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The opinions expressed herein are secretdiamond.com's opinions and do not represent anyone else's or any other company's views in any way.
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Diamond Embracing 1.55ctw. 14K Gold Round Diamond Engagement Ring
If you’re looking for unique engagement rings, you’re seeing one of the masterpieces in this spiral designed diamond engagement ring. The setting in the picture is crafted in solid 14K Gold, and where it spirals, it’s channel set with beautiful G/H round diamonds all along the upper half surrounding the center diamond in a perfect embrace. On the bottom of the intricate spiral you’ll see there are even more round diamonds set on each side leading up to the inside curve. For a total of .55cts of side diamonds. The 1ct. round center diamond shown is a flamethrowing F/G color grade and a superior, completely eye clean VS2/SI1 clarity grade, and is interchangeable to support any diamond shape, or size, however only a round center diamond will have the 6 prongs while others will have four prongs. With this engagement ring you will receive free shipping, free ring sizing (even free one time resize if you guessed wrong when you ordered), free ring box, 30 day unconditional money back guarantee, and all of our engagement rings come with free certification papers. Available in any metal and color you chose, this is one engagement ring that will leave your bride-to-be happy as can be, and keep her friends mesmerized while she shows it off with pride!
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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
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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.
SecretDiamond.com is having it’s Fall Engagement Ring Sale. All Engagement Rings, Engagement Ring Sets and Stud Earrings are a massive 10% off. Not Some, but ALL. The sale will last until October 6th at midnight. You will see significant decreases from $100 to $4000 and higher! All of our engagement rings are custom made to order, which makes each ring that much more special. With Christmas and New Years coming up, you can assure yourself that if you order and SAVE today you will definitely be ready for the big holiday season. If you have any questions we encourage you to call our knowledgeable staff at 651-263-5121 / 7 days a week, or send us an email.
SecretDiamond Engagement Rings Sale
| 3.50 ctw. Round Diamond Engagement Ring |
Channel of Love 1.35 ctw. Diamond Engagement Ring |
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| CTW – 1.38 Clarity – VS2/SI1 Color – F/G Cut – Round Condition – New Enhanced – Yes Our Sale Price: $3,599.10 |
CTW – 3.50 Clarity – VS2/SI1 Color – F/G Cut – Round Condition – New Enhanced – Yes SEE VIDEO!! Our Sale Price: $6,119.10 |
CTW – 1.35 Clarity – VS2/SI1 Color – F/G Cut – Round Condition – New Enhanced – Yes Our Sale Price: $3,329.10 |
Engagement Ring Trends
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Are you searching for the latest "Engagement Ring Trends" and new ideas for your engagement ring? Choosing an engagement ring is a personal choice that will almost certainly require a lot of different decisions. The choices are almost endless such as what shape do you want your diamond to be? What type of metal is best suited for your taste and your budget? Are you looking for a simple solitaire diamond engagement ring or a very detailed design with an antique or vintage style. Many engagement rings worn today may even have gemstones such as Emeralds, Topaz or Aquamarine accents. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to your engagement ring except what you like and what you want to spend.
There is a common theme that an engagement ring should cost 2-3 months of the groom’s salary. This may be true for some new couples, however we see it go a lot higher than that with some couples, and a lot less for others. We advise that you not spend more than you can comfortably afford in any situation. You don’t want to enter in to a new marriage with money troubles if you can help it, especially considering how often money problems can cause trouble in marriages. That leads us to our first engagement ring trend.
With today’s difficult economic conditions, it is becoming increasingly difficult for many couples to get married. People still meet and fall in love, and then may want to get married eventually. However it’s a well known fact that weddings can be very expensive. When you add up the cost of the engagement ring, the wedding and the honeymoon, it’s no wonder that couples are looking to spend less money wherever they can. Studies have concluded that the average amount of money spent on engagement rings has declined over the past decade or so, and is predicted to decline even more in the future. Exactly why is anybody’s guess. I believe that it maybe for a couple of reasons. #1 is that it is very easy to spend less on an engagement ring when you buy it online. It used to be that only jewelry stores sold engagement rings and could charge as much as they like. They really had very little competition except for a few other local jewelry stores. If each jewelry store kept their prices high, each jewelry store owner would make more money. I often hear from many jewelers that have been in the business for many years about how good the old days were. The days when they had their way with the consumer and unloaded any diamond they wanted for just about anything they wanted to charge. Huge mark-ups and huge profits. Almost like they were doing the newly engaged couple a favor. These old-timers long for those days, but they know things have changed for good with the internet. That is why many small independent jewelry stores are going out of business. They just can’t compete with the new way of buying diamonds. The internet makes saving thousands of dollars on your engagement ring entirely possible with all of the competition out there. And you will certainly have many more styles of engagement rings to choose from. The 2nd reason for people spending less on their engagement ring is just simply the economy. People’s average salaries are not keeping up with inflation. And then of course there are the lay-offs. Gone are the days of working for a company for 35 years and retiring at 62 or 65 with a full pension. Many workers today may not be able to retire at all. And even if you are working for a stable company, it just seems that it’s getting harder everyday to get married, buy a house and raise children, and still have money left over for your retirement. I know many couples that are in a 2 income household with good careers and still have trouble making ends meet. So whatever the reason may be, the trend is that people are spending less on engagement rings than they did before.
