With online shopping, it is now quite common for jewellers to sell their diamond engagement and wedding ring selections as a setting and then allowing you to choose a stone from a range that they have available. This can be pretty daunting for someone who is not sure what they should be looking for and what all the signs and symbols mean. You can get some insight into these by reading our article on the 4 C’s.

Here are a few more tips on what you should consider when choosing the gem to adorn your diamond engagement ring or wedding ring.

What should you compromise on?

It’s no secret that diamonds are expensive, but the rapture of your intended is well worth it, right? Luckily there are some areas where you can afford to be a little less picky to make it more affordable.

When you’re perusing your options and find larger diamonds (by weight) that are similarly priced to smaller diamonds, it can be tempting to go for the larger gem. In these cases, it is a good idea to remember the old adage of “quality over quantity”. A larger gem with a lower price may have flaws that will make it less hard wearing and have less “sparkle”.

It is far better to go for a smaller stone with better quality than a larger gem with more flaws.

Natural Mined or Lab Grown?

It can be tempting to see lab grown diamonds as “not real”, but with the advancements in scientific methods and engineering, the lab grown gems are almost indistinguishable from the naturally formed stones.

Unless your intended is a traditional girl in every sense of the word and wants her diamond engagement ring to be earned off the backs of hard working labourers, then a lab grown diamond should definitely be a consideration. The method of creating diamonds in a laboratory instead of digging them out of the ground has a far lower overhead and so lab grown diamonds can be as much as 30% less expensive than mined diamonds of a comparable size and clarity.

Don’t compromise on the cut!

The way that a diamond is cut has the most impact on how it will look on her finger. An expertly performed cut can remove the impact of flaws to some degree and really make the most of the carats that you have available. A badly executed cut can make even the most flawless diamond appear off balance and dull.

In addition to this, a well cut 0.5 carat diamond doesn’t actually appear much smaller than a 1 carat diamond of the same colour, clarity and cut. So this is one area where you can use your judgement a little and opt for a smaller stone but achieve the same wow factor that you want.

Taking these tips into consideration along with the details on understanding the 4 C’s, should make you much more confident in navigating the daunting task of selecting the perfect diamond for your engagement or wedding ring. Also, as with all things, if you do need some guidance and assistance in selecting the perfect diamond, don’t hesitate to contact us and ask for help.