The engagement ruby ring is one of those unusual pieces of jewelry that seems quite out of the ordinary when it comes to bridal jewelry. When most people think of engagement rings, they think of diamonds and not the other precious stones like Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire. This would be a mistake because although no stone is as durable as diamond, each of these three precious stones have their own appeal.

When it comes to precious colored stone, it is more of an emotional response to the beauty of the color than the perfection of the cut. Ruby is a part of the Corundum mineral family is second only to diamond in hardness. It is also called the Lord of gems for a reason. This is because it is practically priceless if it is a clean stone in the pure pigeon blood red color in sizes larger than 2 carats. You are not likely to see very many five carat and above sizes in a relatively inclusion free, nice colored Ruby. This is why you don’t see many women with plus size ruby engagement rings.

This makes it an ideal precious stone to be used as a center stone in a beautiful engagement ring. You may remember when the late Princess Diana got engaged to Prince Charles and her engagement ring had a beautiful oval blue sapphire center stone surrounded by diamonds. This was no ordinary sapphire. It was a prized, untreated , and fabulously rare Kashmiri sapphire of the purest cornflower blue. This rare sapphire would be astronomically priced today, but if you can imagine an equally clear and pure colored Ruby of the same size you’d be talking about a price many times that of the sapphire simply because such rubies are quite rare.

The antique ruby ring has a rather sordid role in history as being one of the most misidentified gemstones important pieces of jewelry. The gemstone spinel with its orangey red color and hardness close that of the ruby was often inadvertently used in ruby and diamond rings in antiquity. These pieces were later identified in modern times as having a spinel center stone rather than a ruby. Now that we can identify rubies as rubies and even clear up confusion with ruby treatments and synthetic rubies, there is no need to fear that when we buy ruby jewelry from a reputable store that we are buying the genuine gemstone.

A ruby and diamond ring is the natural combination of stones to be used in a ruby engagement ring. The most common style in this type of ruby diamond ring is that of an oval ruby center stone with either a matched pair of diamond side stones or smaller diamonds studding areas of the mounting or combination of both.

Oval rubies are the most common shape that you will find in a diamond and ruby ring. This is the shape that saves the most weight for the Ruby cutter. Other cuts that you will commonly see our emerald cut, cushion cut, marquis cut, round and pear. Oval however gives you the most bang for the buck. To the right this is a round ruby ring with two matched pear shape diamonds. An oval or cushion would look slightly better with the diamonds if you can imagine that.

The trilliant shaped diamonds offer a nice contrast to the softness of the cushion shaped Ruby or in this case an emerald cut . If the side diamonds are especially white, then this helps to bring out the beautiful red color of the ruby.The other common shapes of matched side stone diamonds that you will find in a ruby ring our rounds, pears and baguettes. Round diamonds have better optics than the other shapes and are a good contrast to the subdued red of most medium to higher quality rubies.

You’ve been told to start your diamond shopping online before hitting the local jewelers and now you’re lost in a sea of paperwork. You have pages of GIA and EGL reports for all the diamonds you’ve seen on Bluenile strewn in front of you and you have no idea what’s the really important information here. I mean, who knows if that extra thick girdle really affects the brilliance on diamond A, it’s still a better deal than that other one which is slightly off of “ideal” in table percentage.

There’s no doubt that hundreds of diamonds; important diamonds ; are bought and sold for the most part on what a diamond certificate says. Does this mean they’re to be trusted ? What about the scandal that rocked GIA last year with the grader who was accepting money to assign good grades to some diamonds.

For the most part, the top Independent diamond grading labs have certain standards and may emphasize different aspects of diamond grading one over the other, but it all comes down to an opinion, albeit an expert opinion but an opinion nonetheless. That’s why you can get 2 different color grades on the same diamond from two different labs each with competent graders. Heck, you can even send the same stone back to the same lab 6 months later and get a slightly different report in terms of color and clarity and even a few measurements here and there.