Another "Engagement Ring Trend" is White Gold Engagement Rings. Without a doubt, white gold is sold at least 5 to 1 over yellow gold engagement rings, Platinum Engagement Rings & Palladium Engagement Rings at our diamond company. And just like Yellow Gold, your engagement ring can be made with 14K or 18K white gold. There are probably a couple of reasons for this trend. The first reason is because white gold tends to keep your diamonds looking whiter. A Yellow gold ring can give a little bit of yellowish tinge to your diamond in some cases. Years ago, yellow gold was the metal of choice for diamond engagement rings and just like all things in fashion, it tends to be cyclical. White gold was invented after the 1st world war and ever since then, white gold and yellow gold rings have rotated in popularity. However at least for the last 5 years or more, white gold has stayed as the most popular choice for engagement rings. Platinum is also a very popular choice for it’s naturally white properties, sturdy makeup, and hypoallergenic properties. However platinum is too expensive for many couples and some of the engagement rings that we offer would just be too heavy in platinum. Palladium is the newest metal for engagement rings and is quickly becoming a very popular choice. Like platinum, Palladium Engagement Rings are naturally white and hypoallergenic. They are also about 12% harder than platinum diamond rings. The only draw back to palladium is that not very many companies know how to work with it, so you might have to send it back to us for maintenance, repairs and re-sizing if needed. With all things considered, white gold is still the most popular engagement ring metal of choice, and I seeing it staying that way for the foreseeable future. Just remember that any white gold engagement ring will need to have it’s rhodium plating redone periodically to keep it looking white. Palladium and platinum will not require that maintenance procedure.
The shape of the center diamond is another part of an engagement ring that is subject to trends. Years ago, Marquise shaped diamonds were very popular. Then there was a time that Emerald shaped diamonds were popular. Round diamonds have been very popular, because they are the most sparkly when cut properly. However the diamond shape that I see being the most popular today is "The Princess Cut". At times, we sell more princess cut diamonds than any other diamond shape, including rounds. There is no doubt that round brilliant diamonds have always been the top seller, but Princess cut diamonds have got to be right up there. I don’t know if it is just the name "Princess" (what bride doesn’t want to be a princess on her wedding day?) or if it’s because many women are just sick of seeing round diamonds everywhere. I do think there is a little bit of mystique to the Princess name in a diamond that dates back to her childhood fairy tales, but I could be wrong. So to recap. Round diamonds have always been popular and remain so today, but The Princess Diamond is certainly the newest engagement ring trend in diamond shapes.
The last thing that I see as a trend in engagement rings is the style and design of the engagement ring. Just like round diamonds, Solitaire diamond rings have always been popular and remain so today. I also see them being very popular for many years to come. A big advantage to a solitaire engagement ring is that you are not spending very much money on the engagement ring setting itself (unless it’s platinum) and you will have more money available to spend on the actual diamond itself, if you wish. Solitaires also require less maintenance because you don’t have a bunch of little diamonds (micropave diamonds) that can come loose or fall out. However antique style or vintage style engagement rings are super hot today. Just like all things in fashion, antique style and vintage style rings are coming back around in popularity. The only difference though is that the last time antique style or vintage style engagement rings were hot, they were the real thing. They were not antique style or vintage style back in the early 20th century, they were just a new engagement ring. Many people would like to buy an antique engagement ring, but there are a lot of potential drawbacks to them, so they opt for a new engagement ring with an antique style. However many antique engagement rings are handed down from generation to generation and are worn today by many new brides. Antique or vintage style engagement rings will almost always have milgrain and/or filigree details and possibly micropave diamonds incorporated in to their design. An antique style engagement ring can literally be a masterpiece of craftsmanship and design. They can truly be one of the most beautiful engagement rings that you will ever see, however you will usually pay have to more for them.
Diamond Engagement Rings Secrets
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What are the top diamond engagement rings secrets and the most important diamonds-secrets for the best price? The first thing you need to know is that it’s no secret buying diamonds and engagement rings online from diamond website companies is much cheaper than buying diamonds and engagement rings at jewelers. Jewelry stores engagement rings are often times thousands of dollars more than engagement rings companies online. White gold engagement rings are the least expensive when buying 14k white gold engagement rings as opposed to 18k white gold engagement rings. The same thing applies to 14k yellow gold engagement rings as opposed to 18k yellow gold engagement rings. Palladium engagement rings are less expensive than Platinum engagement rings, and a platinum diamond engagement ring will be the most expensive option of all depending upon the diamond secrets you learn about first.
