Diamonds rule not only the engagement ring market, but the jewelry market as a whole. Sometimes the concept of diamonds is difficult to grasp, but the fact is that people continue to spend thousands of hours, conducting research to find the “perfect” diamond, and billions of dollars, acquiring rocks that ultimately make it into various pieces of jewelry, but mostly engagement rings. The four C’s of diamonds are far less important than their ultimate destination and the final product that translates into. For instance, GIA VS2 diamonds and above tend to end up as part of engagement ring designs that heavily rely on the cut and clarity of the diamond. An example would be solitaire engagement rings, where almost the entire design fixates on the one and only diamond, to render the fire and scintillation of the final ring. GIA SI1 and SI2 diamonds are typically subject to a visual inspection, as the inclusions present in these diamonds ultimately dictate their value in the final engagement ring. For instance, eye-clean GIA SI2 diamonds, where the inclusions are at the girdle, are more likely to end up in designs that heavily rely on the diamond quality, such as the solitaire engagement rings example presented earlier. And what about I1, I2 and I3 diamonds? Small I1-I3 diamonds tend to find themselves in cheap engagement rings and sometimes cheap wedding rings. Large I1-I3 diamonds are often sold as is, loose or as part of final jewelry products, at sizable discounts, or refined to render a higher quality rating. This issue of DT Era is dedicated to diamonds in the context of engagement rings, as part of our perspective with regard to which diamonds you should expect to find in specific engagement ring price points and designs.
Italian engagement rings offer a perspective on diamonds that you would expect of the fashion capital of the world. In Italy, diamonds are typically cut and polished by hand rendering brilliance that is rarely achieved in other countries. For that matter, diamonds in Italy undergo a far more rigorous program of checks and balances, than in most other countries, and no diamond is released to production without the prior consent of an Italian master jeweler on duty. The first solitaire engagement ring above features a two tone 18k gold shank, white gold and rose gold, with a sensational VS1 Italian round cut solitaire diamond. The three-stone trilogy diamond engagement ring boasts an 18k white gold shank and three eye clean SI1 round cut diamonds, also certified by an Italian master jeweler.
Engagement rings under 500 dollars offer us some impressive designs, but lower quality diamonds. The $500 price point is essentially the very first price point which consistently offers engagement rings with gold and natural diamonds, and the diamonds typically represent the low grade diamond group of I1-I3 clarity, which will not make the “cut” into any other price points or categories. The first engagement ring featured above features a bow tie design in rose gold, with a seven round cut diamond halo. Each of the seven diamonds has a clarity rating of I2-I3. The second diamond engagement ring is produced in sterling silver, with two rows of side stones and a gorgeous round diamond halo in the center, for a total of 1/3 of a carat in total diamond weight. Look at the final product! Even the cheapest of diamonds have the ability to become a part of a magnificent engagement ring.
Let’s face it, despite the fact that diamonds are just rocks, the diamond beauty is a royal phenomenon, and is therefore in high demand. Keep in mind that both cheap diamonds and high end diamonds have their respective purposes, and keeping these purposes in mind is essential to managing diamond expectations, consistent with your budget. Do your diamond research and be sure to find out which questions to ask, depending on your situation. Other than that, let is sparkle, let is scintillate!
