywehre from $1,330 to $22,211. So, a 1/2 carat can be more expensive than 1 carat!! So, now the important question: How much should I spend? Well, bridal magazines and jewlery stores say guys should spend 2 month's salary on the ring; but they want you to spend more money. This means if your man makes $50,000, he should spend $8,300!! And if he makes $100,000 that translates into $16,600 for the ring!! Guys, don't worry!!! You can get an amazing ring for under $6,000. And the average amount spent on a ring is $3,165!! Tiffany's states they sell rings in the price range of $1,000 to $1 million---so you can pretty much find a price which complements the 4 C's you desire. As a reference, a one carat engagement ring from Tiffany's falls within the $8,800 to $34,200 range. (Remember you're paying for the Tiffany's name also!!!). In my personal opinion, I would say a ring priced anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000 would be a great purchase!! A recent article on about.com explains how to save money when purchasing an engagement ring. Check it out!!

Carat Weight

Carat
Originally uploaded by chellefay1120.

Carat Weight is the fourth and final C!!! A carat (ct.) measures the weight of a diamond. A carat is different from a karat, which is used to determine the fineness of gold jewelry (for example 14 karat gold). One carat is divided into 100 sections called "points." So 1 carat=1.00 and 1/2 carat = 0.50. Therefore, a 10 point diamond is 1/10 of a carat. To put in easier terms, 1 carat= 1/5 of a gram. Remember, two diamonds which weigh the same, are not necessarily worth the same amount. It also depends on the color clarity, and cut. Also, just because a diamond has a large carat weight, does not mean it is expensive. All four C's play a very important role in determining the value of a diamond. So, two diamonds with the same carat weight, could have a large difference in their value. A diamond which weighs twice as much as another, may be worth more than two times the value!!

J.Lo's Pink Engagement Ring

J.Lo's Pink Engagement Ring
Originally uploaded by chellefay1120.

To answer Alex's question, Ben and J.Lo did NOT end up married; she is actually married to Marc Anthony presently. And what happened with the pink engagement ring?? Jennifer returned it to Ben Affleck, who gave it back to Harry Winston and asked them to sell it for him. There are also many jewelry stores offering replicas of this pink ring: Check out Yahoo! Shopping or E-bay. It has also been reported that J.Lo burnt her white Vera Wang wedding dress (which she received as a wedding present from Vera Wang and was custom-made especially for her). Apparently, Vera was not happy!!! Interestingly, J.Lo wore a Vera Wang wedding dress for her recent marriage to Marc Anthony from the 2005 Spring collection (not custom-designed this time!!). And when Vera Wang's publicist was asked if the dress was the same dress purchased for the wedding with Ben, Vera Wang's publicist replied, "No Comment."

Famous and Rare Diamonds

Rare Diamonds
Originally uploaded by chellefay1120.

Interested in the fancy colored and rare diamonds?? Throughout the world, there have been discoveries of diamonds with the rarest colors, and obviously most expensive diamonds. Starting from the left, the Millennium Star was found in Zaire and represents a perfect diamond color (colorless). Next, is the Heart of Eternity Diamond; Its perfect blue color makes this one of the 11 rarest blue diamonds in the world (and most expensive!!!). The third diamond, called the Centenary, is another perfect colorless diamond. The necklace, called the Star of South Africa, was a flawless diamond (recall Clarity) found in South Africa. The Incomparable is another fancy-colored diamond, boasts a yellow-brown color, and was also discovered in Zaire, the same place as the Millennium Star. Finally, the De Beers Diamond is a fancy-colored diamond found in their mines. It is a bright yellow color, creating another rare diamond.DeBeers provides more information and better quality images of these rare diamonds.

More on Color

J.Lo Engagement Ring
Originally uploaded by chellefay1120.

To avoid confusion, the previous posting was explaining the color grading for diamonds, does not include fancy color diamonds. Fancy color diamonds include colors such as yellow, pink, green, blue, and the rarest is red. The color grading scale for fancy color diamonds is completely different; the more color and hue, the rarer the diamond. Unfortunately, these diamonds are not graded on a scale. Remember the pink Harry Winston engagement ring Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Lopez?? This is a perfect example of a fancy color diamond engagement ring. And the cost?? It's estimated to be between $1 and $1.5 million for this 6-carat ring!!!

C #3: Color

Color is the third C of a diamond. Color is measured along a specific scale. For a diamond, the perfect color is actually colorless; it does not possess a color. Diamonds with a color, often not seen with the human eye,do not have a high color grade. This color becomes more yellow or brown (due to imperfections) as the color grading worsens. Jewelry stores measure the color of diamonds against what is called "master stones." So, if you are choosing a diamond, request the jeweler to compare the diamonds you are choosing from to their master stones. This will help you view the difference. The American Gem Society grades the color of diamonds on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being colorless (the perfect diamond color). Jewelers certified by the AGS will use this same scale and also provide AGS Master Diamonds. Tiffany's, on the other hand, uses the Gemological Institute of America's (GIA) scale to measure color; their scale ranges from D (colorless) to Z (saturated with color). Their website states they will only accept diamonds with color grading I ("near colorless") and better. D, E, and F are colorless, while G, H, I, and J are near colorless. Harry Winston uses the same scale as Tiffany's, but only sells diamonds with a G grade or better (this is a better standard than Tiffany's!!!). Harry Winston's son Ronald, explains, "For color, I advise anywhere from D through G. Any color darker than G should not be purchased in any shape other than round because the color tends to concentrate at the points and becomes more noticeable." If you're really interested in this topic, visit DeBeers to see how diamonds of different color gradings look.