So, I’m kicking off a series on Diamond Grading reports that will cover the ins and outs of different types of grading reports and the different labs that put out these grading reports.

First off let’s start with a list of the world’s major gemological laboratories whose products range from diamond grading documents to light performance reports

1. American Gem Society Laboratories- Reputation for credibility,consistency, and thoroghness
2. American Gemological laboratories- Primarily deals with colored stones
3. GCAL-Gem Certification and Assurance Lab- Provides more technical certs, recent to the Grading industry
4. EGL USA-European gemological laboratory- Has a mixed reputation for grading reports, not as highly regarded as GIA and AGS in terms of thoroughness, consistency, and rigor in diamond grading
5. Gemex Systems- The gemex report is a different animal in that it measures and grades the light performance of a diamond directly using a spectrophotometer instead of using parameters of cut in attempting to predict performance and beauty of a diamond
6. GIA Gemological Institute of America- Often considered the international benchmark for diamond grading and independent third party diamond evaluation

Channel set eternity bands make a great “stand-in” wedding band. I wear a stand-in eternity band instead of the one that matches my engagement for the simple reason that sometimes when I’m going out and I don’t want to wear the “big rock” I slip on my one and a half carat white gold eternity band on my left hand ring finger where my engagement ring would normally go.

During the winter I can sometimes get it on my right hand ring finger and I’ll do that and wear my tanzanite or sapphire ring on my left hand ring finger.

What else is great about a channel eternity band ?

• For one it’s smooth and if I’m putting on a sweater or gloves I don’t have to worry about it catching on anything.
• It has a little more metal in it, (18kt white gold) because channels generally will have more metal than prongs so it feels substantial on.
• Yes, it still turns like any other eternity band but I feel a little safer accidentally hitting my band clad finger against a wall or something because I don’t feel like I might have bent a prong.
• Although I don’t wear my channel band with my engagement ring, the channel band is a good choice for an after thought band when you can’t get something exactly matching your engagement ring because at least it looks clean and won’t sustain any damage rubbing against your engagement ring.
• being one of the most popular styles of diamond band it’s available in a vast range of heights, widths and carat weights so you can get a pretty close match up against your engagement ring .

A good place to get an eternity channel band is your local jeweler. Some of the benefits of going to your local jeweler are:

1. You’ll be able to see a selection of channel bands and try them on to see how well they match up against your engagement ring.
2. If they’re good people you’ll get some good after sales service if you need it.

Some of the drawbacks with going to your local jeweler are

1. For a product like a diamond eternity band you can expect to pay a healthy markup.
2. Expect to wait anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks for them to get your ring custom made
3. Don’t expect to have any return options. You’ll have to sign their receipt acknowledging that it’s a final sale which means you’re stuck with it if you don’t like it.
4. Don’t expect to have a resize option if your ring doesn’t fit when you finally get it. They’ll tell you that eternity bands cannot be sized which for the most part is true, however you are ultimately responsible for telling them what size feels best and they will write something like “customer requests size 6 1/4″ on the custom order and have you sign it and so absolve themselves of any responsibility for correctly measuring your finger size.

Diamond right hand rings became a favorite of many designers as a canvas upon which to display their design prowess. What easier way than to take a publicly advertised diamond product theme with De Beers dollars behind it and design their way into the limelight.

After all, right hand rings were about the individual with all their styling quirks. Right hand rings in this way allowed designers to go beyond their standard collections and expand their range to showcase traditional styling all the way to the audacious and ahead of their time styling and material.

Here is a piece from the manufacturer/designer Andin which is fairly basic in concept but simply elegant in excecution. At first blush it would seem to have more in common with a solitaire engagement ring rather then a right hand diamond ring.

First there is a mounting and second there is a single center stone. Now if a matching band came with it then perhaps but without that, all indications are that this could be called a right hand ring. It has a tailored one of a kind look despite its simplicity. A right hand does not always have to be showy and larger than life.

