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Diamonds are associated with the finest things in life, and a diamond engagement ring is possibly the most significant diamond purchase that you will make during your lifetime. Browsing jewelry stores and catalogs can be overwhelming, with each one guaranteeing that they offer the best quality selection. So how can you be sure that you are getting a great diamond in that designer ring.Finding the perfect beautiful ring for the woman that you love can be a difficult job if you don’t know what you are looking for.
When you propose you want her to know that only the finest, superior quality diamond ring is good enough for her, and you should also take care to find a designer ring that suits her style and taste to make the ring more
personal. When it comes to diamonds size matters, but is only a part of what you should look for in an engagement ring.  The physical size, or weight, of a diamond is measure in carats, but just because a diamond is large doesn’t mean that it is high quality, or even attractive.  In fact, many of the largest stones that you see on display in jewelry counters may not even be real, or natural
diamonds.  To truly appreciate a diamond you need to take into consideration the other 3 ‘c’s of diamonds, namely cut,
clarity and color. The finest diamond designer rings will display exquisite cuts, a high level of
clarity, and a pure color.   However, if you are looking for a cheap engagement ring you can opt to choose a higher
grade of one element over another to keep the price of your designer ring
within your budget.  For example, if you are happy with a diamond that has flaws ‘only visible under close inspection’
then you will be able to afford a larger carat.  A diamond with a cut that is not quite perfect might be technically less
valuable but could create an unusual fire and sparkle to enhance the clarity of the gem. Each piece of diamond jewelry that you purchase should come with a certificate to show you exactly what the rating is for each ‘c’.  The beauty of buying a diamond designer ring online is that a good site will often display that useful information right alongside each beautiful ring.  Some may even let you search by settings for your engagement ring, by diamond type or by price range letting you find a precious engagement ring within your budget. Modern designer rings now also offer choices in other gemstones for engagement rings in tantalizing color combinations such as diamond and tanzanite rings or pink sapphire and diamond rings.  Settings for engagement rings can also vary, ranging from modern designer styles to classic and traditional setting. The important this is to choose a diamond ring not based on size or price alone, but to choose a designer ring that you feel she will love and treasure forever,
because that is was an engagement ring symbolizes.

When it comes to finding a great diamond, everyone has heard of the 4 C’s:

(image credit: Capture Queen)

#1 Color. Color is a rating from D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, and so on. A little known fact is that there are no A, B, and C ratings. The GIA scale gem white is colorless, the color D. The better the color the more the cost.

(image credit: KaCey97007)

#2 – Cut. This is the shape of the diamond, be it, round (brilliant), emerald, princess, oval, or pear. The cut is how well the material is made – symmetry and polish are key to the brilliance of a diamond.

(image credit: John-Morgan)

#3 – Carat. This is measured by weight. One hundred points is equal to one carat. The larger the stone the more the cost. Sometimes a few points can cause a very large increase in price, especially right around the full carat mark.

(image credit: bschmove)

#4 – Clarity. A stone can be flawless, internally flawless, have flaws not perceived by the human eye, eye imperfect can have many different and various flaws of different sizes that can be seen by the naked eye. We use a ten powered jeweler’s loop to view the diamond. The cleaner the stone the more the value.

The combination of cut and brilliance can also influence the price dramatically. A professional should take the necessary time to explain all the issues and find the right product for you.

Now, let’s talk about the other 3 C’s that you should be thinking about when making the largest purchase besides your car or house:

(image credit: jenn_jenn)

#5 – Cost. The professional should set a standard of how much you should invest in the diamond verses the mounting for example. A good salesman will spend his customers budget wisely verses his needs.

#6 – Common Sense. If something looks better than the quality go with it versus the perfection with certain limitations. Some people get so concerned about the certification write up, that they wind up with a piece of paper versus the best looking final product they could have afforded.

#7 – Customize. We have to customize the product for the event. For example, the event could be an engagement, wedding, anniversary, or birthday. These occassions we cherish and remember and hand down from one generation to the next. People who give it and receive it will always cherish it.

All the 7 C’s are very important. You need a trustworthy professional to explain the ins and outs of all these and what is important to your needs.

When you hear the word “diamond” you automatically think of fine quality. A diamond represents exquisiteness. It is the elite and most loved of all gems on the market. If you ask a woman if she loves diamonds you will almost always get a resounding “yes”. However, finding the perfect diamond can be a difficult job if you don’t know what you are looking for. Take my story as
an example.

I consider myself to be a well educated man. As a graduate of MIT, I had a great career as a Nuclear Scientist. My career afforded me a great lifestyle. Although I was no where near Robin Leaches “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, I was able to enjoy a life full of wonderful vacations, fine dining, and great friends.

