Friday, September 10, 2010

BLACK DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RINGS

Black diamond engagement rings are not very common for engagement rings. It is because of the perception that the color black suffers from social stigma of being associated with bad luck, death and other undesirable omens. Whatever may be the notion but black diamond engagement rings have the eternal beauty of classic diamonds with a modern ebony hue that gives them a unique and glossy gleam.

A black gemstone may have once been considered bad luck for a bride-to-be but modern brides prefer unique engagement rings and unconventional diamond colors. Beyond all superstitions engagement rings that have black diamonds at the center or spread around the band are unique and very appealing. Black diamond jewelry is typically considered as a mystical treasure as well as a bold way to make a fashion statement. Engagement rings with black diamonds reflect the personality of the people who are not particularly traditional.

Black diamond rings are not set in solid black stones always. Instead, these rings can have diamond settings with the black diamond appearing in a variety of shades like greenish, translucent black, almost gray, or solidly black. Some ring designers set a black diamond at the center of the ring surrounded by paler diamonds in order to highlight the contrast. Also these engagement rings are most popularly set in titanium, platinum, or silver with the same purpose of highlighting the contrast of the silvery hues against the black. Many jewelry designers also offer the option of using a gold band instead.

The two most popular black diamonds are the Black Orloff which is sourced from India and the other is the Black Star from Africa. While buying black diamond engagement rings ask the jeweler to provide a proof of the diamond’s authenticity as there are chances that the jeweler may trick you with semi-precious gemstones which appear like black diamonds to the untrained eye.

Despite growing trends toward individualism and personalization, many women prefer the timeless elegance of black diamond solitaire rings. Even with the limits that a single stone puts on ring design, it is likely to create a unique and gorgeous ring. A conventional solitaire is a symbol not only of the couple’s lasting love, but of the single life and hope they share for their future. Three stone diamond engagement rings are popular for their romantic symbolism of a couple’s past, present and future together. A black diamond can be used for the central gem, both side stones, and all three diamonds.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Which Setting Makes the Diamond on Your Engagement Ring Look Larger?

The diamond on your ring is embedded with the help of a very important factor known as ‘Setting’ which can have a huge impact on the appearance of the diamond. It may help the diamond to look larger or may even make it appear much smaller than its actual deservingness.
But by doing a good study of settings, you can actually make the diamond on the engagement ring look larger. Here are a few settings and their effects on the diamond’s appearance you should know before you do your engagement ring shopping.
Pave Setting of diamonds is like a wide surface of many small diamonds that make the surface sparkle but actually lie side by side costing you much lesser than one huge diamond or many diamonds in any other setting.
Prong setting is recommended for maximum security and brilliance as it makes the diamond appear deeper and lets maximum light enter inside, though it is not advised for making the diamonds look larger.
Illusion setting is basically a ring-like flat plate that surrounds the girdle of the diamond along with prongs, but it appears like the girdle is wide and makes the diamond appear larger with more brilliance if it’s a sparkling plate around.
Bezel setting is where rim thoroughly encircles the diamond hiding its side surface. But the magic of making it look larger is created by the metal rim beside.
It is also suggested to look for shallow cut diamonds as well as fancy shapes except round and princess that look larger on a ring, mostly elongated shapes like marquise, oval and pear.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Why To Choose Matching Bridal Sets?

A matching bridal set is a set of an engagement ring and a matching wedding band for the bride-to-be. Nowadays

many couples, in fact most women like the idea of purchasing matching bridal set for her journey of commitment.

Reasons could be many, and they depend on personal choice. But mainly matching bridal sets certainly is a preferred choice because of the correspondence and symmetrical chemistry of the engagement ring and wedding band.
A man purchases a nice expensive beautiful diamond engagement ring for the lady, but sometimes it becomes very difficult to find a similar matching band that blends well with the ring. At such times, the couple realizes the stress free and easy process of buying a matching bridal set.
Also, the combined cost of matching bridal set comes to much less than separately bought engagement ring and wedding band. These key points make Matching Bridal Sets definitely the first choice of maximum couples who are soon planning to commit.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Gemstone Engagement Rings Set a New Trend

Let’s call it attractive looks, style, aesthetics, colorfulness or budget constraints. Now-a-days most of the couples are opting for Engagement rings with gemstones and not mere diamonds. Let’s analyze the reasons behind this change in the trend.Gemstones not only are cheaper then already expensive diamonds, but they come in varieties of colors and carry lots of aesthetic values. One can use these stone as a center stone or main stone in the Engagement ring with or with-out small diamonds on the shank of the ring. They would also be used as smaller side stones next to the main diamond to enhance the look of the already precious ring. One can also design a ring with the combination of different gemstones, giving it a unique look.Gemstones used in engagement ring could vary depending on personal choices. Gemstones that are also birthstones of the gifted partner can also be a good option for an engagement ring, thus carrying more significance for the wearer.If purchasing an engagement ring with precious gemstones like ruby and sapphire seems to be hard on the wallet, one can always go for cheaper substitutes like Garnet and Peridot that look equally good.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Basic Diamond Dimensions

1) Table is the topmost and largest facet of a diamond. The size of the table has a major influence on the brilliance and fire of a diamond. If the table is too small then the brilliance gets reduced and the fire increases. And if the table is too big, it is vice versa.

2)
Crown is the sloping section of a diamond- from the girdle to the table. This part of the stone shows above the prongs or settings and so it is most visible.

3)
Girdle is the point where the crown and pavilion meet, which also determines the perimeter of the diamond. A girdle can be very thin to very thick, medium being the best for any diamond.

4)
Diameter is the width of the diamond measured with reference to the girdle. It is the widest portion of a stone.

5)
Pavilion is the lower section of a diamond from the girdle to the culet. The pavilion depth can harm the look of the diamond if it is too deep or too shallow. The pavilion angle decides the brilliance and fire of the diamond.

6)
Culet is the tip of a diamond (the best culet is invisible to the naked eye). A large culet can detract the brilliance. So diamond cutters try to maintain the smallness of culet to make the brilliance stronger.

7)
Depth is the height of a diamond measured from the culet to the table. Depth gives the illusion of a bigger diamond and also enhances the amount of light that is reflected back.

Diamond Dimensions


Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Play Safe with Certified Diamonds

Diamonds have always been such huge an investment, that today every prospective buyer is and should be aware of all the pros and cons while making this investment. They may be a horde of diamonds or a single stone; one should never fail to check their authenticity and the trustworthiness of the dealer.

Usually a diamond purchaser is ignorant of most of the facts about diamonds and that adds to the dealer’s scope of deceit. Here are a few simple and easy ways you can avoid diamond frauds:-

  • Learn carefully about the 4 C’s and other prerequisites of diamond evaluation and go shopping like a smart and confident buyer.
  • A jewelry dealer may also supply you an improper diamond mounted on a jewelry piece, so that the flaws get hidden. Certified diamonds thus become a great advantage in this case where you know how exactly your diamond is.
  • Always insist on knowing the exact individual weights of your diamonds, as the seller might even fool you there by confusing you.
  • Have a close look at the diamonds in natural day light as well as dark light and do not trust on how they seem under flash or in-store lighting.
  • Always examine the legitimate credentials of the dealer before you make a haphazard purchase of diamonds offered at discounted prices by the dealer.
  • A better and easy way out of this whole confusion is to buy certified diamonds by any reputed gemological laboratory like GIA or AGS.
Last but not the least, buy diamonds with utmost care and cognizance and relish their splendor for a lifetime.