Contrary to the the previous ring, here is a larger than life diamond right hand ring with brown diamonds in the center set in Rose gold and white diamonds set in white gold. This is more typical of right hand rings in terms of scale. Previously this would have been called a diamond cuff ring but now this could definitely be called a right hand ring.

The centre motif is rose shaped and is appropriately rose gold. Wide cuff rings like this are not for everyone’s fingers because of the extra width.

If you have short finger you may want to consider a different style of right hand ring. In fact you may want to try the next style of ring shown below from the designer Diamonds in the rough if you have short stubby looking fingers. It features cognac diamonds in the rough set in 18k rose gold with small pink diamonds on the periphery.Rough diamonds are big now in the jewelry design world. Their prices have skyrocketed as a number of jewelry designers have introduced styles of their own only to realise that the prices have gone way up in the past three years.

Five years ago nobody was even looking at rough diamonds, diamond ring design was based on the premise of cut and polished diamonds whether modern or period cuts. Now rough diamonds are being paired with raw look gold for an inspired back to nature look. This coincides well with the green movement.

A variation on this trend is the not so rough look with an original design by La Reina to the left using included diamonds with a flattened rose cut to serve as petals on this right hand diamond flower ring.

The design is lavish with an inspired vision and quite an original among unique right hand diamond rings with a style that is neither vintage nor modern.

Right hand rings can also look designer without having a designer label and looking totally original. Black diamond right hand rings were perhaps the first type of colored diamond ring or rather right hand ring that became widely available with a diamonds that were not white. Black diamonds are actually much less expensive than the raw uncut off color diamonds now prized by designers and their followers.

It turned up en masse in black and white diamond jewelry in jeweler’s showcases back in 2000 and has had its ups and downs as popularity waxed and waned ?as designers favored other colors.Check out the ring below, a simple black diamond right hand ring in a band style with a twist.

Although black diamonds are not colored diamonds per se since black is not a hue but a shade or tint this takes nothing away from their popularity with designers of all calibres since black diamonds of all sizes are very reasonably priced all things considered.

Although treated blue diamonds have turned out to be just as popular, black diamond jewelry is till a great combination to wear with any kind of dress because it has a neutral appeal. ?There is a huge variety available at retail and at virtually any price point. It is even mounted in silver for a more casual luxe look.

Cushion cut diamond engagement rings first started out as old miner cuts dating from the 1700s. This was the start of brilliant cutting as far as diamonds were concerned because most diamond cutting before this was predominantly the step cutting technique that you see today in emerald and asscher cuts.

What happened was that diamond cutters would keep the basic form of the rough octahedron and flatten the top of one pyramid and round out the edges giving rise to the cushion shape or old miners cut. Antique cushion cut engagement rings arise from this vintage diamond cut which is characterized by a thick and high crown and a deep pavilion giving it a very blocky look. Many of these vintage cushion cut engagement rings were recut into modern round brilliants as they would surface and so many lost their antique value which is now even more prized today. The old miners cut eventually morphed into the old European cut as cutters took off more of the squareness to form the precursor to the modern round brilliant shape.

Cushion cut engagement rings have become quite popular recently as women now are looking for something different from the traditional round diamond and something away from the oldertraditional fancy cuts like emerald, pear and oval. The shape and faceting is shown to the right

Diamonds with a squarish shape appeal like the princess cut, radiant, asscher and emerald cut have experienced more demand over the years as women who received a diamond engagement ring in the past have looked to these cuts for some of their avnniversary rings and other diamond jewelry.

As a center diamond in a ring, the princess cut diamond is overall the second most popular diamond cut after the round and is the most popular square cut for square diamond engagement rings. For 2009 the cushion cut engagement ring has bested the radiant cut in terms of popularity as square shaped center stone engagement rings go according to JCK magazine’s survey of American jewelry retailers.

