LAB GROWN DIAMOND SHOP

ENGAGEMENT RING GUIDE

The world of engagement rings can feel a little daunting for someone just starting to think about getting down on one knee and asking that big question. The ring is the takeaway element, the item shown off and snapped in pictures as you and your partner announce your exciting news. We know how hard it can be to choose the right ring, so we’ve put together a buying guide with tips for buying the perfect engagement ring and what to look for when buying diamond.

When selecting a diamond, your first priority is usually to choose a shape. If you’re unsure of what shape to choose, it may be helpful to know this: round diamonds are by far the most popular choice due to their incredible brilliance, fire, and light performance. Round brilliant diamonds make up about three-quarters of all diamond purchases, and offer maximum sparkle.

Princess diamonds feature an angular, contemporary beauty that looks gorgeous in classic and geometric settings, and are second in popularity, offering the brilliance of a round brilliant diamond at a lower price. Cushion diamonds are an ideal choice for vintage-inspired settings, and radiant diamonds are a stunning alternative to princess and cushion diamonds for those preferring a rectangular shape. Emerald diamonds are step-cut, for a sleek, elegant appearance. They emit less fire or sparkle than round diamonds but are more transparent. Marquise, oval, and pear-shaped diamonds are more distinctive shapes, and help fingers look long and slender due to their elongated appearance. Heart-shaped diamonds express your sentiment with a flourish and are often favoured by die-hard romantics. Marquise or pear-shaped diamonds may appear to be larger, given that more of the stone shows from the top view (looking down on the diamond).

The next set of considerations involves two main factors: the size of your gem and its quality. When selecting your perfect diamond, determine what is most important to you within your given budget – size, quality, or a tradeoff between the two. Many people start with size, as this is the most visually apparent aspect of a diamond. Keep in mind that a carat is actually a unit of weight, but it can be used as an approximation for the size of a diamond.

The other main quality characteristics to decide are the: cut, colour and clarity of your diamond. Here’s what each one means:

Cut:
This is the way the raw diamond is cut and determines the brilliance and finish. An ideal cut will reflect all of the light that enters the diamond, making it sparkle while shallow or deep cuts won’t reflect much light at all making the diamond appear dull. For engagement rings, we typically recommend diamonds with a cut grade of very good, ideal, or super ideal/ excellent. Choosing a high cut grade maximises the beauty of a diamond for a given carat weight, all our diamonds are therefore either ideal or super ideal /excellent.

Clarity:
This term means how many inclusions (flaws) are inside the diamond. Inclusions are imperfections that will make a difference to how the stone reflects light and looks to the naked eye. Clarity can be graded, FL – I3. A few customers for whom clarity is important go as high as the “IF” or the “VVS” clarity grades. Our diamond clarity ranges between VVS1 and VS2.

Colour:
Diamonds vary in colour, from clear stones to yellow/grey coloured ones. We advise to look for a diamond on the clearer end of the scale.

It is always best to choose a diamond that comes with an independent diamond grading certificate from a recognised gemological laboratory. An independent assessment ensures you are getting exactly what you are paying for. All our engagement rings are graded by the top leading laboratories IGI and GIA.

Your final steps consider what type of jewellery do they wear? This will help choosing your band style and metal colour. Some final points before you get ready to browse our selection of engagement rings:

Take your time:
There’s no rush! Carefully consider the questions and points above and ensure you don’t rush into a decision. We don’t want to apply any pressure but it is a piece of jewellery your partner will be wearing forever more – so it’s important you feel confident about your decision.

Get some advice:
Speak to someone close to your partner about what they think they’d like. Their Mum/sister/best friend may offer a new perspective or make the choice easier. Perhaps present them with your final few options and see which one they think you should choose.