What groom-to-be has never asked themselves this crucial question?

Most women have been waiting for this moment for years. Above all, do not miss the ring of your dreams.
A symbol of purity and eternity, the diamond is traditionally the most chosen gemstone for an engagement ring.

Then there are many trade-offs:
What type of ring: Simple solitaire, shouldered, pavé…
What shape of diamond: Round (brilliant cut), Princess, Pear, Cushion, Marquise, Heart, Oval or Emerald cut…
What Quality: VVS, VS, SI, Extra White, White, Nuanced White…
Which metal: White, yellow or pink gold, Platinum…

And… What a budget!

1. What type of ring?

The classic solitaire; it highlights the central diamond. Prefer this type of ring for fairly large stones (0.50 Ct and more)

The shouldered solitaire; it allows you to add a little extra without distorting the engagement ring option

The solitaire Pavé ; it allows to obtain more volume, therefore useful when the central stone is not very large.

 

2. What shape of diamond?

The best-selling shape is the Round (Brilliant Cut); It is undeniably, with the Princess, the form that makes the stone shine with “a thousand lights”.

 

The choice of form is very personal.
Asymmetric shapes (Pears, Marquises, Hearts) can "support" lower purities (SI1 and SI2).
The Emerald Cut, on the other hand, does not support mediocrity and must be at least VS2 at the risk of seeing the inclusion with the naked eye.

3. What Quality?

The quality and value of a diamond are defined using 4 criteria, the 4Cs (Cut, Carat, Clarity, Color), the size of the diamond, the weight, the purity and the color of the diamond.
The value of a diamond depends on its Weight, its Cut quality, its Color and its Clarity.
The "4 c's" are internationally recognized criteria for evaluating a diamond. You have to rely on it to be able to find the ideal diamond.

The Karat:

The weight of a diamond is measured in carats. 1 diamond is equal to 0.20 grams.
The value of a diamond is exponential in relation to its weight: a two-carat diamond is worth more than two one-carat diamonds, since it is considered rarer.
The weight of the stone determines its size, therefore its diameter.
Do not confuse the carat of diamond and the carat of gold. The first is used to measure the weight of a precious stone, the second to define the share of pure gold (or fine gold) contained in a jewel.
The price of the diamond evolves with its weight and is established by threshold. There can thus be a large price difference between a 0.68 carat diamond and a 0.70 carat diamond because these two values ​​are at two different thresholds.

The Size (Cut):

It's not about the size of the diamond, but how it is cut.
The size is the variable parameter that will determine the beauty yield of the fixed data (carat, purity, color). It should be given the greatest importance.
Indeed, if the notions of purity and color seem familiar, the size proportions are much less so. Yet it is an essential quality factor. They directly condition the brilliance of the diamond. With identical color, a diamond having good proportions will be much more brilliant than an incorrectly cut pure diamond.

When a diamond is well cut, light enters via the table (upper part of the stone) and travels into the pavilion. This will again be returned from the pavilion to the table and will have our eye as its final destination.
Brilliance is therefore the product of light and it is this sparkle effect that makes the diamond so fascinating. As size is very important, a grading method has been developed to help customers determine the size of a diamond: EX (Excellent), Very Good (Very Good), Good (Good), Fair (Average) , Poor.
These criteria will be written on the certificate to define the symmetry of the facets, the dimensions of the diamond, and the polish.

polish and symmetry
Polishing or polishing is the action of polishing a diamond to make it smoother and shinier. This is the last cutting operation to give the final shine to the diamond. The quality of the polishing of the diamond is indicated on the certificate: “Excellent”, “Very Good”, “Good”.

Also, symmetry is the alignment of the facets with respect to each other. The symmetry is noted on the certificate with the words "Excellent", "Very Good", "Good".

The Color (Color):

The color of a diamond is very important, it is easily distinguishable with the naked eye. The diamond color has a classification. Diamond color grading is done by comparing the color of a diamond with other diamonds. Appropriate lighting must be used to obtain an accurate result.
The most common diamond color is white; it is in fact an absence of color.
Color scales have been defined to classify diamonds. The color of a diamond has a significant impact on its value: The more colorless the diamond, the more valuable it is.

Classification:

D: Exceptional White +

E: Exceptional White

F: Extra White +

G: Extra White

H: White

IJ: Shaded white

Fluorescence:

fluorescence is a luminous effect that very few diamonds show, only when they are exposed to ultraviolet rays. The degree of fluorescence is a characteristic that is determined during the certification of a diamond, because it plays an important role in determining the price of this one.

A “none” or “nil” fluorescence diamond means that the diamond has no fluorescence. A fluorescence written “slight” (weak), or “medium” signifies that the diamond has a small fluorescence.

This criterion is important for diamonds having an H, I, J color because it improves the brilliance and the color of the stone. Avoid "strong" fluorescence diamonds, it will give a milky appearance to the stone.

Purity (Clarity):

The clarity of a diamond refers to the presence of inclusions. They can appear in different forms: stripes, spots, air bubbles, or black inclusions.
The clarity of diamonds is assessed under a 10x magnifying glass.
The position of the inclusions in the diamond are very important factors to estimate a diamond: an inclusion on the table will be more visible than on a star or on the roundel.
A classification has been established to classify the diamond according to its degree of purity:

IF (Internally Flawless): Internally pure. No internal defects visible under 10x magnification.

VVS1 or VVS2 (Very Very Slight): Very Very Small inclusions. Inclusion very difficult to locate under 10x magnification.

VS1 or VS2 (Very Slight): Very Small inclusion. Inclusions difficult to locate under 10x magnification.

SI1 or SI2 (Small Imperfect): Small inclusion. Easy to locate inclusions under 10x magnification. Visible with a magnifying glass by an informed professional.

4. Which Metal?

Preferred metal in jewelry, gold is also very popular for its different colors.
To give it more firmness and give it a certain color, the metal comes in alloys.
Indeed, because of its flexibility, fine gold is difficult to work alone. For each alloy useful for creating jewelry, there is a different composition of gold for a specific color.

As a general rule, the alloy corresponds to at least 75% fine gold, with the addition of other components according to defined percentages.
The more gold the metal is, the more valuable and expensive the metal is considered. The highest grade is 24 karat gold. Its content is 100% pure gold, but it is not used by jewelers because it is too malleable

Yellow gold is composed of 12.5% ​​silver and 12.5% ​​copper.

Gray Gold is composed of 15% palladium and 10% silver or 25% palladium. It is a very hard, ultra-resistant metal, now competing with platinum.

Rose gold is composed of 20% copper and 5% silver. This is a very trendy fancy color.

Platinum.

A noble metal par excellence, Platinum is widely used in the United States, less so in Europe.
It is softer than gray gold and does not appear as shiny; its light gray color will remain stable, it will not yellow like white gold, but over time platinum will tend to become matt.
It is also much more expensive.

5. What budget?

Nice question!
The statistics of the HBJO trade union chamber announces an average budget of between 1 month and two months of net salary, but again there are no real rules.

The happiness of your tender and dear is priceless!

Image sources: Cartier, De Beers, HRD.