When I was in my twenties, I thought I had found the one true love of my life and proposed to her. I presented her with, what I thought, was a great diamond ring. Actually, it was more of a diamond chip and not a good one at that. The relationship eventually fizzled and we never did get married but I did learn a valuable lesson when buying a diamond ring – only getthe very best where a diamond is concerned. We’ve all seen the various commercials on television and we’ve seen the ads for various jewelers in
magazines but how do we know that we are getting the finest diamond?

I made it my mission that I would learn all there was to know about diamonds so if I ever decided to get married again I would know that . I was getting the finest diamond engagement ring for my future wife. This proved to be a great lesson to me. I never knew there was so much to know about buying a diamond. In fact, when we think of buying a diamond, we all get the same look on our faces. You know the look, the one of shear terror and a bit of hesitation all rolled up into a happy face. Deep inside we want to make the moment as special as we can be but we also know that there is a fine price that can accompany that happiness.

So ask yourself, why do you want to buy a diamond engagement ring? I wanted to present the love of my life with one, everlasting symbol of my love and affection. I wanted her to know that only the finest, superior quality diamond ring would be good enough for her. Even then, it wouldn’t match the love I felt inside but it would come close. I was amazed when I found out
that over 1 million men a year set out on the great diamond hunt. Although I am a highly educated person, the sad fact is, there was more to know about selecting the right diamond then just how big it was (carat size) or how it how much it cost.

So with all of this ahead of me, I didn’t know where to begin. There were many jewelers and it was hard to know where to go. After all, buying a diamond was going to be one of the most important investments I would ever make.  It ranked right up there with
buying my home or vehicle. That is how important it was to me. I was so amazed at the information I needed to obtain to buy this one ring. I saw ads for designer diamond rings and diamond engagement rings but yet I still had no idea where to begin. I consulted my best friend who pointed me in the right direction. He told me there were several ways to obtain a diamond ring:

• Retail Jeweler – retail jewelers were just about everywhere. Each was quoted as selling the finest diamonds on the market. The advantage here was that I could develop a rapport, a one on one relationship with my jeweler. Many retailers
  offered money back guarantees to back their products.

• Online Jeweler – then there was the wonderful world of the internet and with it endless opportunities to buy diamonds online. As a Nuclear Scientist this seemed a viable option that would accommodate my hectic and very busy schedule.
• Estate Jewelers – for those one of a kind diamond rings, an estate jeweler was another way to go. This allowed the possibility of obtaining one of a kind, antique pieces that aren’t seen nowadays. However, I also learned that this can
  be a problem as well because these rings typically do not come with a certification and often determining the fair market value of these rings can be a difficult task.
• Wholesale Jewelers – these jewelers seemed to offer you a better price then buying from a retailer. However, they generally get their diamonds imported and can often contain some impurities.

I was learning fast that there was more to buying the right diamond then just going to my local mall, picking one out and purchasing it. My best friend for more than ten years told me he bought a diamond engagement ring when he proposed to his wife. It was only later that he learned that it was an “enhanced diamond”. An enhanced diamond is a natural or synthetic diamond than is altered to enhance and improve the gemological aspects of the diamond. A diamond’s clarity can be improved through laser drilling. This can take an off colored diamond and enhances it color and makes it shiner and clearer. I had never heard of this before. I thought diamonds were just naturally beautiful. Truth is, most are and that’s what I wanted. I wanted the natural beauty of a
diamond to come through not an enhanced version of it. So I kept moving forward.

During this search is when I met the woman I knew for sure that I would spend the rest of my life with. Whereas the guy in his
twenties was fine with giving any old ring, I knew now that nothing but perfection would do. This ring was my sign of commitment to her. My sign of never ending love. Just as a diamond would last forever, so would my love for her. I had learned a great deal over the years about finding that perfect diamond. Yes, we all knew to look for the 4 C’s of a diamond: Carat, Cut, Color and Clarity but there was so much more to it than that I had learned, that in order to ensure that quality then I needed to make sure that I was buying a “certified” diamond. A certified diamond meant that there was written proof that document the attributes of the diamond. Certification meant that the price I was paying for that diamond was back by a certification that meant this was of the highest quality. The certification broke down the actual grade of each of the 4 C’s and helped determining the diamonds value easier. Certifications came from well known labs such as the International Gemological Institute (IGI) and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to name a few. So certification of a diamond is very important to look for when I went into the store. A friend of mine had bought an engagement ring for his wife that wasn’t certified and sadly it ended up being a fake. This is why I had dedicated the past few years to making myself knowledgeable about the world of .

