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When you're looking for an engagement ring, there are things that you have to consider. Sure, cost is important, but there are things that matter more than money. Will your fiancé love the ring? Is it the right style, size, and shape? What kind of wedding band will it go with? These questions and thousands more are important.

It's also important, however much you pay for the ring, that you get your money's worth. The only way you can really do that is if you understand some things about diamond engagement rings. The ring itself is not that costly. It is the diamond that raises the price, and if you don't know what you're buying you could end up getting cheated. You really can't just pick out something that looks pretty. It's much better to find something that is right for your budget and right for the hand of the lady that you love.

It may seem unromantic to shop for that ring together, but then you'll be certain that you purchase what she really loves.

Dear Whiteflash Sales Team,

I actually just got home last night from our trip to Japan, and then had quite a return to work today, so your timing is perfect.

I can't thank you enough for all of your help and patience through the process of buying an engagement ring.  Even though I paid more than I've ever paid for anything in my life, I truly feel like I received way more than my money's worth in both service and product.  Rest assured I will recommend you at every opportunity I get.

The proposal went well.  On April 24th we climbed Mount Katsuragi in Gose, Japan.  We were setting up a tripod and taking pictures the whole way up.  When we got to the peak we decided to take a commemorative picture.  I set the camera timer, ran around, got on my knee and the camera caught the reaction. The lone Japanese man had no idea what was going on.

Oh... she said yes.

Thank you SO much again,

Tom

I’ll confess: I have an online shopping habit. I’ve spent many an evening pouring over the pages of zappos.com while sipping chardonnay. Too many sips, and 4-5 business days later I end up with some really peculiar and definitely impractical shoes delivered right to my front door. This is why I only drink-and-shop in cyber-stores that offer free shipping and have a very relaxed return policy. My husband has the male version of an internet shopping fetish, which drove him to impulse-purchase a new car on EBay a couple years ago. This is not that unusual in and of itself, but the thing that made it interesting was that the car was located several states away from us. This required him to buy two very expensive airplane tickets for us to pick up his great bargain and drive it all the way home. Practical? Not so much. But he gets points for spontaneity.

Given this spotty family history, you may be wondering if you should really seek guidance from me about shopping online for an item as significant as a diamond. Here are two reasons to heed my advice: 1. I did extensive research on the topic, in order to make the process a little bit easier for you (I hope), and 2. I haven’t had any chardonnay today…yet. So here are a few tips and resources to help make your diamond buying experience rewarding and safe. If you navigate the web wisely, you will be able to purchase your ideal ring at an excellent price.

Be an informed customer
Consider getting a guide book such as The Diamond Ring Buyer’s Guide before you shop. The more you know about the four C’s, the grading scale and certification process, the better equipped you will be to get the best bling for your buck.

Comparison Shop
Search various online retailers in order to get an idea of what a fair price for your gem should be. Helpful comparison tools include the "build your ring" and "compare diamond rings" features that most online stores offer. They should give you free quotes (if they don’t, look elsewhere) without any obligation to buy. Many sites allow you to save your comparison rings so that you can consider several options at once.

Reputation Matters
Shop with an online jeweler who has an established reputation for good business practice (one way to check on this is to make sure that they have a satisfactory rating with the Better Business Bureau). I recommend Whiteflash.com, which is the largest online retailer of certified diamonds and is consistently rated highly by customers and media publications. Whiteflash, and other highly regarded online jewelers like it, can often offer you prices that are as close to wholesale as you’ll get anywhere. Make sure that whatever company you choose offers at least a money back guarantee. They also must provide you with a GIA loose diamond grading certificate or equivalent for your diamond.

More Tips
Click here for more tips on buying a diamond, either online or in person.

Happy Hunting!

Debi

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard have finally tied the knot.

The couple walked down the aisle this weekend in a private ceremony that took place in Italy.

"We are happy to confirm that Maggie and Peter were married on Saturday," their reps told E! News.

The vows were swapped in a quaint chapel in Brindisi before some three dozen guests, including the bride's brother, Jake Gyllenhaal, and his girlfriend, Reese Witherspoon.

