Buying a Diamond Online

Whenever you buy something off the internet, you take a chance at being scammed. There are very many good sites to purchase from, but you need to know what to look for. This goes for buying a diamond online also. You’re going to be sending some company a large amount of money, so you need to make sure that money is safe, is paying for what you are ordering, and that you can recover that money if something goes wrong.

Do some in depth research of sites you are looking at. If it is within the United States, run them through the Better Business Bureau. If they don’t have a listing or rating for the company, the company may be fairly new so check around on the internet for any complaints or reviews before doing business with them. You should know up front, though, that many internet businesses will post fake reviews and reports of their company.

Make sure the company you have has a guarantee or warrantee that you can get in writing. Be sure that the diamond you are purchasing comes with a certificate of authenticity. You should also have the option to speak to a live person. It wouldn’t be wise to order something from an online store if you cannot communicate with anyone there.

Also check on the return policy of the site, the method of delivery, and their insurance. If they don’t insure your shipments, do not purchase from them. It would be so easy to say something has shipped after they collect the money, pocket the money, and you never see your item or your money again.

A diamond is a very popular and precious stone. They are not cheap, so if you are thinking about purchasing one on the internet, check out the store and its policies in detail first.

White gold, Yellow gold, Platinum? What to choose?

When it comes to wedding rings and bands, you are likely starting to think of heavy metals, and not the kind that you are considering to play at the reception.  These metals in this industry are actually referred to as precious metals.  Precious metals in terms of engagement rings all vary, with the most common metals used being gold and platinum.  Which one to choose is the most frequently asked question in the design your engagement ring process.  The only time you won’t have to concern yourself with this is if you have an engagement ring to start off with, in which case, your precious metal has already been selected.  Here we talk about what the differences between the metals are, to help you narrow down that choice.

The truth is, in many cases personal preference in her style will be a leading choice in determining which metal you choose.  The preference doesn’t always need to be dictated by budget either.  If most of the jewelry that she wears is gold, then your decision is pretty much made.  You want to get the metal that corresponds with her personal preference, because quite simply, you know she will love it more.  If she likes to wear more silver, than you know that platinum will pair well with her current preference choice and current style for accessorizing.  If she likes her accessories on the more copper side of things, you may also want to consider pink gold.  Sterling silver is often not recommended as an engagement ring band, as it is a very costly metal to maintain, and it is malleable with time.  If you are going to lose a diamond out of any band, it will likely be a silver band, and this will definitely cost you more with time, even if your ring is insured.

Thus, if she likes gold, your options are 14K gold or 18K gold.  If she likes silver your options are platinum or 14K white gold, or 18K white gold.  We do not recommend anything lower than 14K for a wedding or engagement piece.  Also, you may consider her skin tone if you are still unsure, so knowing whether her skin tone is cool or warm will help.  Cooler skin tones are the lighter shades of skin tones, and platinum and copper stands out better on cooler skin tones than warmer skin tones. On the other hand, with warmer skin tones gold creates a beautiful pop that makes it a very popular choice.
Now that you’ve narrowed that down, you want to talk budget, right?  There are advantages and disadvantages to each metal.

Of the three metals, platinum is the most expensive, but you get what you pay for.  It is considered one of the rare elements, thus the price range, but is also extremely resistant to wear and tear in terms of corrosion.  You can wear your platinum for a very long time without seeing any of its luster fade.  As such, platinum has become a leading choice and considered worth the investment for many young couples today.

Gold is also a very common choice as well, as a gold band or ring is the traditional metal of choice and has been for centuries.  The most common alloys used are the 14K and 18K, taking note that the higher in K you go with gold, the purer your gold will be. The higher in K in the gold family are more expensive, as in that range you are getting more gold and less alloy. Thus the purer your precious metal is, the more expensive it is going to be. This is true for either yellow gold or white gold, with the most common choices for those metals being 14K or 18K gold.

White gold has become extremely popular for both men and women getting married.  It looks very similar to platinum, but does not come with the price tag.  Stunning beside a diamond solitaire, or for a man’s wedding band, you can’t go wrong. Because white gold is made with yellow gold, you will see some yellowing with time.  This will mean you will need to have it treated with Rhodium as maintenance over time when white gold begins to yellow.  Rhodium will keep your ring brilliant in order to preserve the beauty of your ring over time.

In the end, whichever metal you choose, if you are sticking with her personal preferences, you can never go wrong as there is a metal for every preference in every budget available today.

Comparison between Gold, Platinum and White Gold Ring:

• Gold Ring
  Weight: 2.26 grams
• White Gold Ring
  Weight: 2.24 grams
• Platinum Ring
  Weight: 3.72 grams

Related Links:

• Learn more about Precious Metals and add links to Gold and Platinum.
• Search for Gold Setting
• Search for Platinum Setting

The History of the Wedding Band.