Shopping for the perfect designer ring for your engagement or wedding ring can be an exciting but overwhelming experience. Jewelry counters are filled with hundreds of diamond and gold rings, but sometimes none are ‘just right’. Perhaps you see a beautiful ring in platinum, but you would prefer a diamond ring in yellow gold. Or, maybe you are looking for a unusual setting for a diamond ring to give your fiance a designer ring that reflects her unique personality. Designing your own ring online lets you create a beautiful ring that you won’t find in any store.

Creating your own diamond designer ring online has many advantages. As the designer of the ring, you can make it to your exact preferences, choosing the setting for the engagement ring, the size and type of gemstone you want in the ring, and the color of the metal. Create a completely unique diamond ring in yellow gold, platinum or silver. Add other gemstones such as Tanzanite, emerald or rubies to your diamond designer ring. Using you and your fiance’s birthstones, or the stone from the month that you met is an extremely romantic way to add extra special meaning to your engagement ring and is just one of the ways that you can create a one-of-kind designer ring that has personal meaning.

Browse through a selection of settings for engagement rings online to get an idea for what style you are looking for. Do you want something simple and classic, such as a plain band with a princess cut solitaire diamond? Or maybe you want to create an unusual setting for a diamond ring, with trillion cut gemstones and an asymmetrical design? When designing settings for an engagement ring, try to imagine what you (or your fiance) will wear. You want to design a beautiful ring that will be worn every day, and will match the wearer’s sense of style. An unusual setting of diamond ring might not be appreciated by someone who has a more traditional style, while the simpler, popular settings for an engagement ring might seem boring to a woman to likes to look different.

One big advantage of designing rings online is that you are able to work to your budget. By changing the size, quality and type of gemstones in your designer ring, or the metal in the setting of an engagement ring, you can adjust the cost. For example by choosing a setting for your diamond ring in yellow gold you may be able to afford a larger gemstone than if you opted for one of the more expensive platinum settings for an engagement ring.

Another plus is that you can design in your own time, playing with an almost endless selection of settings for an engagement ring, swapping gemstone shapes and colors, and even letting friends and family preview the designs to get their opinion on your designer ring. You will save time by not trailing around the jewelry shops trying to find the perfect, beautiful ring and will have fun creating your own, unique diamond designer ring.

If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, then the internet must surely be a  diamond ring buyer’s best friend. While it is true that diamonds never look  better than when they are sparkling in your hand, buying online offers you a  wealth of information and tools that you won’t find in the high street or mall,  and also allows you to shop in the comfort and privacy of your own home. You  will find wholesale diamond rings at greatly reduced prices, cheap engagement  rings and unusual gemstone rings such as a diamond and tanzanite ring or a pink sapphire diamond ring.

Educate yourself in the intricacies of diamonds to give yourself the peace of  mind that you are buying the best quality diamond designer ring for your money.  Learn the difference between 14k jewellery and 18k jewelry, and the different  settings for engagement rings. While shop assistants are trained to give you a  particular sales pitch, you can find a wealth of impartial information about  diamond jewelry on the internet, from company websites who make it their  business to educate their customers about the high quality of their diamonds to  information hubs that offer key hints on how to get the best value for your  money.

Buying diamond jewelry online also often works out cheaper. By cutting out  overheads such as the rent, for a high street storefront, companies are able to  offer the highest quality jewelry at a greatly reduced price. Online stores are  a great place to find a cheap engagement ring or diamond bridal sets. By buying  a wholesale diamond ring online you can be sure that your money is paying for  the value of the jewelry rather than any expensive advertising campaign or  flashy storefront.

Shopping for diamond designer rings online also means that you can shop in  the comfort of your own home, browsing a huge range of designs at your own pace,  with no pushy shop assistants or gimmicky sales techniques. You can take as much  time as you want to view the high resolution images of each diamond designer  ring without feeling rushed or pressurized into making a decision. When you are  ready to make a purchase, reputable sites will offer you a seamless and secure  checkout procedure, following through on your order with high levels of customer  service and personal attention.

As if these reasons weren’t enough, shopping for diamond designer rings  online also lets you involve other people in the decision making process without  actually dragging them to a store. How many men have asked the best friends  opinion when selecting a precious engagement ring? When buying diamond gold  rings online you can share your ideas with friends and family easily by emailing  links. Or create a list of your favorite designs using any social bookmarking  tool to compare later.

Buying a diamond is a decision that can last a lifetime, and you deserve to  choose the most beautiful ring possible in your own time, in a pleasant and  relaxed environment. And if you make your decision at 3am in the morning, and  simply must make your purchase instantly, you can be sure that unlike the high  street, online stores are always open.

