Diamonds 101: What To Know Before You Shop
Establish a Budget:
When shopping for an engagement ring, the first step is having a price range in mind before your start shopping. The diamond industry is one where prices can fluctuate dramatically with seemingly little change. Going in with fairly specific parameters will help you find the right diamond to satisfy your criteria.
Do Your Homework:
Once the budget is established, you can start your research on diamonds. A great place to start is by getting yourself familiar with the 4-C's of Diamonds.
Cut
The Cut Proportion of a diamond is the most important factor in a diamond's "quality" and is often overlooked. The cut is where you get the sparkle and since a diamond's sole job is to shine, choosing a stone that is properly cut becomes crucial in your search. Regardless of the diamond's shape, size, color, and clarity, the cut quality must not be compromised.
Color
The Color of a diamond also plays an important role in the value of a diamond. The highest color a diamond comes in is "D" and as you go down the alphabet all the way to "Z", the diamond begins to pick up a stronger tint of yellow.
Clarity
Clarity is another very important factor in diamond "quality". The smaller and fewer inclusions in a diamond, the more rare and valuable the diamond becomes.
Carat
The final "C" of the 4-C's is neither the least nor most important factor. Contrary to popular belief, the size of a diamond is measured by weight, not by size. Naturally, the larger the diamond, the more rare and valuable it becomes. As long as the other C's are not compromised, no matter the size of the diamond, it will give you the shine that you are after.
How We Can Help:
There are other factors to consider other than the 4-C's and that's where we come in. At Michael Alan Jewelers, we take the time to educate our customers about diamonds, their specifications, and all of the costs associated with them to guarantee the diamond you choose is the right one for you.
The Ring:
Although we have an extensive selection of jewelry and engagement rings to choose from, you may have a very specific design in mind. That is when our Custom Creation comes in. Custom creating a piece of jewelry is often perceived as complicated and expensive, but that is not the case. We at Michael Alan Jewelers always say that an engagement ring must be built center out. Ring settings are very much a matter of taste and there is no setting that is superior to all the others, but the size, shape, and even quality of the center stone can dictate which style of setting is most aesthetically pleasing. That is why we are determined to combine your vision with our technical expertise to produce a product that will leave you in awe for years to come.