Cushion cut diamonds have a softer look compared to princesses and radiants because of their rounded corners and shallower cut. Although the cushion cut diamond engagement ring will not scintillate as much as the other squares mentioned because of fewer facets, nevertheless its old world shape appeal coupled with the fact that its corners will not chip as easily as the princess and is not as bottom heavy as the princess or radiant means that it has a larger face up than the others for a given carat weight. To some degree it makes up for the lack of scintillation with the broader flashes that originate from its larger pavilion facets.

Despite their recent popularity the cushion cut engagement ring can be hard to find at your local jewelers unless it is a jeweler that specializes in square diamonds. You are far more likely to see the asscher cut than the cushion cut. At first, the asscher cut seems to be the prettier diamond. The asscher is the more well endowed cousin of the emerald cut sporting a deeper step cut pavilion that has more scintillation. However in the end it is still a step cut. A finely cut cushion, especially some of the branded cushion cuts like the Cushette by Vision Cut of New York who are the patent holders for this cushion cut have a brillaince and scintillation that many women find more appealing than the square step cuts.

Instaed of the normal 60 or so facets of a normal cushion, the cushette has a total of 77 facets and each one that comes from Vision Cut is branded and numbered. Another company with their own proprietory cushion cut diamond is harry Kotlar and Company. Gabrielle Tolkowski also has a proprietory square cut of his own called the Carre which is produced by Suberi Brothers of New York although it does not have the shape appeal of a cushion but rather a princess cut.

Cushion cut solitaire engagement rings come in many types of settings. Antique looking hand engraved mountings are popular with the cushion, rekindling its old miners cut heritage.

Cushion cut micro pave engagement rings on the other hand are more popular than most others as micro pave continues to dominate engagement ring design in white gold and platinum.

Check out this classic pave cushion engagement ring style to the right. It’s a simple?classic?of an engagement ring that has a wide appeal

Various side stones can be used with a cushion shaped diamond however straight edges side diamonds like trilliants and princesses tend not to be used because they can distract from the?softness of the cushion shape. Instead, curvaceous half moons ?are more commonly used like this ring to the left.

Instead of side stones, the cushion shape can also be emphasized by ?setting it in a bezel surrounded by channel set diamonds or even pave set diamonds surrounding a prong set cushion diamond.

Care must be taken that the prongs are not so thick that distract from the diamond. With cushions especially it is far better to use the double claw prongs at the corners than thick beaded prongs like this ring down below.

Prices on cushion cut diamonds run the gamut. They are generally less expensive than a comparable round brilliant although given their hard to find nature and fewer specimensexhibiting really nice optics it can pretty much be dependent on supply and demand.

Sometimes it can be so difficult to find premium cut cushion diamonds in the sizes and quality required that many purchasers end up getting the branded cushions talked about earlier.

Aquamarine engagement rings are a great choice whether you are getting engaged for the first time or not. Normally you see this sea foam blue green member of the beryl family of gemstones (which also includes emerald) in cocktail gemstone rings or birthstone rings.

Do not be afraid of using this great gemstone as your engagement ring’s center stone. If you are not too hardwearing on your rings and love the serene, tranquil look of aquamarine, then you need to ignore all the naysayers that insist you follow tradition’s dictates.

This is also suitable for women born in March who wish to use their birthstone as their engagement ring center stone.

Aquamarine Engagement Ring Costs

An aquamarine engagement ring does not have to be expensive even thought the better qualities do cost upwards of $100 per carat at retail.

Better quality gemstones that you see in expensive looking aquamarine diamond engagement rings generally have a deeper color whose hue is on the bluish side rather then the sea foam green that you are used to seeing in cheap birthstone jewelry.

The price also goes up dramatically in this higher quality as the size goes up. If you’re comparing engagement rings with aquamarine vs those with diamonds then it makes sense for you to go for the deeper colored stones that are distinctly blue in color. Diamonds cost way more per carat than aquamarines so you would not be overspending.

