BUYING YOUR ENGAGEMENT RING
Buying Your Ring
One of the most important things to consider when choosing your engagement ring is how it fits into your day-to-day life. Are you someone who works with your hands or engages in a lot of outdoor activities? Do your tastes run along more classic lines or are you all about one-of-a-kind designs? The setting, metal, and choice of center stone are all key decisions relating to your lifestyle and habits. Through brainstorming on Pinterest and Instagram and talking about the different ways you plan to wear your ring, we can easily direct you to designers who match your style. We encourage you to open your mind, explore, and have fun!
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THE DIAMOND
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The Four C's
Cut, Clarity, Color, Carat
The “Four C’s” are the four ways diamonds are categorized. You’ll hear ratings like “This diamond is a GVS1” . We will help you de-mystify this language - as it is important to understand want in a diamond and price structure. However, these ratings are only as important as you want to make them—our priority is finding a diamond that speaks to you! We search for diamonds that offer the most sparkle and overall beauty, rather than focusing on a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) certificate to dictate what you love.
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Cut
The cut of a diamond refers to the way it was shaped and faceted to turn the “rough” stone into a brilliant, light-catching diamond. The cut name refers to the stone’s proportions, symmetry, and polish that impact the way its facets interact with light. For example, a traditional round diamond is cut with a circular face and pointed bottom, while a Princess cut is square on the surface. Emerald cuts offer a rectangular shape, and Marquise cuts have an elongated shape, coming to a point at either end. The choice of diamond cut entirely depends on your personal taste. Our designers are very conscious of which cuts work well with a specific setting, both aesthetically and structurally, so we are often guided by their input here as well.
Carat
Carat is the unit used to measure the weight of a stone. Each diamond will distribute weight differently, but deciding on an approximate carat weight will help us get an idea of the general size you’d like your stone to be.
Clarity
The clarity of a diamond refers to the existence of natural imperfections, or "inclusions", within the stone. This quality is graded on a scale of “Flawless” to “Included,” taking into account the number, position, and size of inclusions; some can be seen with the naked eye, whereas some can only be seen under a microscope.
Color
Diamonds are rated on how colorless they appear on a scale of D to Z. The more hues of yellow present, the closer to “Z” the color will be rated. The more colorless, the closer to “D.”
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SELECTING YOUR STONE
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Once you have considered the basics of your diamond, you can select your stone. You can view our entire diamond inventory online through the "Diamond Search" tab. Here you are able to note your favorites, look at detailed 3D videos, even GIA certifications. With our guidance, you can narrow down your favorites (usually 3 - 6 stones), and we can bring them in store for you to view.
VIEW OUR ONLINE DIAMOND INVENTORY
Some couples have a diamond they would like to use from a family member or that they have already purchased. This is a great option as well! Just bring in the stone to get started.
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THE SETTING
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When shopping for an engagement ring, you may often be shown what we call sample “settings” or “mounts” from which you will order your ring. These are rings set with a center CZ stone rather than a “live” diamond.
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The way your diamond is set determines much of the look of your ring. For example “prong-settings” consist of small metal prongs holding the diamond in place and allow for more exposure of the stone itself.
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“Bezel-settings” consist of a hand crafted piece of metal wrapped all the way around the edge of the diamond to hold it in place. Settings can also have a high or low profile, and can be either open or closed on the sides.
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Metal
All of our designers work in different types of metals for bridal pieces. Do you like yellow gold or rose gold? Do you like the warmth of 22 karat gold? Or do you prefer a white metal, such as platinum or white gold? Prices on these various metals can vary depending on the market at the time of purchase. We have several samples of rings in all of these metals in our shop so you can try them on and get an idea of what speaks to you. Keep in mind, you may see samples of a ring you love shown in yellow gold, but it’s likely the ring can be special ordered for you in rose gold or platinum.
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THE WEDDING BAND
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While it may seem early in the process to consider, we encourage you to think about your wedding band at the time you select your engagement ring. Your choice of band can influence the “look” of your engagement ring, especially if you’d like to create a stack of several bands. Also, some bands pair better with certain engagement rings than others. The perfect band (or bands!) will complement and accentuate your ring, adding another element of your personal style! You may also be looking for a band for your partner. We have a full collection of bands in a variety of designs, metals, and widths.
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AFTER I DO
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We are honored to be a part of this special moment in your life, and we take great pride in our jewelry. We will stand by our products as long as you have them. Should you need a repair of any kind, we are happy to assist you with this for the lifetime of your ring. Depending on the repair, we will assess repair costs and timeframe, and work with our designers to have your beautiful piece back to you as soon as possible.