When it comes to weddings, the word tradition is one of the words you will hear the most often during the planning process. There is no human experience short of birth that does not come with a long range of historical elements and tradition the way a wedding experience does. For every family and for every culture and for every wedding there are different traditions. But it seems the one tradition that has held long and true for weddings all over the globe is the tradition of wedding rings and bands. Today we will talk about this tradition, and hopefully give you an idea of why this tradition is still so meaningful and revered today.

There is an incredible amount of symbolism attached to the symbolism of the wedding band. Though there are many different streams of thought as to how or why this tradition started, they all offer the same traditional experience. For many, the tradition of the wedding band started in ancient Egypt, where the symbol of a gold ring became the traditional wedding rings design because the circle represented the notion that life, love, and happiness has no beginning, and no end. This is the statement that even today is said in many vows and ceremonies marking this occasion all over the globe.

Ancient Egypt as well is also attributed for beginning the tradition of placing it on the fourth finger of the left hand, the finger that we know of today as the “ring finger” for this very purpose. The story goes that this tradition began because the primary vein in this finger goes directly back to the heart, thus this finger became the finger of choice as the ring was a direct connection to the wearer’s heart, the organ where love resides eternally.

As time went on, the Roman era continued this tradition, but the ring became a contractual document of sorts. The symbol of the ring was the symbol of marriage, and this ring would represent the legalization of the marriage when it became public. Eloping would not have been considered in this time, as the public exchange of rings was an important step in sealing the deal, or the symbolic way of signing the dotted line. Today, this tradition is still present in many contemporary ceremonies when you hear the bride and groom say before their loved ones in public, “with this ring, I thee wed.”

A few centuries later, Europeans would expand on this tradition with a tradition that would become known as the engagement ring. This was a ring that would be given in addition to the wedding ring, and one before the wedding. This tradition is still present today, all over the globe. In Europe at the time in the 1600’s, this ring was not called an engagement ring, but rather a Poesy Ring, and given as a symbol of promise to marriage. The circle represented fidelity and was consider a pledge of eternal love in much the same manner that today’s engagement ring promises. Today, whether you are getting wedding rings for cheap, or going as extravagant as you can for your future betrothed, the history of this tradition lives on and is an important step for any couple getting married.

Original Engagement Rings

The day has finally arrived where you have come to the conclusion without hesitation that you know exactly who you want to spend the rest of your life with. Every experience you have from this point forward needs to come with almost as much consideration as you have placed into the selection of this perfect individual for you. This is someone who is a one of a kind original in your life, and always will be. As such, you want to have an original engagement ring that speaks volumes about how unique you are, and how unique this unity will be from this day forward. Being original is in fact fashion’s biggest trend right now and this trend is definitely making its mark on the engagement ring industry. It simply has never been easier to create original engagement rings, that are as unique as the couple who invests in them.

The build engagement ring model is one that many online retailers have launched. It is one that answers the trend of today’s need for originality. At Diamond Traces, we offer you this service, and more, as our huge selection is unsurpassed by anyone in the industry. Here you can design your engagement ring from start to finish so that it is nothing but you through and through.

If you aren’t sure what you want, our unique templates allow you to mix and match styles, setting, metal, shape, cut, quality and much more, for as long as you like until you create the ring of your dreams. Knowing what your budget is will be the ideal starting point before you begin the design process. From there you can determine whether you want something that looks antique, contemporary chic, or offers more sparkle than the midnight sky.

If you are buying the ring for someone else, and she doesn’t quite know yet what surprise you have in store for her, now would be a good time to start dropping hints with her to get an idea for what kind of ring she would truly gasp over. Although many starlets today wow the world with huge rings with a ton of diamonds, these are not practical choices for every woman, and some women simply like something a little more simple. She might even be dropping hints herself, by drawing attention to gems seen on television or flat out telling you what her dream ring would look like.

You can also get a very good feel for what a woman would like in an engagement ring by using her current way of accessorizing as a way to tell what kind of jewelry she likes to wear. Keep in mind if she frequently wears one metal more commonly than others, such as if she wears white or yellow more frequently than the other. You will want to get a ring that matches her everyday style. If she wears a lot of accessories every day, chances are the bigger and more brilliant will take her breath away. If she wears little jewelry on a day to day basis, a sleek but simple ring will surely impress her.

Once you have an idea on what her personality says about her ring style, you can begin the process to design your engagement ring. Use our simple but handy tool to start this process, and within minutes you could have an engagement ring that is as one of a kind an original as she is.

Some exemple of engagement rings:

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You might also be interested in:

• Search for your perfect Engagement Rings
• Learn more about Engagement Rings
• Try the Engagetor, a free facebook app that will help you find your/her style.

How to choose the perfect setting for your engagement ?

One of the hardest decision you will have to face after buying a great diamond is to choose the style of your diamond ring setting. Even if the diamond value might represent 80-90%  of the total price, the setting style play a crucial effect on the appearance of the diamond. The question you might ask yourself now is “How can I decide which ring setting will work best for me?”

