Buyer’s Guide For Engagement Rings & Diamonds

Based upon the many questions we receive about diamonds and engagement rings, we thought it was important to create a buyer’s guide for engagement rings & diamonds. Since many of people shopping for engagement rings and diamonds are first time shoppers, they are going to have questions that need to be answered. We take diamond education very seriously here at Secret Diamond and so should you. We understand that not everyone out there is a diamond expert and shopping for a diamond can be very confusing the first time you do it. Quite frankly, shopping for engagement rings can be pretty confusing too, especially if you are not familiar with all of the engagement ring terms like "Solitaire" or "Filigree" or "Milgrain". Many people that are in the market to purchase an engagement ring or even diamond stud earrings, have never owned a diamond in their life. And even if you consider yourself a pretty knowledgeable person when it comes to diamonds, reading our "Buyer’s Guide For Engagement Ring & Diamond Shoppers" may help you brush up a bit. Although this guide can’t possibly teach you everything you need to know about diamonds and engagement rings, it will be a very good start on the basics. It will include enough information so that you can start to shop with confidence knowing that you understand what makes a diamond desirable and what is truly a good deal on a quality diamond engagement ring. Come with us as we explore the world of diamonds and help you search for the "Perfect Engagement Ring" for your bride-to-be.

The Diamonds & Engagement Rings Budget Decision

Without a doubt, the first step in purchasing diamonds or engagement rings is to determine how much you are planning to spend. How much you can spend and how much you are going to spend may be 2 different amounts. Although many grooms would like to buy their new bride the biggest, nicest engagement ring that money can buy, the reality is that you may have to settle for something less. Good quality diamonds with a larger carat weight can get rather expensive. (And don’t forget to add the cost of the engagement ring setting) Try not to spend more than you can comfortably afford without going in to much debt if you can help it. Although you could certainly consider taking out an engagement ring loan, starting off a new marriage with the extra added stress of living in debt is not necessarily the best idea. Believe it or not, many couples decide to spend less on their diamond engagement ring than they actually can afford. They may be opting to allocate the money saved on something else, like their new home together or a much needed new car. Or perhaps they have decided to spend more money on the honeymoon or the wedding. Investing the money saved or putting it in the bank for a "rainy day", may not be a bad idea either. Whatever the case may be, deciding on your diamonds and engagement ring budget is the first decision you will have to make when getting engaged.

The Engagement Ring Setting

In most cases, the price of the diamond in your diamond engagement ring is going to account for the majority of the cost, with some exceptions. A Diamond engagement ring really consists of 2 parts, the center diamond and the engagement ring setting. In most cases there is also a 3rd part, the wedding band. However the wedding band is often purchased at a later date and you may have extra time to save for it. However many styles of engagement rings are available in matching engagement ring sets (matching wedding band included) that you can purchase at the same time. If you can afford to purchase both at the same time, you may ask if there is a price break for doing so. It may also be beneficial to purchase both the engagement ring and the wedding band at the same time to make sure they fit together perfectly. But for now, we will just stick to the diamond engagement ring portion of your purchase. Again, the diamond will often account for the majority of the cost. Exceptions will start to take place if you are purchasing an antique or vintage style engagement ring with a lot of extra carat weight of diamonds in the ring itself. Also, some types of engagement ring styles will have very detailed hand engraving, filigree or milgrain details. The more intricate your engagement ring gets, usually the more expensive it gets. Another potential significant cost to your engagement ring setting is the type of precious metal you choose. 14 Karat Gold Engagement Rings will be the most affordable option, in either white or yellow gold. 18 karat gold engagement rings will usually cost a little bit more. ($200 more per ring at www.SecretDiamond.com) That’s because an engagement ring made from 18k gold will have more gold in the ring. 14k gold engagement rings are approximately 58% gold, and 18k gold rings will be 75% gold. More gold in the ring, increases the cost of the ring. That is also why an engagement ring with a thicker band will cost more. The thicker the band, the more gold that is required to make it. The same principal applies to Platinum engagement ring settings. Platinum is the rarest metal on Earth, therefor it is very expensive. A simple solitaire engagement ring setting made in platinum, can increase the cost of the ring by $300 to $500. And if you are buying a platinum ring with a thicker style band, the cost can go up another $1500 to $2500. I have even seen platinum engagement ring settings cost as much as $10,000 with out a center diamond even included yet. Many times they may also have a significant amount of accent diamonds too, which contributes to the overall cost. That is the #1 reason why many people choose not to buy platinum engagement ring settings. A solitaire engagement ring setting will be your most economical choice. Typically they are not overly thick, and a solitaire engagement ring won’t have any accent diamonds to drive up the cost of the setting. So if you buy a solitaire setting, you will have 3 things that save you money. They are thinner, not intricately designed, and have no accent diamonds to drive up the overall cost. Three things that will all save you money. And please don’t feel that you are settling for anything less if you buy a solitaire engagement ring. They have a very simple form of classical elegance to them that has always been very popular in the past, and will always be very popular in the future. Besides, you will have more money left over to spend on the center diamond itself. You can get a bigger and/or nicer diamond. Many couples decide to purchase a solitaire engagement ring band so they can afford a bigger/nicer diamond, and then buy a fancy engagement ring setting in the future when they can afford it easier.

