Choosing the perfect engagement ring

When you have found that special one in your life who you can’t imagine not spending the rest of your life with thoughts of marrying them may be something that you desire. Once you have decided that you’d like to marry your partner the next big decision is how you will pop the question. Some proposals are romance personified, others are very personal whilst some may be impromptu proposals. Whenever, wherever and however you propose it will be a special day for you and your partner and one you will remember forever.

For most people before they propose to their loved one they want to find the perfect engagement ring. Deciding on that one piece of special jewellery that represent your love for that special person in your life can be tricky. Thankfully AC Silver who are experts when it comes to diamond rings and antique engagement rings and have some great advice for you.

Gemstone ring or diamond ring?

When deciding whether to opt for a gemstone ring or diamond ring try to think of which your partner would prefer. Hopefully you have had a few subtle hints from your loved one about what engagement ring they would like one day or you know their jewellery likes very well.

If you want to go down the traditional route a diamond engagement ring is the way to go. But there are other options out there. In the modern world we live in there is a trend for ‘non-traditional’ engagement rings with gemstones. Perhaps your loved one adores sapphire rings so a sapphire cluster ring would be perfect for them.

One thing to consider is that some stones are softer than others and will require extra care to keep them looking their best. As diamonds are the most hard wearing gemstones, with a hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale, they symbolise an everlasting love which is why they are often the preferred choice.

Diamonds are forever

As diamonds are hardwearing and impressive they are perfect for engagement rings. As a diamond solitaire engagement ring is classically beautiful and never goes out of trend, with the ring most likely being worn daily it is the ideal accessory to complement any outfit or style.  Diamond rings such as a diamond solitaire ring are not considered a timeless classic for no reason - they are guaranteed to impress.

Choosing the perfect diamond

A basic understanding of the diamond’s four Cs will help: the four ‘C’s’ being: Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat-Weight.

Colour

Diamonds come in all different colours. The most popular colour is white diamonds with a colourless stone being the highest grade. Diamonds are graded from a D colour (colourless) to a Z (light yellow). Diamonds that are graded anything higher than a I grade is considered a high colour graded and will be a beautiful white colour.

Clarity

The clarity of a diamond is determined by the size, number and location of natural inclusions within the stone when viewed under 10x magnification. The range varies from an IF, internally flawless indicating no inclusions at all, to an I3, which will be an included stone. Any stone higher than an SI1 or SI2, slightly included, stone will show a good brilliance and the inclusions will not be seen with a naked eye.

Carat

The ‘weight’ of a diamond is measured in carats. The higher the carat weight of a diamond, the more rare it is. The carat of a diamond influences the price - the bigger the diamond, the more expensive it is.

Cut

Modern Brilliant round cut

The most popular diamond shape is the modern brilliant round cut diamond. It is beautiful, clean and smooth cut, and striking.  A solitaire ring can be a single stone, an arrangement around the main gemstone in a halo style design or it can be embellished  on the shoulders.

Old European round cut

This cut is the antique version of the modern brilliant round cut. The difference between the two styles of cut is that the old European round cut is older (pre-Circa 1920s) and it is hand cut rather than machine cut which is how modern brilliant round cut is cut. This style of diamond cut is not as ‘neat’ as a modern machine cut diamond.

The beauty of the old European round cut is that is will have a classic antique, distinctive and unique look. As well as being beautiful and offering an unique look, older stones often represent better value for money.

Transitional modern brilliant round cut

Similar to modern brilliant round cut diamonds, these diamonds were typically cut around the 1930s-1960s, after old European round cut and before modern brilliant round ones.

Princess cut

The princess cut is the most popular non-round diamond cut. It is either square or rectangular cut with pointed corners.

Emerald cut

Emerald cut diamonds can be square or rectangular. They are different from the Princess cut as the corners are tapered and the pavillion (underside) has a faceted cut. The emerald cut is known for its elegance and sophistication.

These are the most common, popular diamond cut but there are many more cuts to consider. A few of the other cuts are - asscher, marquise, cushion, old Dutch, fancy (for example heart shaped), pear and old mine cuts.

White gold, yellow gold or platinum?

Deciding on what ring and setting metal to choose from really comes down to personal taste. Try to consider what your love one prefers and which will match other jewellery.

White gold and platinum are very popular modern options whilst yellow gold has a ‘traditional’ feel to it. The added advantage of platinum is that it is very hardwearing.

The perfect choice is yours

Follow your instinct. You know your loved one and chances are you will know what is the perfect engagement ring when you see it.

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