This is the first marriage for both the 31-year-old Dark Knight-starring Gyllenhaal and her 38-year-old beau, whose credits include a Golden Globe-nominated turn in Shattered Glass (and one hysterical SNL skit).

The über-private couple have been together since 2002 and engaged since 2006 (beautiful diamond engagement ring). In October 2006, Gyllenhaal and Sarsgaard became first-time parents to daughter Ramona, now 2.

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.

Congrats — now that you’ve finally found the diamond engagement ring that perfectly shows how much you love your bride-to-be (or as much as three-month’s salary will tell her), don’t forget that final, but very important, step in the ring-buying process: jewelry insurance. There are several ways to handle this. There are a variety of different companies that specifically sell insurance for jewelry. To find one, try a simple search online, in the phone book or simply ask the store where you purchased the ring. A lot of times wherever you buy the ring (especially if it’s a retail store) will have deals, or if nothing else, a recommendation of a reputable insurer. Ring insurance should run between $50 to $150 per year, depending on the value of the ring.

It’s very important to have some sort of insurance for the ring up front, but once the wedding day is over, consider looking at other options such as adding it to your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. You may find that going that route can be a better deal. Just remember to keep the appraisal in a safe place so you don’t have to get the ring it appraised again if you switch insurance companies. You’ve spent a lot of time finding her the perfect ring, take 10 minutes and make sure you have a good insurance policy for it in case something happens.

This is an incredibly busy time in your life. Do yourself a favor and go with an insurance company that the jewelry vendor recommends. The store may even be able to set it all up right then and there. This way, it’s done and taken care of and you won’t need to worry about it again for at least a year.

Dear Whiteflash Sales Team,

My apologies once again, work has been crazy today and I had to catch up from my 2 days out of work. But here we are finally :)

Let me assure you that I am absolutely delighted with the custom design!!!! Joe did an amazing job! I am very glad I listened to his suggestions and that we did some slight adjustments regarding the thickness of the band, because it turned out PERFECT!

What I love the most is that now, the engagement ring is in harmony with the custom wedding band, they are not taking away for each other but truly complement each other rather. 

Obviously, I am equally happy with the upgrade from 1.2 to 1.7 carat, the proportions of the diamond are perfect for the 0.15 carat of the band. It does make a huge difference on my size 6 finger, and I have to admit that I love it!! :) No issue for downgrading in color and increasing the carat size. :)  I can see a slight difference down grading from F to H, but I actually like it better, the diamond seems more transparent, which I like, rather than white.

So as you can tell, I am extremely happy with the final product and I know it is a team work but I would like to thank you both especially for your help during this process.

Since this week end was gorgeous, I got a chance to take a few photos, so I am attaching you a few so you can see the final set!

Thank you again,

Nathalie.

For bachelors like John Heywood, now’s the time to pop the question.

Whether it’s the $50,000 5-carat marquise set in platinum, down 25 percent from two years ago, or the Amazon.com variety with a twinge of yellow that’s going for $89.99, diamond prices are the lowest in five years.

“I’ve got a budget of about 6,000 pounds ($8,870) and want to see how far I can stretch that,” said Heywood, a 32-year-old salesman, as he studied the window displays on Hatton Garden, London’s diamond-shopping center and the setting for “Snatch,” the 2000 gem-heist film by Guy Ritchie. “I’m happy to see some shops offering discounts.”

The $65 billion global diamond market is reeling. The price of polished gems dropped by an average of 31 percent since an August peak as the worst recession since World War II deterred buyers of luxury items like diamond necklaces and diamond earrings, according to diamond data company PolishedPrices. Antwerp, the world’s biggest gem trading hub, has seen exports drop as much as a third. De Beers, the largest diamond producer, slashed output by 91 percent.

“People are not buying earrings, bracelets, things they can do without if they want to tighten their belts,” said Joe Boll, 36, owner of JP Diamonds on Hatton Gardens, which opened about six months ago. “They are still buying rings for weddings, engagement.”