Learning diamond secrets will almost always save you money on high quality certified diamonds for engagement rings and diamonds of all kinds including fancy color diamonds. Fancy colored diamonds are not cheap though, with fancy pink diamonds being the most expensive fancy diamond color of all. Engagement rings and diamonds secrets can save you money on all kinds of diamonds and engagement rings including vintage style engagement rings and antique style engagement rings with micropave diamonds. Stop paying too much for diamonds when it’s not necessary. Learn what you need to know when buying diamonds and engagement rings online from website diamond companies to show the sellers of engagement rings that you know more than they think to buy the best diamonds for the money.
The previous 2 paragraphs are an example of the type of blog you want to stay away from. Engagement ring companies online that run a blog like that are not interested in teaching you about diamonds at all, and are probably more interested in the quick, "one time sale". Believe it or not, there are actually a couple of companies online that run a blog like that with a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, that quite frankly makes no sense. Pay close attention to a companies website blog and you will learn a lot about that company and where their focus is. Blogs are a good way for an online diamond company to obtain visitors to their website and the companies that run blogs like that, really do not have any thing good to teach you, and in many cases are actually trying to confuse you about diamonds. You may also hear something along the lines of "Don’t buy into all the hype. The more you learn about diamonds, the more you are going to spend." I can’t imagine for one second how teaching yourself about diamonds is a bad thing. Consider that you are about to spend a sizable amount of money regardless of who you buy your diamond from or what type of diamond you buy. Even clarity enhanced diamonds will cost at least a couple thousand dollars or more depending upon various factors, such as the size and quality of the diamond. When you buy a diamond, you should go slow and ask questions. After teaching yourself as much as you can, if there is anything that you don’t understand completely, ask a professional diamond dealer. If you feel that he/she is trying to rush you through the process of buying a diamond, don’t do it. They may very well have something up their sleeve that they are trying to hide from you. Buying a diamond is a serious venture. Do it right and do it slow. "Diamond Engagement Rings Secrets" 101
Solitaire Diamond Engagement Rings
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What are "Solitaire Diamond Engagement Rings" exactly?
Solitaire Diamond Engagement Rings are a type of diamond engagement ring that has just a single diamond placed in the center of the ring on the top side. Another term that is often used is an abbreviated version called Solitaire. If the diamond engagement ring you are choosing has any other diamonds included whatsoever, it will not be a solitaire in the strictest sense of the term. However there are many other simple designs of engagement rings that look almost like a solitaire, but technically they are not. Solitaire engagement rings are the oldest form of the "engagement ring" since the tradition began hundreds of years ago. Solitaire diamond engagement rings come in many forms and are available in all shapes and sizes of diamonds. Even though they have a very simple design, the number of choices you have are almost endless. In fact, they are the most flexible engagement ring in terms of how many options you have. The first option you will have is the shape of the solitaire diamond. The following diamond shapes are available:
Those are the 11 most popular diamond shapes to choose from. There are many more shapes available, however they are not the mainstream diamond shapes. The next decision you will have to make is the size of the solitaire diamond for the ring. This may be determined by your budget more than anything else. The most popular size for solitaire diamonds today is 1 carat, however diamonds are available in all carat sizes. "Carat weight" is the correct term as the word "carat" refers to the weight of a diamond and not it’s size. However a heavier carat weight will usually mean that you will have a larger diamond. The smallest diamonds are 1/100th of a carat and are often referred to as micropave diamonds. Diamonds this small are not used for solitaire diamond engagement rings. They are typically used in designer, vintage or antique style engagement rings as accent diamonds in the band of the ring, or around the center diamond giving it a "Halo Diamond Engagement Rings" effect. Typically a solitaire diamond engagement ring will start with a diamond that is at least 1/4 carat. Traditionally 1/2 carat solitaire diamond engagement rings were very popular, but the desire for a larger diamond is more popular today. There are also solitaires that are available in 3/4 carat diamonds, as well as 1 1/4 carat, 1 1/2 carat, 1 3/4 carat, 2.0 carats and much larger. The size of the diamond you choose is only limited by your budget and her personal taste. Many new brides do not want a large diamond for their ring. They may feel that it is too expensive or too "Showy" for them. You should never feel pressured to purchase a particular carat weight diamond and you should never purchase one that is more expensive than you can afford. The next choice you will have to make for your solitaire diamond engagement ring is the type of metal. The type of metal and the thickness of the band will determine how much it costs. A Plain 14k gold band that is on the thinner side (2mm) may only cost a couple of hundred bucks, while a thicker platinum band can cost over $1,000. (Platinum is the rarest precious metal on earth and therefor your most expensive choice) The thicker the band becomes, the more Karats it will require. That will increase your cost as engagement ring bands are made from precious metals. "Karat" and not "Carat" is the proper spelling if you are referring to gold, rather than diamonds. Diamonds are weighed by carat weight with a "C". "24 Karat" gold is solid gold. "14 Karat" gold is 14 parts of gold out of 24 parts or approximately 58% gold. "18 Karat" gold is 18 parts of gold out of 24 parts and approximately 75% gold. Because 18 Karat gold engagement rings have a higher gold content, they will cost more than 14 Karat gold engagement rings. You will also have to think about what style of solitaire diamond engagement ring band you want. There are many choices of designs such as the classic "Tiffany Style" solitaire or a "Cathedral Style" Solitaire band. And all of the different styles will be available in different thicknesses. The thicker the band, the more it will cost. When thinking about the type of precious metal to choose, you can buy Platinum (Most expensive), Palladium, 14k white gold, 18k white gold, 14k yellow gold and 18k yellow gold. Most engagement ring companies will not offer palladium solitaire diamond engagement rings, however Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond offer all of our engagement rings in Palladium. White gold is by far the most popular choice for engagement rings and certainly for solitaires. You will only have to choose between 18k and 14k white gold. If your partner is allergic to nickel (used as a mixer metal) you may consider palladium or platinum solitaires as these are hypoallergenic choices. The last thing to consider is the size of her engagement ring finger. The engagement ring finger may be a different size than her other fingers. Most engagement ring companies will only offer their engagement rings in 1/2 sizes, however Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond offers their engagement rings in quarter sizes for a more comfortable fit. See our page on ways to get the size of her engagement ring finger without her knowing here. |
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Diamonds & Engagement Rings Require Maintenance
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Although I am sure you have heard that a diamond can last forever and that they are the hardest known substance on earth, you might be surprised to learn that they are not indestructible. Diamonds & engagement rings require maintenance in order to preserve their beauty and prevent damage from occurring. Surprisingly the person you may trust the most to handle your diamonds properly, may also be the person that is most likely to chip or crack your diamond.