Next we will discuss the all important diamond purchase. Make sure to come back and read the upcoming section of our guide because buying the best diamond for your money is easy to do once you learn how. We will teach what the most important factors are when selecting your center diamond, and teach you a few tricks on how to save some cash.

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As a courtesy to our valued customers who did not get a chance or were out of town for the labor day weekend, SecretDiamond is happy to announce our extended engagement ring sale. All of our engagement rings, engagement ring sets, and diamond stud earrings are now 5% off, saving you anywhere from $100 up to $2500 in some cases more. To the side of this posting is a 2.65 ctw. Diamond Engagement Ring. With a 1ct crystal clear round center diamond with exquisite color. The side diamonds total 1.65cts of round diamonds brilliantly decorating the outside edges of the band as well as channel set down the center meeting the center diamond. Brilliantly crafted to maximize the sparkle in each diamond. It’s a must see. Our extended Labor Day Engagement Ring Sale ends September 16 at midnight.

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Questions About Diamonds And Engagement Rings

Given the fact that many of our customers will often have the same questions about diamonds and engagement rings, we thought that it might be a good idea if we listed some of them here on our blog. Although we will be glad to take as much time as you need to answer all of your questions on the phone, we understand that some people would rather just ask a question anonymously. However we would like to emphasize to you that you will never receive any type of pressure to purchase anything, from the staff at Secret Diamond. We do not want any of our customers to make their purchase from us unless you are absolutely confident that the time is right for you. We are people that have to buy things too, and we don’t like pushy salespeople any more than you do. If you have a question about diamonds that you would like answered, please feel free to call us or write to us at support (at) secretdiamond.com. We will be glad to answer your question in an email or on the phone.

Question: Is a "J" color diamond too yellow?
Answer: The answer to this question is not necessarily written in stone. Although my personal opinion is that a diamond with a "J" color grade is too yellow for my own personal taste, it may not be for everyone. Some people are more sensitive to a yellowish color in a diamond than others. I have actually had customers tell me that they can tell the difference between an "E" color grade diamond, and a perfectly colorless "D" color grade diamond. That is only one color grade difference, and both color grades are extremely free of color. That is a talent that most people do not posses. Even GIA certified gemologists will have to break out a set of "Master Color Stones" to make the call between a D and an E color grade diamond. (It is much easier to tell the difference in 2 color grades of a diamond without the assistance of Master Color Stones) So back to your questions. I personally believe that a "J color grade diamond" is a little bit too yellow for my taste. If you can afford to buy a diamond with a better color grade, I would suggest that you consider it. Although an excellent cut diamond with a "J" color grade can sparkle very nicely, it will typically not look as good as a diamond with a better color grade, and the same excellent cut grade. When considering what metal to use in creating engagement rings with a J colored diamond, it’s best to go with white gold, palladium, or platinum. Avoid the yellow gold. The diamond will reflect the light of the engagement ring setting and your J colored diamond will look much better in a light colored setting than a yellow setting. Also if you think the only way to get affordable engagement rings is to go with a very yellow diamond or very low clarity grade than you have but to look at SecretDiamond.com. We offer incredibly eye clean and bright white diamonds in all of our engagement rings and diamond stud earrings. For a fraction of what you would pay in most jewelry stores.

Question: Why does the cost of a larger diamond increase more than it’s size?
Answer: If you have been shopping for diamonds, you have probably noticed that a diamond with twice the carat weight, can cost 3-4 times as much. The short answer for this is because it is more rare. Larger diamonds with the same quality as smaller diamonds are not as common in nature. Remember, diamonds are not created in a factory with machines. Mother Nature created these sparkling little wonders over the course of millions of years, and she did not make very many big, perfect diamonds. So if you buy a bigger diamond, you are not just getting a bigger price tag. You are also getting a diamond that is much more rare.

Question: When shopping for engagement rings, what does the term "ctw" mean?
Answer. When you see the term "ctw" it is an acronym (or abbreviation) for "carat total weight." You may also see it as "tcw" which means the same thing, except in a different order. The meaning for it this way is "total carat weight." Whatever the number is before the "ctw" is the total weight of diamonds or gemstones in the engagement ring. Don’t get this confused with the carat weight of the center diamond. That should always be listed separately because the center diamond is where the majority of the value is. The larger the center diamond is, the more valuable it is. For example: If you have a ring with 2 carats of total diamond weight, but they are all small diamonds, it won’t be nearly as valuable as a ring that has a single 2 carat diamond. So if a single diamond weighs one carat for instance, it will be worth a lot more than 10 diamonds that total 1 carat.

