How to Select the Perfect Ring: Knowing the 4 C's
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You can thank the diamond industry for creating one of the most
effective marketing campaigns in history (aimed at grooms of course). Thanks to
massive global advertising efforts, diamonds are now considered the ultimate
symbol of love and commitment, and therefore, an ideal choice for engagement
and wedding rings.
The first step is to do some research to understand how the quality of a diamond is measure and how it
affects pricing. Truth-be-told, the hardest aspect of buying an engagement ring
is knowing what your bride-to-be prefers. If you have an idea about what she
likes, you can narrow it down by what’s known in the diamond business as
the four Cs — clarity, color, cut, and carat.
The four Cs
When you go ring shopping,
take notes and compare the differences of the four Cs. This will help you
understand the different qualities of diamonds and how they’ll affect
your budget.
1. Clarity – the clearness or
purity of a diamond
Technically speaking:
Traditionally, a diamond’s quality meant clarity, but in today’s
world this is the second most important quality that affects pricing. Clarity
is determined by the number, size, nature, and location of any internal
inclusions and external blemishes (the number of crystals or clouds that can be
seen using 10x magnification).
In regular guy terms:
Let’s be honest, before you stress about being able to afford a flawless
diamond, remember that 99.9% of the time you and your fiancé will be looking at
the ring with your naked eyes. Unless you’re viewing the diamond with 10x
magnification, there really isn’t a noticeable difference. A medium
clarity diamond is just as striking as a flawless one.
2. Color – the amount of color
the diamond contains
Technically speaking: The
majority of diamonds have a hint of yellow or brown, but a perfect diamond is
perfectly transparent with no hue. All diamonds are graded by their comparison
to perfect diamonds. So the closer the grade is to D, the closer the diamond is
to being perfect.
In regular guy terms:
Before you break into a sweat and call off the engagement altogether, remember
that the vast majority of diamonds are not perfect. It’s more typical for
people to purchase a diamond that’s Grade G or below, but depending on
your budget and priorities, Grades D, E, and F are slightly more beautiful
diamonds.
3. Cut - the proportions, finish, symmetry,
and polish of the diamond
Technically speaking: A diamond’s cut doesn’t actually refer to its
shape, but its reflective qualities. A diamond’s angles and finish are
what determine its ability to handle light, which creates the sparkling effect that
girls love.
When a diamond’s well cut, light enters it and travels to a point where
it reflects from one side to the other. It then reflects back out of the
diamond and into the observer’s eye, once again, creating the sparkling
effect.
Diamond cuts are separated into four categories: ideal cut, very good cut, good
cut, and fair-to-poor cut. Because ideal cut diamonds reflect the most amount
of light that enters the diamond, they typically sell at a premium, while
poorly cut diamonds usually sell at discounted prices.
In regular guy terms:
Diamonds with a cut grade of good or very good are the best value with
high-quality appeal. Just find out what works best for you and your budget.
4. Carat - the unit of weight of the
diamond
Technically speaking: The
value per carat increases exponentially with carat size because larger, rough
diamonds occur less frequently than smaller ones. In other words, 2 half-carat
diamonds taken together won’t cost as much as 1 one-carat diamond because
the one-carat diamond is rarer.
In regular guy terms: Does
size really matter? That’s a personal question for each bride. If
you’re like most grooms-to-be, your budget makes a difference. Your bride
might prefer to have a lower- quality diamond for a larger look, or she might
prefer quality over a larger size. It’s up to you to determine her
preference.
A
Few Recommendation:
Diamond engagement rings
and wedding bands are personal to each
bride. It’s best to follow this general approach:
1. Establish the budget you can afford. The rule of thumb is to go with the two
month’s salary approach. For example, if you make $10,000 per year, you
should spend approximately $1,667 on the engagement ring.
2. Be sneaky and determine her preferences on size, quality, and shape on the
sly. Or be direct and ask for her opinion; she’ll thank you later.
3. Narrow down the four Cs of a diamond based on:
a. Her preferences
b. What your budget will allow
4. Make sure to shop around. The average markup for a diamond ring is 200% to
400%. It pays to do your research! A great resource is Whiteflash.com!
5. When you’ve narrowed down your selection of diamonds, make sure to ask
the jeweler to let you review the independent Diamond Grading Reports, also
called certificates. These reports will verify the classification of the four
Cs and will help you compare apples to apples.
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