An interesting fact: A diamond can be the most vulnerable to chipping or cracking while it is being set by the jeweler. This happens to be particularly true with Princess Cut Diamonds. The thinnest and most vulnerable part of a Princess Cut Diamond is at the girdle & corners of the diamond.
If the jeweler presses too hard on the prongs while setting the diamond, he or she can chip off a corner of the diamond. You may also be surprised to learn that there is probably more diamonds damaged this way, than by their owners wearing them. If you bring your engagement ring to a jeweler to be worked on, you should always insist on inspecting the diamond and engagement ring under magnification before you accept the repair. Be sure to inspect the diamond at it’s corners and edges, and look at the prongs for possible stress fractures. You may also want to examine micropave diamonds to see if they are loose or crooked.
HELPFUL DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING TIP: This method can be used to see if you have a loose diamond. Place your diamond engagement ring up to your ear. Keep your fingers on the metal portion of your engagement ring and off the diamond/diamonds that you are checking. Then tap the engagement ring with your index finger and listen closely for any rattling. It may help to use a fingernail if you can. If you hear any rattling, then you may have a loose diamond.
As unfortunate as it may be, some jewelers have been known to hide minor chips under the prongs, only to be noticed by the diamond’s owner weeks or months later.
If you own a laser inscribed GIA or EGL certified diamond, also make sure to look under magnification for the inscription on the diamond before you accept your diamond to make sure it’s yours. Many people can tell you a horror story or two about how a dishonest jeweler switched their high quality diamond with a diamond of lower quality and less value. Of course there is also the possibility that a jeweler makes an honest mistake and places the wrong diamond back in your engagement ring.
Proper Diamond Jewelry & Engagement Rings Storage
Although I am sure your engagement ring is beautiful and very special to you, there may come a time when you need to take it off. As much as you probably don’t want to take it off, if you are about to do something that could be harmful to your engagement ring, you will need to take it off your finger and place it somewhere for safekeeping. If you just place it on a counter, you probably won’t need to do much except place it on a soft material and make sure you can’t knock it off the counter very easily. (watch out for toilets and sink drains. I am sure you have heard a story or two about someone knocking their ring in to one of them) However if you have a jewelry box that you like to store your ring in along with other jewelry, you will need to wrap it in a soft cloth to prevent damage to your ring and other jewelry. The diamond in your engagement ring can scratch your other jewelry, and if you are also storing other diamond jewelry in the same place, the diamonds can actually damage each other. Just the metal in the jewelry can scratch each other too.
A couple of things to consider: You may want to consider keeping valuable jewelry or jewelry that has sentimental value (especially if you seldom wear it) in a secure place such as a safe deposit box. Burglars or thieves will often look in obvious places like jewelry boxes or drawers first in search of valuable items like jewelry. Jewelry is a very desirable target for theft because it is easy to grab or stuff in a pocket and can be extremely valuable.
Did you know that you should have your diamond engagement ring inspected twice a year? A diamond engagement ring should be examined by a professional jeweler every 6 months, or sooner if necessary. If you purchased your engagement ring online and have to send it back to where you purchased it from, you may not want to do it every 6 months. Just make sure you keep a close eye on it and send it back at least every 9 months, or sooner if needed. Diamond engagement rings should never go longer than 12 months without being examined by a professional jeweler.
