Diamond Engagement Rings

Designs of engagement rings have varied greatly over the years. Contemporary fashions for ring materials are a gold, platinum, silver or, rarely, titanium band mounting a single diamond. The establishment of the diamond engagement ring as a standard in Western culture is a result of one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history, by the world's leading diamond producer de Beers, in the 1940s.

An engagement ring is often significantly expensive and acts as a visible demonstration of a man's commitment to his betrothed. The rationale for using a diamond is that it is the most enduring, beautiful and expensive gem. However, some people prefer different gems or semi-precious stones such as Sapphires, star sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. Pearls and opals are rare, because these are soft stones.

In some European countries such as Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, engagement rings are usually plain gold bands without a gem. In others such as France, engagement rings usually mount a colored gem rather than a diamond.

b> and platinum are recommended by many jewellers, because of their inherently higher value and because these metals are more durable than silver. Often a gold or silver ring will employ a platinum setting as it provides better protection for the stone.

Titanium and stainless steel are becoming more popular because of their lower cost and higher strength. These materials as well as traditional jewellery metals like gold and platinum that have been treated and work-hardened allow for a type of setting called a tension ring which is popular because it causes the illusion of a floating stone. Titanium and steel must be machined on a lathe because the temperatures required for proper fabrication are much too high for a small jewellery operation.

As evidenced by the name, the "emerald cut" was originally developed for cutting emeralds.

While the emerald gemstone is a fairly hard stone, it is known for numerous inclusions (naturally occuring internal flaws). The inclusions make the stone prone to breakage, making them difficult to cut. The stepped, normally rectangular cut with cropped corners, known as the "emerald cut" was developed to address these issues.

It was soon discovered that the emerald cut was also suited to shaping other stones, including diamonds.

The emerald cut diamond can be genuinely stunning. Because of it's long lines, it tends to be somewhat less fiery than a "round brilliant" cut, but it also tends to have broader and more dramatic flashes of light. The trim lines of an emerald cut diamond lends an elegant, sophisticated touch to both the simplest and most elaborate ring settings.

When purchasing an emerald cut diamond, it's extremely important to cognizant of quality and to select the highest grade stone you can afford. Because of the "openess" of the cut, flaws, color weakness, and a poor cut are more evident to the naked eye than a cut such as the round brilliant.

The benefit of emerald cut diamonds is that they are not as "traditional" as the round brilliant or as trendy as the princess cut, making the cost more affordable when compared to the more common cuts.

A pave setting refers to very tightly set stones, as in a pavement; a gem setting technique in which the stones are set low and very closely spaced, so that the surface appears to be paved with gemstones. Most commonly seen with diamonds.

Browse: Pave Cut Diamond Engagement Rings