Engagement Rings: Choosing the Timeless Allure of the Diamond

Diamonds are a natural choice for the stone in an engagement band. After all, diamonds are forever and so hopefully is your love. What's more, diamonds have long been the stuff of lore and legend and have a mystique that's unmatched by any other gemstone. But buying a diamond is not a straightforward process. So when you going to buy your diamond engagement band you need to take a few things into account. Unlike gold which comes in standard purities with value determined by weight, the value of a diamond is derived from more than just its size.

The quality of a diamond is measured by a set of criteria known as the 4 Cs - colour, clarity, cut and carat. When checking diamonds for engagement rings, you should take these 4 Cs into account. First check the colour of the diamond. This can range from colourless to black. Most people favour the purity of a colourless diamond but fancy colours are also popular. The clarity is an indication of the absence of internal flaws in the diamond. Obviously the clearer, the better. The cut refers to the way the cutters have shaped the diamond. As a rule, the more elaborate the cut, the higher the price of the stone. Carat is a measure of the weight of the diamond with one carat equal 0.2 grams. Prices tend to rise exponentially with the weight of the stone. Valuing diamonds is a complex art but these criteria can help you get a quality stone for your engagement band.