Unfortunately like I tell my customers. Your engagement ring will look it’s very best the day you buy it. Engagement rings are worn on the hand and can take a lot of abuse. All of the activities of every day life can have an impact on your engagement rings beauty. Just think about how much stuff you put your hands. Lotion, soap, sweat and dirt are just a few of the mild things your engagement ring will encounter. Then there are the every day activities like carrying in the groceries, handling your car keys, digging through your purse, and a million of other things that can affect your engagement rings appearance and performance. YOUR DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING WILL NEED MAINTENANCE, that is a fact and it is absolutely normal. With that said, it doesn’t mean that you should keep your engagement ring on your finger while doing things like gardening, rock climbing, bull riding or ultimate prize fighting. Just using common sense will help protect your diamond engagement ring.
Even though your diamond engagement ring will go through everyday wear and tear, you can keep it looking good for decades to come with proper maintenance. Whenever the customers at Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond send their engagement rings back for any reason, we always put it through a rigorous inspection. We perform all necessary maintenance issues. We also thoroughly clean, polish, tighten prongs, replace micropave diamonds if needed and re-rhodium white gold engagement rings.
Did you know that you can insure your engagement ring even if you don’t own a home? And you don’t have to buy your engagement ring from a jewelry store to get an engagement ring insurance policy either. The traditional method of insuring an engagement ring against accidental loss or theft was to put it on a homeowners insurance policy. However many new couples just starting out may not own a home yet, or they are not aware of any other methods of insuring their engagement ring. Or they may think it’s just too expensive to insure an engagement ring.
The fact is: Engagement Ring Insurance Is Easy & Engagement Ring Insurance Is Affordable. There is a company online that insures engagement rings for a very reasonable fee. Last time we checked, the cost to insure an engagement ring was approximately 1% of the purchase price. So if you purchase an engagement ring for $3,500 from us, you can insure it for just $35 dollars a year! That’s affordable. The company is called Jewelers Mutual and you can find them at www.jewelersmutual.com. Just call them and ask them how much it is to insure your engagement ring. Their prices may vary a little bit, but whatever the cost is, your engagement ring is worth it.
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.
Free Ring Sizing
When you first order one of our engagement rings you have the option to specify the size of your ring. We often get the question "What if I get the ring size wrong, or don’t know the size I should order?" In this case, we ask that you take a look at our ring sizing page. It has a few tips and tricks to get the correct size if you’re trying to be stealthy. Of course if you’re not, you should go to your local jewelry store and ask them to determine the size of your ring finger before you order. In either case, you could still be wrong on the ring size. When this happens, and you ordered your ring at SecretDiamond just send us an email, and we’ll give you instructions on the proper way to send your diamond engagement ring back to us, and we will resize your engagement ring a second time for free. We know that all jewelry stores online give you the ability to determine what the size of your ring will be before you order, but how many actually offer free ring sizing for a second time if you get the ring size wrong? At SecretDiamond we want our customers to be 100% satisfied, if you are not, we are not satisfied!
Diamond Engagement Rings
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It is believed that currently more than two-thirds of brides-to-be are actively involved in shopping for their diamond engagement rings and many of them are visiting jewelry stores or browsing online by themselves. A recent survey states that this is about a 20% increase over the numbers that were shopping for engagement rings on their own in 2005. The trend seems to be continuing upward as it is becoming more obvious that theses new brides are generally very happy with their engagement ring purchase, particularly when it comes to the style and design they prefer. The majority of the brides cited in the poll stated that they felt even more comfortable researching and shopping for their new engagement ring, than they did when shopping with their fiance’. Another startling fact that came to light in the poll was that despite today’s economic downturn, 80% of the couples that purchased a new diamond engagement ring chose not to purchase a smaller diamond. Traditionally about 1/3 of couples purchase their diamond and engagement ring mounting separately.
Given the fact that buying diamond engagement rings online has become more popular than ever, brides now have an opportunity that was not available before the internet. Couples had been traditionally stuck with just the engagement ring selections that their local jewelry stores were offering. And to make matters even worse, many couples in "small town america" did not have any choices at all. They would have to travel many miles to neighboring towns just to see a couple of diamond engagement ring designs. Fewer jewelry stores meant fewer choices, and probably higher prices. The internet has changed all of that. Any person located anywhere in the world can view huge selections of affordable engagement rings with prices that are more affordable than ever before. And without the pressure of an annoying high pressure salesperson. The resources that are available for diamond engagement rings online are changing the diamond industry. Jewelry stores can no longer charge the outrageous mark-ups that they once enjoyed, leaving you at their mercy. You can have the upper hand when it comes to buying your diamond engagement ring if you just turn to the best free resource you have at your fingertips. Diamond engagement rings online available worldwide at the store called Secret Diamond.
A Fairytale Story called Freddy’s Diamond
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Once upon a time there was a noble man by the name of Freddy. It seems that Freddy was in love with the fairest lady of the land and her name was Princess. Freddy and Princess had been in love since the day they met many years ago and Freddy wanted to marry his fair Princess almost from the start, however he had a big problem. Although he was a noble man, he was just a humble blacksmith for the Royal family and he really did not earn very much money. He knew the love of his life did not really expect very much from him except his never ending devotion. You see, she had assured him many times that their love was not a love born out of material wealth, but a true and lasting love born out of trust and mutual respect for each other. This is why Freddy adored her even more and wanted more than ever to express his love for her with the biggest sparkling diamond engagement ring she had ever imagined. Unfortunately he had a big problem because he had no idea just how expensive diamonds can be.