Question: I understand that a clarity enhanced diamond is graded after the enhancement, but do you know what clarity grade the diamond is before the enhancement?
Answer: Although the clarity grade before the enhancement can vary, a good rule of thumb is that clarity enhancing a diamond will typically increase the clarity grade on average by 2 clarity grades. For Example: An SI2 clarity grade diamond will be enhanced to a VS2 clarity grade and an I1 clarity grade diamond will be enhanced to an SI1 clarity grade diamond. At Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond, we tend to encourage our customers to steer away from clarity enhanced diamonds that are SI2 after the enhancement process. SI2 grade diamonds are not typically "Eye Clean" and the reason for buying a clarity enhanced diamond in the first place is to buy a larger, "eye-clean" diamond for less money. If you are OK with buying a diamond that has visible clarity flaws, you may as well just buy a diamond that has not been enhanced. Also, the vast majority of clarity enhanced diamonds will be enhanced to a clarity grade of VS2 to SI1. The reason for this is the "2 grade rule." If a diamond is SI2 before enhancing, it will turn out to be VS2. If a diamond is already a SI1 clarity grade, it will most likely already be "Eye-Clean" and there will be no reason to enhance it to VS1. Most diamonds that enhance to the SI1 clarity grade are probably SI3 or I1 clarity grades before the enhancing technique but may also be I2 to start with. A diamond that enhances to SI2 clarity grade was probably an I2 or I3 to begin with. Although the "2 clarity grade" rule is a pretty good one, it is not written in stone. When purchasing a clarity enhanced diamond, it is always recommended that you only deal with a trustworthy company that has the diamond certified by an independent 3rd party. We view it as a conflict of interest when a company that is selling you the diamond, also certifies it. That is kind of like asking the sales person that you just bought a car from, if you got a good deal.

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Cleaning & Care For Clarity Enhanced Diamonds

First let us say that your clarity enhanced diamond is very much like any diamond that you may purchase. Cleaning & caring for clarity enhanced diamonds is really quite simple and will require no more time than other diamond jewelry you may purchase. They are set in engagement rings, diamond earrings and diamond jewelry of all kinds. Please be confident that you can wear it, admire it and enjoy it just as you would any other diamond. In fact, the most respected diamond grading laboratory in the world, The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has stated that the clarity enhancement process is stable under normal wear and tear conditions.

If you are comfortable with this technique, you may also try using Vodka to clean your clarity enhanced diamonds with. It actually works quite well and is totally safe for your diamond. If for any reason these techniques for cleaning and caring for your clarity enhanced diamonds are not adequate for you, just call us toll free at 1-877-999-9920 to discuss further options for all of your diamond jewelry care.

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Although round diamonds have been the most popular diamond shape in years past, the Princess Cut is quickly gaining ground. What is it about this particular diamond shape that is making it more popular by the day? Is it the name; Princess Cut? Is it the brilliance of the diamond? Or Is it the price? Yes, if all things are equal, Princess Shape Diamonds are generally less expensive than round shape diamonds. This is because there is less waste created when cutting a princess diamond than a round diamond. (A princess cut will typically yield approximately 60% to 62% of it’s original rough diamond weight) However based upon my experience speaking with thousands of our customers, the cheaper price does not seem to be the primary factor when purchasing their engagement rings or diamond stud earrings. The number one reason for considering this beautiful shaped diamond is for it’s unique qualities.

I think it’s important to note that a very desirable quality of a princess cut diamond is to have it’s measurements as square as possible. Princess diamonds that are more rectangular rather than perfectly square, are generally less expensive and less desirable. Always look for as close to perfectly square as possible in your princess engagement ring or stud earrings. A length to width ratio of 1.05 or less is recommended.

The Princess Cut was invented in 1980 and is known as a brilliant cut diamond, rather than a step cut, like an emerald shape. It’s 4 corners are sharp and uncut, unlike that of a radiant. Depending upon how the diamond is cut, it will typically result in a diamond that has either 50 facets ( 21 on the crown, 4 on the girdle, & 25 facets on the pavilion)
It can also be cut in a manner that produces 58 facets. This type of cut will yield 21 facets on the crown, 4 on the girdle, and 33 facets on the pavilion.

Stay Tuned For Additional Facts About The “Princess Cut”

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Frequently Asked Questions About Engagement Rings, Diamonds, and Diamond Jewelry

What is a loupe and why do diamond
 jewelers use one for engagement rings?

A loupe is a handheld device used in the diamonds industry by trained diamond professionals, to magnify a diamond like the one in engagement rings, or piece of diamond jewelry you would like to inspect. The jewelry industry standard is 10X magnification. There are however different magnification loupes available. In the hands of a trained professional, a loupe can be used very effectively in determining the quality of a diamond, by using it to inspect the clarity characteristics of a diamond. A loupe can also be used to perform an initial inspection of a piece of diamond jewelry for possible damage, such as the prongs on an engagement ring or diamond stud earrings Although loupes are used extensively by jewelers and jewelry stores, they are also available for sale to private individuals. If you have never looked at your diamonds under a loupe, consider trying it sometime. It can be fun and interesting to see the unique characteristics of your own diamonds. However please remember that proper diamond grading can only be performed by a certified and trained diamond professional, also referred to as a gemologist.

Diamond Jewelers and Engagement Rings

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