Aquamarine Gemstone Characteristics

Aquamarine is considered a class 3 stone in that it generally comes clean unlike its sibling emerald which generally comes included and needs to be treated with oil to hide the many surface reaching fissures and fractures.

It also will be found in bigger sizes of 3 carats or more without becoming unduly expensive unless the color is truly top notch. In any case the cost never approaches that of diamonds of the same quality expectation.

This being the case, you can expect to find a tremendous variety of shapes available in aquamarine. From a stylistic point of view this is good because your choice is limitless in terms of the style of mounting that can be used.

Antique Aquamarine Engagement Rings

Aquamarine never comes in a saturated hue the way emeralds, rubies, sapphires and countless other gemstones do.The color is always reminicent of light ocean colors that you see close to the shore of an island.

Nevertheless it is still a compelling color that appeals to many women because this allows for the mounting to shine as well. This is why antique aquamarine engagement rings and vintage aquamarine engagement rings are so popular.

With a deep colored gemstone like emerald or even tanzanite, often the stylistic subtleties and themes in a hand fashioned mounting gets lost because the attention getter is the gemstone rather than the ring.

This is even true of diamonds because although generally engagement ring diamonds are colorless, they are the center of attention because of their head riveting optics and light return capabilities when cut right. However when it comes to aquamarine and diamond engagement rings, you see the style of the mounting as well.

Best Metals For Your Aquamarine Engagement Ring

Aquamarine goes with white metals the best. With yellow gold the subtle blue hue tends to not show up as well against the dominating hue of yellow gold.

This is not to say that aquamarine does not look good in yellow gold. It does hold its own even in as saturated a yellow gold as 22k.

However for engagement ring purposes I would go for white gold, platinum, palladium and even sterling silver. The neutral backdrop allows the beautiful soft nature of aquamarine’s color to come forth.

This is what you want in an engagement ring. You are not attempting to make a grand stylistic statement with your aquamarine engagement ring. You want the important qualities that aquamarine is symbolic of like faithfulness, courage and friendship to shine through.

It also has a reputation for having a rather soothing effect on a couple that has just been married and are going through teething pains in making adjustments to the marriage. It is also the birthstone of Pisces along with bloodstone.

Many people feel that aquamarine is very characterstic of Pisces people in general because Pisces people often have that sensitive dreamy quality about them that is hard to decipher. They are a water sign and so aquamarine is an apt birthstone.

A skinny solitaire ring on a woman’s ring finger is something that begs for company. Although it would be easier to simply upgrade your solitaire engagement ring, often the little ring is of immense sentimental value.

It could have been handed down from ancestors or could have been a gift from someone who recently passed on. Whatever the reason, it might be better to simply select a diamond ring enhancer that will bring out the beauty of the engagement ring.

Diamond Enhancer Rings

Though enhancers are not as fashionable as they once were, many women think of them as lifesavers in the event that their solitaire is a keepsake that they cannot simply cannot put away. It has permanently claimed that piece of real estate on their left hand ring finger and there is no getting around it.

The enhancer to the right is the typical type of insert enhancer that many women like to get for their engagement rings. It is wide enough to allow most widths of ring shanks to fit in while allowing for more room at the head to accommodate a flush mounted head that is bigger then the shank it is attached to.

Enhancers for Style and Protection

Diamond ring enhancers apart from adding to the beauty of a solitaire also protects the sometimes delicate shank and diamond setting from being damaged from daily wear.

Like diamond engagement ring enhancers that you see in jewelry stores that are already paired with an engagement ring and are sold together because they are made to go with each other.

Similarly diamond solitaire ring enhancers created as a separate piece are meant to match a solitaire ring so that that when they are put together it looks like you are wearing one piece instead of two.

Take a look at the Claddagh enhancer on the right. It has a fair amount of metal in it and is devoid of any diamonds. This will do a good job protecting an engagement ring while adding a thematic element of style and history. Claddagh wedding rings are quite popular among women of all cultures and this is a simple way of adding that sybolism to your own bridal ring.

