What Exactly Classifies As Engagement Rings?

There is a thin line between what is and isn’t an engagement ring.  Most people don’t even know what an engagement ring is.  All they know is it is “the ring you give the person you want to marry” when in reality there is so much more to an engagement ring than that. Did you know, for instance, that the idea came from promise rings? Did you also know that originally an engagement ring did not need to be a diamond ring but could be any ring at all, even just a simple band? Actually, no one says that you absolutely must choose a diamond ring for your engagement, but that has definitely become the preferred choice—likely because a smart woman knows that her man will probably never give her another diamond again once the initial throes of fresh love have been replaced by the day-to-day comfort of marriage!

If it is a diamond ring that you long for then there are some key factors to keep in mind when out shopping for the ring. Regardless of which of you is actually going to do the shopping, a little diamond 101 is worth it so you both know what the deal is with the rings you see.

A diamond is evaluated on the 4 c’s, it’s cut, clarity, color, and carat.  The cut is the way that they cut the diamond, into a teardrop, a circle, a boguette, heart, princess, oval, trillion, emerald, marquise, and how many sides (facets) it has.

The Clarity: these vary by 5 levels.  F – IF, flawless – internally flawless (near impossible to find), Vss1 – Vss2, very, very slight inclusions (rare), Vs1 – Vs2, very slight inclusions (slightly rare), si1 – si2, slight inclusions (Normal Range), I1 to I3, Inclusions (abundant).  This goes from most expensive to least expensive.

Color: this is a bit tricky, they base it on the alphabet, from A – Z, where both sides are the most expensive, A is the clearest you can get, and are impossible to find, the average in most stores around the world is G – N, where G is the most colorless you will find, and N the yellower it is.  Once you start going above S in color then you get a Canary Diamond, which are worth millions and are very yellow.  

Carat: this is very easy. This is the size, or total size of all the diamonds or the centre diamond.  The larger you go the more expensive it will be.  These range from about 0.010ct to 3.60ct. 

Now that you know the ins and outs of diamonds, you can breathe a little easier and choose wisely. An engagement ring should be a statement you give to your partner. So it must be an extension of you. Do not choose a ring for the size or color. Choose a ring that matches the message you wish to give off, your lifestyle and budget. As long as it comes from the heart, she will love it and consider it the most beautiful ring on the planet.