Men are never more confused than the time they have to buy jewellery for women. Most men have no idea what to see, what to expect, how much it should cost, or if they are getting scammed. They are bombarded with questions like what are they thinking in terms of colour, clarity, carat, setting, and budget. All they want is a diamond ring!
However, designing a custom engagement ring yourself can also be a fun experience. It’s not as difficult as it sounds and time spent into this process can be a memorable thing for you. It will put a smile on the face of your significant other seeing you designing something with care and attention, and make this process a bit more engaging. I have narrowed this process to 3 simple steps.
STEP 1: DESIGN CONSULTATION
The first step is talking at length with the jeweller about what kind of ring you have in mind. You should always go for something that your significant other might like. You can sketch out all your demands so that the end product is precisely what you want it to be. A lot of jewellers have online designs and a vast collection of rings to choose from. You can also get a general idea of how much money you will be spending. After finalising a design of your choice, move to the step two.
STEP 2: DIAMOND SELECTION
Selecting the right diamond is possibly the most challenging step of creating an engagement ring. This step consists of keeping the 4 C’s of diamond selection in mind; Clarity, Colour, Cut, and Carat.
● Clarity
Diamond clarity is determined by the quality of the diamond that relates to its appearance and characteristics. Most diamonds have some kind of inclusions and blemishes based on which clarity is judged. Diamond clarity is divided into six categories:
o FL (Flawless)
o IF (Internally Flawless)
o VVS (Very Very Slightly Included)
o VS (Very Slightly Included), SL (Slightly Included)
o I (Included)
● Colour
A pure and perfect diamond is visibly transparent, having no hue or colour. Although, these diamonds are scarce and the most expensive, diamond colours vary from steel grey, blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pinkish purple, brown, and black.
o Category D to F are coluorless
o G to J nearly colourless
o K to M having a faint yellow colour
o N to R have a very light yellowish colour
o S to Z having a light yellow colour
● Cut
The cut is the style and design used to shape a diamond. Cut defines the overall symmetry and proportioning of a diamond. Each person has his own taste, so a cut is generally according to your liking.
● Carat
It is the unit of measurement, used to measure gemstones and pearls. The more a diamond weighs, the more it costs!
Hatton Garden Engagement Rings have defined everything from clarity to carat in detail on their website. You might have a general idea of the linguistics relating to choosing a diamond by now, and this step should be relatively easier for you.
STEP 3: CHOOSING A METAL
The last step towards creating an engagement ring of your dreams is choosing the metal on which the diamond stone will fit. You can go for white platinum or gold. Or if you want to create something unique, you can go for yellow or rose gold which will add to the beauty of your ring.
If you are buying from an online store, most websites will show you the end product you will get get and the cost of the ring. If you’re not satisfied, you shouldn’t shy away from going back to make some changes, because your partner deserves the best!