Solitaire Enhancers For All Reasons

Solitaire diamond ring enhancers come in various types to accommodate different gauges of a solitaire shank and type of solitaire diamond settings.

Engagement rings come with many different types of diamond settings from the classic four prong and 6 prong Tiffany settings that keep the diamond high up off the band. They were the defacto head setting 20 years ago but now there are many variations on this as well as others.

Diamond wedding ring enhancers of today have to take this variation into account when being designed.

Tiffany mounting are great in that most wraps will accommodate them because they are slender at the bottom and so give ample room for the wrap to wrap around. The flush mount on the other hand is the opposite of the regular Tiffany.

As you can see the blue topaz enhancer on the right has quite a bit of room for decent sized setting cups that are flush mounted on solitaires. Frequently getting a colored stone enhancer rather than a diamond ring enhancer will work because the gaps can be much bigger.

Inserts for Flush Mounted Solitaires

A flush mounted diamond setting has the base of its cup soldered to either side of the shank so that the diamond sits closer to the finger. This is both a stylistic and functional variation because many women do not like a diamond sitting so high off the finger as it does with a regular Tiffany head that gets soldered onto the top of a closed shank.

This type of solitaire will have a larger diamond setting profile at the point where an enhancer is

supposed to “wrap” around it. So you may have a hard time finding a wrap that fits properly without going through some trial and error.

Inserts are better for this purpose because a jeweler can make an insert wider to accommodate your diamond solitaire ring. All he has to do is add to the length of the bars that connect the two shanks at the bottom of the insert. Your engagement ring can then be dropped into the insert and will fit even if it has side stones like a three stone engagement ring might have.

Check out the emerald diamond insert above. It is a fairly common style as colored stone inserts go but can be customized to fit your ring.

Diamond ring enhancers or diamond wraps as they are sometimes called are a huge help to women who have a solitaire ring in need of embellishment or simply some protection. Sometimes young couples just settle for the bare basics when it comes to a diamond engagement ring in the hopes that as their financial situation gets better they will be able to get a matching band.

Other times a young bride gets a ring handed down from her great grandmother that is a vintage or antique solitaire ring with an old miners cut center stone and there is nothing in terms of a wedding band that she can find in jewelry stores that will match it. This vintage diamond enhancer to the right would be a solid choice for an antique solitaire.

It has all that fine millgrain work that will go with many antique styles with the slot for the solitaire head mounting. Of course the only way to know if it will fit is to get the measurements of both rings or physically try it when you are in the store.

In both these cases described above it might be a good idea to start looking at some diamond solitaire ring enhancers. They can also be referred to as diamond engagement ring enhancers, diamond wraps, diamond guards, diamond wedding ring enhancers and ring inserts.

There are many different styles for this type of addition to a solitaire ring but typically it will be a single or double ring with some sort of a gap where you can insert your solitaire. Of course this depends on the size of diamond solitaire ring that you have because you would want as close to an exact fit as you can get.

Check out this simple diamond ring enhancer to the left. In terms of simplicity this type of wrap fulfills the basic task of adding embellishment to a plain solitaire. All it does is put two side stones beside the engagement ring diamond for a three stone look to your wedding ring assuming of course your center stone is a diamond.

Many women opt for this type of enhancer, commonly called three stone diamond ring enhancers. You could also add a bit more pizazz to your solitaire by turning your engagement ring into a two tone wedding ring and changing the look altogether with some princess diamonds like this enhancer to the right below would do.

The square diamonds offer a nice contrast to the round center stone that would go in the middle. Princess accent diamonds add a different geometry and outline to your engagement ring.  Princess cut diamond ring enhancers are a popular way to spice up a plain solitaire.

Some common types of solitaire diamond ring enhancers include the insert style wrap which is two rings connected together on the underside of the shank by gold bars leaving a gap at the top for your solitaire to fit in.

