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."