Start your diamond buying experience today by browsing our extensive range of  exquisite diamond jewelry.

Diamonds are associated with the finest things in life, and a diamond engagement ring is possibly the most significant diamond purchase that you will make during your lifetime. Browsing jewelry stores and catalogs can be overwhelming, with each one guaranteeing that they offer the best quality selection. So how can you be sure that you are getting a great diamond in that designer ring?

Finding the perfect beautiful ring for the woman that you love can be a difficult job if you don’t know what you are looking for.   When you propose you want her to know that only the finest, superior quality diamond ring is good enough for her, and you should also take care to find a designer ring that suits her style and taste to make the ring more personal.

When it comes to diamonds size matters, but is only a part of what you should look for in an engagement ring.  The physical size, or weight, of a diamond is measure in carats, but just because a diamond is large doesn’t mean that it is high quality, or even attractive.  In fact, many of the largest stones that you see on display in jewelry counters may not even be real, or natural diamonds.  To truly appreciate a diamond you need to take into consideration the other 4 ‘c’s of diamonds, namely cut, clarity and color.

The finest diamond designer rings will display exquisite cuts, a high level of clarity, and a pure color. However, if you are looking for a cheap engagement ring you can opt to choose a higher grade of one element over another to keep the price of your designer ring within your budget.  For example, if you are happy with a diamond that has flaws ‘only visible under close inspection’ then you will be able to afford a larger carat.  A diamond with a cut that is not quite perfect might be technically less valuable but could create an unusual fire and sparkle to enhance the clarity of the gem.

Each piece of diamond jewelry that you purchase should come with a certificate to show you exactly what the rating is for each ‘c’.  The beauty of buying a diamond designer ring online is that a good site will often display that useful information right alongside each beautiful ring.  Some may even let you search by settings for your engagement ring, by diamond type or by price range letting you find a precious engagement ring within your budget.

Modern designer rings now also offer choices in other gemstones for engagement rings in tantalizing color combinations such as diamond and tanzanite rings or pink saphire and diamond rings.  Settings for engagement rings can also vary, ranging from modern designer styles to classic and traditional settings.

The important this is to choose a diamond ring not based on size or price alone, but to choose a designer ring that you feel she will love and treasure forever, because that is was an engagement ring symbolizes.

Buying jewelry online has become so much more secure than it was years ago, when e-businesses first opened up online. There are courses offered in colleges to teach programmers how to come up with new security programs. I buy jewelry online at many different places. There are ways to protect yourself, and things you can look for from a merchant to keep yourself safe. I always look for certificates of trust and security like the one put on a website by VeriSign.

The online retailers are doing a great job with keeping their websites secure. I have not had any problem with my private information getting out. I like to purchase things online, because I can stay at home and do it in my pajamas if I want to. I can also look around and do a little research about my purchases to see who offers the best prices and information about the seller. I am not one that likes the malls, they are way too crowded. I prefer to stay at home and shop and have the item shipped to me.

I save money by purchasing jewelry online due to the lower overhead of the online storefront. The brick and mortar jewelry stores have utility costs, building rental cost, and have more employees to pay. The savings of the online retailer is passed on to me as a buyer. I also communicate with the seller by e-mail to ask specific questions about the jewelry that I want to buy. There are those out there that will try to take advantage of people who are not knowledgeable about online business practices. That is why you should know what you are doing and what to look for when buying online.

I made sure to look into online buying when I first started. I did not know the first thing about it, and was reluctant to give my credit card number to a business. Once I knew how to look for secure sites, I have been buying online ever since. I find that most jewelry sites seem to have good security. I think it is because of the nature of their business.

VeriSign, and other security certificates are shown on safe websites, and you will know when you are entering a secure site. You can feel comfortable that the diamond bracelet that you ordered will get to you safely, and that your payment will be secure. If you do not see any type of security certificate on a website you want to purchase from, I would not give them any information just to be on the safe side.

I use PayPal and it has allowed me to purchase online from many jewelry retailers. Some are not set up to accept secure payments through their own business for their merchandise, so they

use PayPal. I trust PayPal and they offer buyer protection for some purchases. E-bay users have used PayPal for years, and now retailers are also starting to use them more often. PayPal is a secure site for your information to be stored for purchases.

If there is a PayPal sign on a website you can feel secure in paying them. If they have their own payment system there will be certificates like VeriSign and other trusted certificates. Jewelry is often a major purchase, and you want to be sure that you receive the product that you expected. Most jewelers will offer a money back guarantee; it is usually good for 30 days. This allows you to get the product at home and make sure it is what you expected. This is something that you should look for on a jeweler web site before you make a purchase. I always make sure that they have a return policy though I have seldom had to use it. Most people are honest with you, because they want your repeat business.