What’s nice about this style is that if you have side stones or have a cathedral type of mounting where there is gold coming up the shoulder of the ring above the base of the diamond head then your ring can be accommodated by the insert style as opposed to the wrap style.

The wrap style can only accommodate a strict solitaire diamond ring that is a simple setting and a shank soldered together.

Its is always a good idea to make sure that your center diamond will match the diamonds in the insert in terms of color and clarity so that the ring does not end up looking odd with a bright white center stone that is G in color and contrasting champagne tinged diamonds in the J range of color in the insert.

The diamond insert to the left  is a simple double row of straight mounted prong diamonds running across the top. This is what many women like and is all they really need to spruce up their engagement ring.

As long as the shank of your ring has a width less than the width of the gap between the two rings of the insert, then you are good to go. Of course you don’t want your solitaire ring bouncing between the two rings of an insert because the gap is much wider than you really need so you have to try different inserts to see what gives a close fit.

Diamond enhancer rings like the insert to the right is a fairly popular style . It has a nice North South orientation a decent amount of gap to accommodate a variety of shanks and heads. You have extended room in the every top of this insert where the two channel set shanks point outward.

This is useful if you want to change the head in your solitaire at a future date and want to have a pear or marquis center stone instead of a round. As you can see the points on an appropriately sized marquis or pear shape could be accommodated by the increased gap in the head of this insert

The idea of the insert type of diamond solitaire ring enhancers is to encase the entire circumference of the solitaire so that instead of wearing two rings it looks as though you are wearing a single ring.

The popularity of the marquis diamond as a center stone in engagement rings seems to have been overtaken by the now popular square cuts like princess, asscher and cushion.

The marquis shaped diamond has a long history and its originator is commonly identified as King Louis The Fifteenth of France who wanted to create a diamond shape that evoked the beauty of the mouth of his mistress.

Also called the navette cut, the best length to width ratio for the marquise is 2:1. It is a beautiful diamond shape as long as the aspect ratio remains at the ideal and that you’re dealing with a reasonable quality of stone.

The Marquise diamond can be thought of as an oval stretched out into two points.

It has a sharpness of character that the traditional rounds and ovals are lacking while still having grace and a sublime nature that you will not find in other pointy diamonds like princesses and trilliants whose points combined with straight edges seem hard and geometric.

Marquise Diamonds Are Cut From A Different Type of Diamond Rough

Exquisitely cut marquise diamonds are a treat to behold. It can be difficult to find a superbly cut marquise diamond because they are typically cut from shallow, irregular diamond rough called macle.

An example is shown to the right.

Increasingly you will see uncut macle rough being used in designer raw diamond jewelry.

This type of jewelry is designer around rough diamonds showcasing their beauty in the raw untouched state.

Using rough macle allows for a nice sized surface area of diamond to be dsiplayed in the jewelry without it weighing a whole lot there bye cutting down on costs.

Similarly, because macle is shallower rough than traditional octahedron crystals that are shaped like two pyramids joined together at the base it would not make any sense to try and get a round brilliant out of it because there would be so much wastage.

This is why marquise shaped diamonds are ideal candidates to be cut from this type of rough although if the rough is too shallow then the resulting marquise diamond will suffer from a flat pavilion and have a watery look to it

Celebrity Marquis Diamond Engagement Rings

There are not too many celebrities that will opt for a marquise cut diamond engagement ring partly because it is relegated to styles of old although Michael Douglas did propose to Catherine Zeta Jones

with a sideways canted marquise diamond set in an antique style mounting designed by Fred Leighton.

Jamie Lynn Spears also sported a marquis diamond engagement ring in a simple modern style flanked by two tapered baguettes.Take a look at it top right. It is quite an elegant and simple looking engagement ring with a perfectly proportioned marquise center stone.

A marquise engagement ring does have its charm so there is no need to shy away from the cut if you are hell bent on it just because it nobody else seems to getting a marquise diamond.

