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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.
© Copyright 2009
Engagement Rings Christmas Sale
Starting Dec 8th and going until Dec 31st. SecretDiamond.com is having it’s annual Christmas Sale. Save up 5% on any and all engagement rings, engagement ring sets, as well as diamond stud earrings in any carat size. Surprise your girlfriend this Holiday Season with an engagement ring and it will be a Christmas she’ll never forget. Even a second diamond ring for your wife, or an irresistible pair of absolutely eye clean diamond stud earrings. Remember Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for shipping, so the sooner you order the safer you’ll be! If there’s an engagement ring design you absolutely have to have and it’s not on our site, send us a picture, give us a call, and 99% of the time we can recreate it for you at an even cheaper price than for what you saw it for on any other website.
Hurry Sale ends Dec. 31st. 2009.
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.
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.
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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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”
Princess Cut Diamonds and Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds are the 2 most popular diamond shapes purchased for diamond engagement rings, by far. They are also the most popular diamond shapes used for diamond stud earrings. Traditionally Round Diamonds have been the most popular, however the Princess Cut Diamond has been surging in popularity for the past several years. I personally know many people in the diamond business and they all confirm that Princess cut diamonds are their best sellers. Even though Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds probably account for more diamond sales throughout the country, we actually sell more Princess cut diamonds at our online Engagement Ring Store. Below are pictures of a Princess diamond and a round diamond, as well as how they are faceted.
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The 3rd most popular diamond shape is Radiant. Radiant diamonds are probably not as well known to new couples, as Princess and Rounds. If they were better well known, I am sure there would be more sales of them Nationally. Quite often I speak with a customer that did their preliminary shopping at a Jewelry Store and saw a Radiant cut diamond. They probably went in to the jewelry store thinking that they wanted a Princess cut diamond, but changed their mind after seeing a very well cut Radiant. Radiants are faceted differently than Princess diamonds and when they are cut well, they can be extremely sparkly! However they do not have the Glamorous name “Princess” cut diamond, and I believe that has an impact on their sales. The name is not as memorable or Romantic. What woman does not want to be treated as a Princess?
Radiant diamonds sparkle differently than Princess diamonds. They tend to sparkle all over the entire diamond more than Princess, and their sparkle tends to resemble the sparkle of a round diamond.
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Below you will see a Radiant cut diamond as well as a diagram of it’s faceting.
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A Radiant Cut Diamond placed in a Diamond Engagement Ring Setting
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All of the rest of the diamond shapes combined do not total the number of Princess cut diamonds or round cut diamonds sold in the USA. This includes shapes such as the Marquise, The Emerald, The Cushion, The Trillion, The Pear, The Heart and The Asscher Cut Diamond.
One more note. If all of the characteristics are equal in 2 diamonds such as it’s clarity grade, color grade , carat weight and it’s cut grade, a round brilliant cut diamond will cost the most. This is because there is more waste created. It takes a larger rough diamond to create the same carat weight round diamond as it does the other shapes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Engagement Rings, Diamonds, and Diamond Jewelry
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.
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