Fresh with a burning desire to please his fair maiden, Freddy set out on the adventure of his lifetime to find the biggest diamond in the kingdom. His first stop was at the local village jeweler that he heard about from one of his friends. After browsing through the jewelery cases in search of the perfect engagement ring, he was stunned to find out that he was only able to afford a very small diamond. How could this be he asked himself? My precious Princess deserves more than this little diamond! He asked the jeweler if their would be any engagement ring sales coming up so that he might be able to buy a larger diamond. To Freddy’s surprise, the jeweler said that the engagement rings were already discounted and on sale for the cheapest prices he could offer. Freddy tried not to show his disappointment as he pondered to himself, "If all diamonds are this expensive, I will not be able to buy the large, sparkling diamond engagement ring that I dreamed of placing on Princess’s finger on our wedding day." Freddy was heart broken.
That night he decided to go to the local pub and seek out his friend so that he could ask how much he paid for her engagement ring set. Sure enough he found his friend at the pub celebrating with his fiance. When Freddy was able to speak with his friend alone, he asked him how much he had spent. He was shocked to hear that his friend had spent almost $9,000 for her Platinum Engagement Ring Set with a 1 carat center diamond. "Where did you get that kind of money?" he asked his friend. It seems that his friend had the good fortune of winning $10,000 in a recent jousting match. Freddy was again heart broken because he did not know how to joust and he did not have any relatives that could lend him the money to buy their new engagement rings. "What do I do now?" Freddy asked himself. Disappointed, he went home and went to bed.
The following weekend Freddy decided that he would travel to the neighboring village to see if there were any affordable engagement ring sellers. He searched around every corner and stopped in every jewelry store throughout the entire kingdom, only to grow more disappointed with every stop. He spent several days searching and searching, only to discover that he could only afford a 1/2 carat diamond. He couldn’t even afford the white gold engagement ring setting that he had his heart set on.
Just when Freddy was about to give up and go to the village pawn shop to see if he could buy a used engagement ring, he heard a story about a man that saved thousands of dollars by purchasing a clarity enhanced diamond engagement ring online. Even though his parents taught him that when something seems too good to be true it probably is, Freddy decided to look into it anyway just to be safe. It seems that there was a new invention called the internet. Freddy had never heard of the internet before but was amazed when he started browsing online for an engagement ring for Princess. Although many of the prices on diamonds were less expensive than the prices in the village jewelry stores, they were still out of his engagement ring budget. Since Freddy was determined to buy the engagement ring that he had always dreamed of giving to Princess when he proposed, he kept searching the internet. After all, it was so convenient to browse through all of these engagement rings online in the comfort of his home.
After searching online for affordable diamonds, Freddy finally found the website he was searching for. "How appropriate that it was called Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond", he thought. He discovered that he could easily afford the huge diamond that he had always wanted to buy Princess. Now his only trouble was deciding which beautiful engagement ring to choose. He found many styles that he had never seen before. New styles and designs that he liked even more than the one he saw from the fancy overpriced designer. After asking many of Princess’s friends for their opinions, he finally picked one & made the purchase online with his credit card. He couldn’t believe it when he found out that he didn’t even have to pay the king’s high sales tax. It was so easy and secure. He was even able to read many of the reviews & testimonials about the company that he found online that made him feel very comfortable with his purchase. 7-10 days later the new engagement ring arrived at Freddy’s cottage door. After signing for the package that was delivered overnight free of charge, via fully insured FedEx delivery, he opened it up. Included inside was a beautiful ring box and a certified appraisal that was also included free of charge. He wasted no time and immediately planned a romantic getaway with Princess.
Although the fairytale story called Freddy’s Diamond started out as a sad one, you will be happy to learn that Princess said yes when Freddy proposed and they lived happily ever after.
The End
Cleaning & Care For Clarity Enhanced Diamonds
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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.
Treat the clarity enhanced diamond that you purchased from our engagement rings store just like any other piece of fine quality gemstone jewelry that you may own. That means that the best way to clean your new clarity enhanced diamond engagement ring or diamond stud earrings is with mild soap & water. Jewelery cleaners of all types are also acceptable as long as they are a non-ammonia based jewelry cleaner. Jewelry cleaners that work for pearls, will also work for clarity enhanced diamonds. (pearl cleaners are often times sold by jewelers that sell pearl jewelry) Ultrasonic cleaning and steam cleaning are also safe to use. Many of our customers like to use the Jewel Jet Steam Cleaner for at home steam cleaning of their diamonds. It can typically be purchased for under $100.00 and is quite effective for use on almost all diamond jewelry.