My first advice how to choose a semi mount (ring setting) is the one I give to all of my customers: Be sure to select an engagement ring setting you really like and do not make compromises for some capital reasons. Your diamond will be set in this wedding ring setting and will be holding on your finger for a long time, hence the importance of choosing one you love. Makes sense? Great, now here is my answer to help you decide which setting is the best for you: Solitaire Ring Setting.

Setting Head

Setting Shank

What is a solitaire ring setting?

The Solitaire Setting was originally designed by Tiffany & Co in 1886. After many years in the market, it is still considered as the most classic and traditional design ever made. I would say that the answer, why over the years this design hardly received any changes at all, resides in its simplicity. The design is made of a round plain shank that comes together on the top of the finger. On the point of connection you will see a head for the diamond, most of the time with 4 or 6 prongs.

Four prongs setting

Six prong setting

If a prong setting for your ring is not what you are looking for, you can also find solitaire mounts that accommodate different head or band style. Among them, bezel setting and channel setting may be of great interest. In addition to the style of the setting, you may also select the type of the metal for the ring setting where gold, white gold and platinum are some of the possibilities. The beauty of this design is that there is a solution for anyone.

Cathedral
Setting

Basket
Setting

Trellis
Setting

Bezel
Setting

If you wish to buy an engagement ring as a surprise but are not sure which ring setting to choose, don’t worry too much. The investment you will make in the ring setting is minimal and it will be very easy to switch to any other design that you might want in the future without losing (almost) any money.

For those who like simple and beautiful design, a solitaire setting makes the perfect choice to hold your diamond and will present it in all of its beauty. By choosing a solitaire ring you are sure to have a win-win situation.

If you wish to have more details or you have any question, we would be very happy to answer you.

All you want to know about Enhanced diamonds

Many of my friends asked me about enhanced diamonds…they wanted to know first what enhanced diamonds are. Are they real diamonds? What is the deferent between enhanced diamonds and not enhanced? What is the advantage of buying enhanced diamonds? What are the prices compare to non enhanced diamonds? Is the enhancement coming with a warrantee? What about the certificate?  Basically they wanted to know everything that I know.

First of all enhanced diamonds are 100% natural diamonds that come out as rough than they are polished and as it says: they are getting enhanced….it is like my human body that is almost perfect and the only part that is not perfect is my nose that is a little too long for my taste…so what I am going to do? I will make a plastic surgery to enhance my nose so all will be perfect, the same is with diamonds the 100% natural diamond is nice and the clarity is graded let say I-2 that is relatively a low clarity grading…the diamond got a nice color but the clarity is low….what the enhancement process is doing is to convert heavy inclusions like black carbon inclusions to white or transparent inclusions, usually an enhancement will upgrade the diamond by 2 grades so if we had an I-2 diamond after enhancement it will become an SI-2 clarity (by GIA standard), the advantage that you will have is that you will pay for a diamond that will be an SI-2 clarity as it was a diamond priced as an I-2 as the cost that you will pay for can be up to 50% less than a non treated diamond.

Most of the major companies that produce enhanced diamonds will give you a lifetime guarantee; we at Diamond Traces will give you a lifetime guarantee as well.

The enhancement process started in 1980 and in the last couple of years the enhancement process become very popular among large parts of the population as top rated companies that certify diamonds like GIA, AGI and EGL are certifying enhanced diamonds as well.

Diamond Certificates

Many customers asked me what is the deferent between GIA, EGL, AGI, IGI or any other certificate?

Well, I feel the confusion of you the customer when you want to buy a diamond online or at your local store, when you want to buy let say a diamond 2 carat with H color and SI-1 clarity and you notice deferent prices for deferent certificates….. You start to be confused and instate of a simple decision it become a hard to understand decision….why is it so confusing?

First you have to understand the mechanism of how diamonds are grated, The company that invented the grading system that we are using today was GIA and the majority of the other companies that are grading diamonds (like EGL that is the biggest certificate issuer) are using the same system, the question remaining is for example: Why diamonds graded by GIA are more expensive than diamonds graded by anyone else?

First we have to agree that any diamond came out from a diamond mine did not come out with any certificate…..When the diamond came out as a rough the diamond was send to a manufacturing for cutting and polishing, when this process was done the diamond was sold to a diamond dealer, this diamond dealer is the one that decide to send the diamond for certification (some decide to sell the diamond as it is without certificate), now imagine that this diamond is 2.00 carat in weight was send first to GIA for certification and then the same diamond was send to EGL for certification (this happen in reality as well).

When the diamond came back from GIA the color grading was H color and SI-1 in clarity.

The same diamond was send to EGL and the diamond came back with a grading of G in color and VS-2 in clarity…. (EGL will grade diamonds 1-2 grade higher than GIA).

When you the customer look on the grading it look like the G color and VS-2 clarity(EGL) is a better deal (grading) compare to the H in color and SI-1 in clarity(GIA)…..The facts are that it is the same diamond with deferent grading . This is a summary of the grading by deferent companies that can explain why H color GIA is the same as G color VS-2 EGL…..

If you have more to ask please email me.