Honest jewelers will offer to take back or exchange something that is not the correct size in a ring or color you expected in a stone. Whether it be a diamond, tanzanite, amethyst, or a garnet you want to be assured that it is as described. Often you can get appraisal certificates of major jewelry purchases that are made for your specific item. This is given out most often by a GIA certified appraiser. This is your defense against a crooked seller. I ask for these on larger purchases of rare stones or large karat weights of stones. It is a smart practice.

There are many good jewelry stores online. Type in the name of a stone or a piece of jewelry that you want into a search engine and you will find many places to check out. I shop on E-bay, Bidz .com, and I have a retailer that I like to purchase from called the Jewelry Nest. I collect Invicta watches and rare stones and all types of jewelry. I have found that they are very fair in pricing at the Jewelry Nest, and I have never had to return anything. I feel very secure in dealing with them. With E-bay I have had to make a few returns. Bidz.com gets you on their high shipping costs, but if you are looking for a few pieces of jewelry at a fairly low price they are a good place to look, the quality at Bidz.com is sometimes not as expected. I look for testimonials on the retailer sites from their customers. This can be helpful to you in deciding whether to trust where you are buying from.

There are a few bad apples that can give all of the good sellers a bad name. Once you have bought from a jeweler, your trust will grow, I know mine did with the Jewelry Nest and E-bay.

Transparency is a key element to look for when purchasing jewelry online. The jewelry merchant needs to ensure the quality of their items just like you need to ensure your payment. Check for any business complaints by doing a web search about that business. Look for the trusted signs on the website. You need to be proactive as well when purchasing online. I took this approach, and I have done pretty well so far.

A gemstone is a breathtaking sight that in some mysterious way to capture our imagination and causes a gasp of admiration. But despite the fact that a gemstone may look great to the eye, it is necessary to inquire carefully about the gemstone quality in order to avoid further disappointment. The factors to consider are the gemstone color and cut as well as the quality of the metal setting.

Sparkling and colorful, all gemstones styles can arouse a wide range of emotions, but not leave anyone indifferent.

Their shine and brilliance is sure to implant admiration even into the most callous soul. In terms of universal respect and recognition gemstone quality jewelry outshines any other object used for personal adornment. Gemstone articles get a great deal of appreciation from those who find true beauty in their dazzling brilliance and the subtle glow of the setting, and this fact triggers the development of gemstones trade.Precious gemstones are also valued and recognized for their durability and their main positive attribute apart from breathtaking beauty, is their permanence. However, there is still risk that due to poor gemstone quality or any external detrimental factors, gemstones of any styles and types will lose their initial look and begin to look pathetic rather than breathtaking. In that case it appears appropriate to use gemstone enhancement methods as a remedy to improve gemstone quality.
There are several types available: permanent methods (namely laser drilling, heating and radiation) and temporary methods (bleaching, oiling and waxing) that can be of considerable help and applicable for all gemstones styles.

Speaking about the gemstones styles available, it is necessary to mention that there is a staggering diversity of options in that respect. To name just a few of those available would be: pear, round, oval, marquise, and others. There are a few even more sophisticated ones like bow-tie style. Before purchasing a gemstone jewelry , it is crucial to take proper care in assuring the gemstone quality as well as the reliability of the metal setting. The notion of gemstone quality is made up of several aspects, namely the gemstone color and cut, size and weight, as well as whether the gemstone has undergone any kind of treatment.

It seems opportune here to provide the reader, who is likely to be the lucky owner of a collection of gemstones, with a few tips concerning the storing of gemstones and their maintenance.

It goes without saying that gemstones are appreciated not only for their appealing look, its amazing glow and shine, but also for their durability, which was recognized already in the earliest times as an intrinsic gemstone quality. Notwithstanding the fact, the certain rules of gemstone wearing and storing, similar for all gemstones styles, are obligatory to observe in order to prevent the precious mineral from losing its charm.

First and foremost it is essential to keep articles of jewelry with gemstones away from each other in order to prevent them from scratching each other; there is additional risk that the gemstone that is intrinsically tougher than metal may damage the surface of the metal setting.

In terms of maintenance occasional cleaning using gentle soap and a soft tooth brush (referred to as gemstone bath is required in order to get rid of the dust maintain the appealing look. Provided that good care of them is taken, including occasional cleaning and appropriate storing, they are sure to last for centuries and therefore successfully acquire the status of a family treasure and be passed on to successive generations.