The enhancement process will only be reversed when it is cleaned with ammonia based cleaners or if the diamond is heated to 1500 degrees or higher. (A jeweler’s torch) Jewelers often have techniques they will use to protect the diamond from the heat of their torch, so please just let the jeweler know that you own a clarity enhanced diamond. Believe it or not, some jewelers may actually not notice that you own a clarity enhanced diamond before they start to work on it. So don’t just assume they will notice, let them know in advance. Although Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond will re-enhance your diamond free of charge, most of our customers do not like to part with their engagement rings for any reason.
When the engagement ring that you purchased from us requires maintenance, we would like to recommend that you send it back to us. We understand that many of our customers admire their engagement rings so much, that they often do not want to part with it. We try our best to make it worth your while by really going the extra mile for you. This means that we will typically perform all necessary maintenance that is required such as re-rhodium plating your white gold engagement ring, inspect and tighten all prongs, perform a thorough cleaning, and buff & polish your engagement ring all at no charge to you. If you need any further maintenance that requires things such as replacing micropave diamonds, many times we we will even go so far as replacing them at no charge to you if it is within the first year from your purchase regardless of the reason, even from normal wear and tear. Of course all of our engagement rings carry a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. Our goldsmiths are extremely experienced working on diamond jewelry of all types and are unsurpassed when working with clarity enhanced diamonds. You can be 100% confident that if you send your engagement ring back to us for any reason, we will treat it with the utmost care.
Several of our customers have also suggested other ways they like to use to clean their diamond engagement rings. Some use toothpaste and a soft bristled toothbrush. I would like to mention that it should be a non-abrasive toothpaste. Any cleaner you use on any fine jewelry should also be non-abrasive as this could scratch the metal holding your diamond or gemstones and lead to premature wear.
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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SecretDiamond is having our annual Labor Day Engagement Rings Sale. All Engagement Rings, Engagement Ring Sets, and Diamond Stud Earrings are 10% off. Even custom designs. If you don’t see what you want on our site, just tell us what you want, and not only will we beat the other online prices, we will take 10% off our quoted price to you. We can make ANY design big or small! SecretDiamond deals with engagement rings online exclusively, so we know what it takes to make our customers happy with an accomplished amount of testimonials and happy customers backing our success rate for the past several years. We are also noted loose diamond sellers. It doesn’t matter what your desires may be, we can find the perfect diamond for you, and again, beat most of the brick and mortar stores and online prices, and passing the savings onto you. All of our engagement rings can be sold as a stand alone setting as well. Whatever your needs, SecretDiamond will get it for you and save you 100’s even 1000’s off your purchase. |
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Purchasing Diamonds & Engagement Rings Online
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Over the years we have answered numerous questions from customers about purchasing their diamonds and engagement rings online. It seems that most people are very interested in the idea of buying diamonds or engagement rings online for a couple of reasons. The main reason we hear is that our prices are dramatically less expensive than those of their local jewelry store. This is really not surprising when you consider why. The first reason why we are less expensive is low overhead. We do not have fancy jewelry stores that have a significant amount of overhead. Think about all of the expenses that jewelry stores have that we do not. Many jewelry stores may have only 1 or 2 locations. These stores can only sell to the local customer base, so they have to spend an enormous amount of money on advertising to convince the locals to buy from them instead of online. Typically they are not selling their engagement rings worldwide like we are, and in many cases they may not even have a website to display their diamond rings. At Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond, we do not spend a single penny on advertising, throughout most of the year. Lets say that a local jewelry store has an advertising budget of $50,000. (Not really that much) Just imagine how many diamonds or engagement rings have to be sold, just to pay for that advertising. Again consider that they are more than likely, only selling to their local customer base. I think you would be surprised to hear how few engagement rings some jewelry stores actually sell. That advertising expense is added to the cost of your diamond engagement ring.
Now also consider the very well known, national jewelry store chains that spend literally millions of dollars a year on advertising. I know they have a lot of stores to spread the expense around to, but I can’t even begin to imagine how many engagement rings they have to sell, just to pay for their advertising. Now add the cost of renting the mall space, the cost of the salespeople, the cost of fancy store displays, the cost of fancy lawyers, fancy accountants, fancy salaries for the fancy corporate executives and so-on, and it is really no wonder why they are SO EXPENSIVE.
The second reason why we are much less expensive is because we work directly with the diamond importers, right at the source. Unlike your typical jewelry store that has maybe 3-4 companies that mark-up the diamond before it gets to them, with Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond you are buying a diamond that has the fewest number of companies marking up the diamond before it gets to you possible! Fewer companies marking up the diamond, means a lower cost to you. Now when you have sold as many diamond engagement rings online worldwide as we have, you have a very large base of happy customers. Just read our testimonials page located at the link below to see what our satisfied customers have to say about our Engagement Rings Store. Also please feel free to visit our Better Business Bureau page to see that we are a proud member of the BBB online, and in excellent standing.
Again this means lower prices to you. Why? Because we receive many sales referred to us by other satisfied customers. Customers that refer us to their family members, co-workers and best friends. In business they say that the best form of advertising is "Word of Mouth" advertising. When we sell an engagement ring to someone that is referred to us by our happy customers, that sale cost us nothing in advertising dollars. That means that we do not have to "Add The Cost Of Advertising" to the price of our engagement rings, which means additional savings to you, our future customer.
