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ENGAGEMENT RINGS. The first engagement ring is believed to have been offered in the fifteenth century by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria. He presented a solitaire diamond when he asked for the hand of Marie de Bourgogne in marriage.
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The first engagement ring is believed to have been offered in the fifteenth century by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria. He presented a solitaire diamond when he asked for the hand of Marie de Bourgogne in marriage. • Richard Burton offered one of the biggest and most famous of diamonds to Elizabeth Taylor in 1969. The 69.42-carat “Taylor-Burton” is in the shape of a pear, and magazines all over the world ran with the story.
The ancient Romans believed that the fourth finger of the left hand was a direct conduit to the heart itself. • Once regarded as the “Tears of the Gods,” diamonds were thought to hold mysterious qualities and possess supernatural powers. It is said that Cupid’s arrows were diamond tipped to provide them with their emotional power.
The 4 C’s: Cut The term cut refers to the facets, and their proportions, on the surface of a diamond.
Clarity • A diamond’s clarity rating is the key measure of its overall quality. • A stone is said to be flawless if, under magnification, no inclusions like “clouds,” “pinpoints,” or internal crystals; no internal flaws, sometimes referred to as “feathers;” and no external imperfections, such as scratches, burns or abrasions, are visible.
Color • In nature, the absence of any color is very rare as most diamonds contain tiny amounts of nitrogen. • The untrained eye may not be able to detect these minute variations of color, but these distinctions affect the rarity and ultimately the value of your diamond
Carat • A carat is equivalent to .2 grams and is the unit of weight for diamonds. The De Beers Institute of Diamonds can measure diamonds down to 1/1000 of a carat. • Size has a large affect on price. • Large diamonds without flaws are very rare.
Selecting a Ring • Step 1: Set a budget-Traditionally 1-3 months salary • STEP 2: DO YOUR DIAMOND HOMEWORK • The first place most people start when shopping for a diamond, is with the The 4 C's – Cut, Color, Clarity & Carat. This will help you to determine which traits are most important to you, and to find a balance between them which suits your needs. But however important the 4Cs are remember beauty is the only arbiter. De Beers which originated the 4Cs now holds beauty and brilliance as the new standard. • STEP 3: CHOOSE A SHAPE • The shape of a diamond refers to the outward appearance of the diamond, not the “Cut”. Diamond shapes are as varied as people. Whichever one you choose speaks to your own individuality and fashion.
STEP 4: CHOOSE A SETTING • The setting is what you may think of as the “ring” portion without the center diamond. It is the band (referred to as the shank), any accent stones and the prongs which hold the center diamond. • METAL: Settings at De Beers come in either 950 platinum or 18K yellow gold. • SIMPLE SHANK: A simple, traditional “solitaire” setting where there are no accent stones. • SIDE STONES: These may be tapered stones (or baguettes) on either side of the center stone orsmaller versions of the center stone on either side called a 3-stone ring. The 3 stones representthe past, present and future. • PAVÉ: Several small diamonds “paved” either halfway around the shank or fully around. • MOUNT: Traditionally 4-prong settings allow maximum light to showcase brilliance; however, 6-prong settings may be used for larger center stones. De Beers Forever Two rings use only 2 prongs for unparalleled brilliance.
