.: ENGAGEMENT RINGS :.
Every woman loves to marry a prince charming. Long cherished dream finally coming true and brings sparkle in her eyes when her most beloved person in her life proposes for the marriage. A day of joy and cheers for her! Presenting her the first engagement ring is a symbol of true love. A man usually presents engagement ring as a betrothal gift to his prospective bride. It surely represents a formal agreement or a promise to a future marriage.
The origin of our custom to use diamonds in rings, and more recently, in engagement rings, can be traced back to the Middle Ages and even the Romans. The prevalence of the tradition of the diamond engagement ring perhaps dates to the 1800's in Europe and America. The tradition of the future husband giving his intended an engagement ring may have begun perhaps in ancient Rome. And historians believe that the engagement ring was a standard gift to symbolize the promise to wed at that time.
Since diamonds were at first exceedingly rare, their sparkle, brilliance and value lent a kind of an extravagant air and pride to the act of proposal. When more diamond mines were discovered and diamonds became more widely accessible, smaller diamonds became relatively affordable even among less affluent. With remarkable increase in production supply and with the expansion of diamond jewelry industry combined with coordinated advertising that lasted decades and continues even today with the famous marketing slogan of the 20th century that "Diamonds are Forever" the ad campaign run by the DeBeers company resulted in the diamond being the ultimate standard gem for engagement rings.
When considering precious gems for a ring, remember that she will be wearing this engagement ring every day and perhaps for many years. Therefore, while softer stones can be beautiful, they aren't the best choices for an engagement or wedding ring. Instead of looking at engagement rings for their investment value alone, buy the ones that symbolize your love, and that you'll want her to wear for the rest of her live.
The hardness of diamonds prone to less scratches, combined with their crystalline purity and light-reflecting dazzle, makes them the diamonds a perfect gemstone to symbolize the true love and serious commitment to marry. Unlike many other gems in the market, diamonds are well-suited to daily wear because of its resistance to scratching and are preferred for designing and setting in engagement rings, wedding rings and anniversary rings, which are often worn every day by women and men.
In France and French speaking countries generally the wedding rings or wedding bands are made of three interwoven rings. They represent love, faith and hope. The price of wedding bands range from below $50 to millions of dollars depending upon the type of band and gem.
The ring symbolizes the couple’s love for each other. During a customary American wedding ceremony, wedding bands are exchanged immediately following the wedding vows. It is expected that the groom place the wedding band on the ring finger of the bride and the bride does the same for the groom.
The price for an engagement ring can vary considerably. Usually, they can be found within the range of a few hundred dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. Prices vary and determined by various factors. When shopping for engagement rings with one or more diamonds, the price can depend significantly on the carat weight, color, clarity and cut of the diamond, which are known as gemological characteristics of the diamond.
Most commonly, the future husband will privately select and purchase a ring, to be presented to his desired sweet prospective bride at a future time. With more and more couples living together prior to marriage now mostly in advanced countries, it is becoming more common for a couple to select the engagement ring while purchasing an engagement or wedding ring together. That eliminates the possibility of the woman not liking the engagement ring or with smart planning; future groom can surprise her with an engagement ring that will be exactly as she’s always wished for.
She may prefer diamond solitaire rings, or an engagement ring with small size diamonds. What is her ring size and this may be a bit tricky but crucial, especially if you’re trying to surprise her. Also keep in mind that the smaller the finger, the larger the diamond will appear. A 1½-carat diamond solitaire looks much larger on a size 4 finger than a size 8. A quick scan of her current collection should tell you a lot about her preferences, and even give you an idea of what will match with the ring you choose. May be you can take her girl friend in confidence to help you out.
To choose the best carat weight of diamond, consider her style, preference and your budget. Engagement rings or wedding rings in general now are offered in a huge variety of styles, with or without diamonds. Diamond settings are still the most common, with the price of rings ranging from millions of dollars to a few hundred. Finally, if a large carat weight is important to you, yet you're working within a budget, consider a diamond with a good cut, SI1–SI2 clarity, and I or J color grade.
With the fixed set budget, one may explore ally options, as there are wide range of diamond carat weights and qualities available in your targeted price range.
The engagement rings or wedding rings is perhaps one of the most enduring pieces of your engagement or a wedding day. Engagement ring or wedding ring is the long lasting symbol of your love and commitment. Therefore, you'll want to choose diamond ring that is very much fashionable yet high in quality and value.
Diamond engagement rings are made of various metals such as gold (yellow or white), platinum or palladium. The most traditional of diamond ring metal is gold which is a symbol of the warmth and love of a marriage.
The important factors determining the value of any engagement ring are the Four C’s. Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat.
Cut:
Nothing is more important to the brilliance and sparkle of a diamond than its cut, as it is responsible for around 40% of a diamond’s price. A well-cut diamond will reflect light from one facet to another and back through the top, creating a dramatic sparkling effect that only a diamond can emit.
Color:
The whiter the diamond, the more valuable it is. Even the slightest hint of color can have an effect on the cost of a diamond. There are also various colored diamond choices available today, but when it comes to the white ones, their quality is rated on scale from D-Z. A “D” is pure white, whereas a “Z” would be visibly yellow.
Clarity:
The clarity of a diamond refers to the number and nature of inclusions or blemishes that are visible when you view it under a microscope.
Carat:
The last and most obvious characteristic that a diamond is measured by is its Carat weight (abbreviated “ct.”) that shown as a decimal point, e.g. 0.72 carat. The majority of diamond engagement rings are less than 0.5 carat.
Mens Wedding Rings
One may think that mens wedding rings are simpler than womens wedding rings but that may not always be true. Today men are more sophisticated, fashion minded and trend setters. There is wide variety of styles available to match different individual preferences. Rings may be personalized for additional symbolism with interior or exterior engravings or elaborate details with or without stones.
Rings for men require just as much consideration to find the perfect style and setting according to personal tastes. One can use solitaire diamond set in it or multiple gemstones or simple wedding band either in gold or platinum.
Since men fingers are larger and thicker in size, there are all types of ring sizes from 3 to 6 millimeters wide to suit all needs. Some rich and affluent men may like display the unique designer made rings that are one of a kind made especially for them.
When it comes to picking up
mens wedding rings, one has to bear in mind the metal used in those rings. Traditionally the gold has always been the preferred precious metal of all times when it comes to jewelry but lately platinum and titanium is equally becoming popular for durability, scratch resistant and finish quality reasons. But platinum or titanium rings are more expensive than the gold ones.
Mens wedding rings do not typically use a prong or other elevated setting, instead channel and bezel settings are preferred for greater security, durability and a more elegant appearance. Diamonds are the most popular choice now for men rings and can also be set in combination with other gemstones. Very few men prefer solitaire and rather go for small diamonds set in a square or round rings.
Many couples go for matching wedding rings to suit their style and personal taste. Men often consult their ladylove when selecting for mens wedding rings before or after marriage.