$50,000 Budget

The slump is good news for buyers. Katherine Huang, a Boston-based consultant to jewelry buyers, said she helped a client from California with a $50,000 budget find a ring in December for $38,000 with a bigger diamond than he anticipated.

Rings with 3- to 5-carat diamonds of VF2 clarity and G color -- meaning they have no visible faults and are almost colorless -- have dropped in price by as much as a quarter in two years, she said.

“Go for the larger stones, because the discount is greater,” she advises.

Wholesale diamond prices have dropped about 20 percent to 25 percent from their highs around June last year, according to U.S. Internet jewelry retailer Whiteflash.com, which gets about 70 percent of its sales from diamond engagement rings. The average price of an engagement ring in the U.S. was $3,200 last year, Chief Executive Officer Diane Irvine said.

At the cheapest end of the market, Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc. is selling a platinum ring with a 0.5-carat diamond for $1,675, down from a list price of $3,425. The gem’s clarity is SI1 or SI2, meaning there are slight defects that normally can’t be seen by the naked eye.

Retailers Suffer

Jewelry retailers are suffering as buyers stay away or hang on for a discount. Signet Jewelers Ltd., the world’s largest jewelry-store owner, posted a fourth-quarter loss of $424 million after writing down the value of assets. Tiffany & Co., the world’s second-biggest retailer of luxury jewelry, posted a 76 percent drop in fourth-quarter net income.

About 15 percent of jewelry shops in the U.S. closed last year, Paramus, New Jersey-based watchmaker Movado Group Inc. said in April. Irving, Texas-based Zale Corp., the biggest U.S. jewelry chain, said in February it will close 115 stores.

Internet retailers and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are aiming to undercut the remaining stores. Web sites make it easier to compare prices. Heywood, the shopper in London, said he’s been using Blue Nile to research prices before heading to the shops.

For some, engagement rings are the bright spot.

“People are still getting married, thank God,” said George Katz, 78, who has been in his family’s jewelry business in Hatton Garden for 50 years, mostly selling diamond rings. “Stable is good, considering how much worse things could be in light of what’s going on in the economy.”

Cut, size, shape and clarity are all important characteristics to consider when purchasing a diamond. But have you ever given much to where a diamond comes from? I am referring to the origin from which your diamond is mined. Diamonds are a hot commodity, and while they are the worlds most sought after gemstone for the durability and beauty, they are often mined in some of the most volatile, ugly environments on Earth.

Have you seen the movie "Blood Diamond?" This movie details the origin of many diamonds, blood diamonds (also referred to conflict diamonds), which are for sale in the United States and across the world. A blood diamond is a diamond that is mined in African (or other) war zones, which are then sold to fund wars and conflicts and to make money for warlords and diamond companies alike. Aside from being a source of income for warlords, the working conditions in these diamond mines are likened to that of a concentration camp. Not a pretty site for such a beautiful product.

But there is hope! The diamond industry has put very strict system in place for certifying conflict-free diamonds. Diamonds certified by Whiteflash, guarantee that the diamonds are conflict free diamonds. Leaving you free from the worry that your purchase is contributing to a war halfway across the globe.

The other way to purchase a conflict-free gem is to buy from a retailer who adheres to the Kimberly Process guidelines. This is a process that is designed to certify and track diamonds to ensure they have come from a conflict-free zone. Each diamond mined in a conflict-free zone is lasered with a serial number and these numbers are checked at the borders of all participating countries. Many large diamond retailers are now participating in this process making it easier for consumers to find a diamond with a clean history.

If this is all too overwhelming for you and you’d just like to know where you can buy a good, honest diamond, I did a little hunting around on the mywedding.com site and found that one of our nationwide vendor, Whiteflash, guarantees that all of their diamonds are from a conflict-free zone. Blue Nile is listed in the "Jewelry" section of each local city wedding planning guide if you’d like to check them out. Otherwise, just ask your local jeweler the following questions:

• Where do you buy your diamonds and where are they mined?
• Do you participate in the Kimberly Process?

This should cover all of your bases and ensure that your diamond is beautiful inside and out.