We want you to know that at Engagement Rings By Secret Diamond, we take "Word of Mouth" advertising very seriously. We are very proud of our commitment to our customers (Past, Present and Future Customers) And we want you to know that we will work very hard to earn your trust, and to make you our next satisfied customer. We want to earn YOUR future business, as well as all of the future business you refer to us including YOUR family members, co-workers and friends.
I think it is important to note that this is not an article meant to criticize your local jewelry store. Everyone I know would like to spend their money in a local community business, including us at Secret Diamond. Also, a jewelry store can add a certain value to your engagement ring buying experience. You will actually be able to see, touch, feel and try on the engagement ring before you buy it. And it will most likely be easier to have your engagement ring worked on for routine maintenance, or cleanings without having to ship it back to us. However if you are working with a limited budget, or you have the money & you just don’t want to pay a lot more than you have to, buying diamonds or engagement rings from our online store is without a doubt, the best way to save.
As the economy deteriorates, the number of new couples ” Searching For Wholesale Engagement Rings” and Diamond Engagement Rings with low prices, seems to be increasing. Recent studies have discovered that the average amount of money spent on a diamond engagement ring has been decreasing over the past couple of years and is expected to continue to decline to an amount as low as $2800 from an average high of approximately $4800. Many people wonder what is driving this sudden downturn in the average spent on engagement rings. Although there has been an increased interest in engagement rings of different types, such as colored gemstone engagement rings or wedding bands with no diamonds, the traditional diamond engagement ring is still high on the list of newlyweds-to-be. Now it could be a shift in trends or it could be a tight economy, or it even could be a combination of both. However there is no disputing that couples getting engaged these days are wanting to spend less on their engagement ring. As this happens, we are starting to see an increase in the number of visitors to our engagement rings website, searching for Wholesale Engagement Rings, Discount Diamond rings and cheap diamond rings. Now I know that our customers are NOT really looking for a cheap engagement ring. What they are really searching for is a nice looking “ENGAGEMENT RING WITH A CHEAP PRICE.”
Now at SecretDiamond.com we do not sell cheap engagement rings, however we certainly do sell absolutely gorgeous diamond engagement rings with extremely affordable prices. Our enhanced clarity diamonds are probably one of the best ways to save a significant amount of money on your diamond engagement ring. We also sell diamonds with certification from GIA and EGL. Below is a couple of tips you can use to save money on engagement rings from any source, including a brick and mortar, engagement rings jewelry store.
In the diamonds industry, diamonds are sold in parcels to wholesalers. These diamonds are sold on a “price per carat” basis. The cost of a 1 carat diamond is higher “per carat” than diamonds that are even slightly smaller. That means that if you purchase a slightly smaller diamond, such as a 0.98 pointer (1 carat is 100 points) you will save some money, because it will cost less “Per Carat.” Chances are you won’t be able to notice much of a difference (If any at all) in the smaller weight diamond anyway. And remember, diamonds are sold and measured by carat weight, not carat size. This rule also applies to 2 carat diamonds, 3 carat diamonds, 4 carat diamond and so-on. Certain sizes are referred to as “Key weights.” If you stay just under these key weights, you will save money. Another way to save money is probably also one of the best ways. Lowering your diamonds Clarity grade. Although I don’t recommend lowering the clarity grade so low that you can see the inclusions with your naked eye (Naked eye means without a loupe or a microscope) This is an excellent way to save money on a diamond ring. Many times people are tempted to pay for a higher clarity grade than is really necessary. It is absolutely unnecessary to buy a diamond with a higher clarity grade than VS2 if you are trying to save money on your diamond engagement ring or just get more diamond for your money. You will not be able to tell the difference between a diamond with a VS2 clarity grade or a flawless diamond with your naked eye. And chances are you won’t be able to tell much difference even under a loupe or a microscope if you are not a certified gemologist. And your friends, family and co-workers will never be able to see that you spent extra money to buy a VVS1 diamond just by looking at the diamond. You will have to show them the certification. You will only have bragging rights for all that money you spent, because your diamond may not look any better to them. But chances are that if you are searching for cheap priced engagement rings, you are not looking to spend a fortune. In most cases it is even fine to go with an SI1 clarity grade diamond, because that is still an eye-clean diamond. Lowering your clarity grade WILL save you money. And as long as you stay away from the really low clarity grades, you can get an absolutely gorgeous diamond for a lot less money.
Next blog post we will show you how to get a nice diamond color grade and save money. We will also show you what to look for diamond cut grades.
Remember the 4 C’s of diamonds are
1) Color
2) Clarity
3) Carat weight
4) Cut Grade
The Engagement Rings By SecretDiamond Collection is a large collection of engagement rings and engagement ring sets that are customizable with your choice of center diamond and your choice of precious metal, including Palladium. We offer one of the largest collections of unique engagement rings offered anywhere, online or offline.
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