Marquise Diamonds Are Flattering To Hands

If you have short stubby fingers like the image to the right there is no better choice in an engagement ring style than that with a marquise center diamond. You can even opt for a more extreme length to

width ratio like 2.5:1 and still have the ring look good on your finger.

There is no other cut of diamond that will add length to your stubby or fat ring finger like a marquise diamond. Check out this fat hand to the right and tell me that the stumpy looking ring finger will not benefit form the addition of a nice North South oriented marquise diamond ring.

This is one of the reasons why three stone marquise ring are so popular in the budget diamond jewelry section.

Marquise diamonds offer the biggest bang for the buck in terms of sheer diamond presence and when you times this by three then you will have the biggest diamond three stone ring look for the money and not only that, it will flatter your stubby hand like no other diamond ring can.

The best Side Stones For Marquise Diamond Rings

There are a wide variety of options for pairing your marquise center stone with an appropriate pair of matching diamonds that will highlight the center stone and make your engagement ring a standout looking piece of jewelry.

The best side diamonds for the marquise are the ones with points I feel. Yes, you see them a lot but as far as classic styles go you will find that pear shaped side diamonds and trilliant side diamonds go very well with a marquise center diamond.

The pear shaped diamonds add a nice flow to the curvaceous marquise wheras the trilliants offer a nice contrast of hard geometrical shape with the flowing shape of the marquise.

If you want a more modern look then tapered or trapezoid shaped baguette diamonds on the sides will

give your engagement ring a more contemporary look while still retaining that flowing north south orientation that will flatter your hand.

Another option is to cant the marquise in an East West orientation like the ring to the right which sports a fancy yellow center marquise diamond with an edgy brushed white gold shank that flows in one continuous sweep over the finger for a very smooth edgy look which is distinctly modern

Engagement rings come in a wide variety of styles and designs and it can be difficult to decide on the one ring that you’re going to give pride of place on your ring finger.

Despite the range of bridal ring options on the market from basic metal only bands and solitaire engagement rings to couture designer creations from the likes of Micheal B, Roberto Coin you’re going to find that most of the rings you see are going to be in traditional white metal whether it be white gold, palladium or platinum.

If you’re looking for something with a bit more color variation in the metal then a two tone engagement ring might be just what you are looking for.

Vintage Two Tone Engagement Rings

Two tone engagement rings does not necessarily mean that the mounting is going to have an even distribution of two different colored metals.

It could simply refer to perhaps some yellow gold accents on the shoulders of the ring or the center head

mounting alone in yellow gold to spice up the yellow in a fancy yellow center diamond.

Whatever the case, a splash of color is always refreshing in an engagement ring while still retaining a classic timeless look.

Take a look at the engagement ring mounting to the right. It makes sense for the head being the most detailed part of the ring to be in yellow gold for emphasis and for a nice vintage looking regal framework for the diamond that will go in the center.

The most common colors are the familiar pink tones of rose gold and yellow tones of yellow gold. The typical combinations are pink with white gold and yellow gold with white gold. The style of the overall ring is what determines how the colors are combined.

Simple Two Tone Engagement Rings

At the other end of the design scale you can have very simple contemporary engagement ring styles that look great in two tone gold.

A simple solitaire ring with a plain shank coupled with an alternate colored center setting looks very good and dresses up an otherwise plain jane engagement ring in a monotone metal color.

One of the most frequent combinations is a plain yellow gold shank with a platinum head setting that may

be in any number of styles from the classic Tiffany style to a simple bezel setting.

Many brides to be like the warmth of yellow gold for the shank but prefer a platinum head for strength and security since after all the diamond is the most precious part of the ring when the ring style is very basic.

Another simple style that looks good in two tone combinations is the classic bypass engagement ring style. Check out the fluid lines of the bypass engagement ring above and how good the 50/50 combination of white and pink gold looks.

Celtic Two Tone Engagement Rings

Combination metal rings are commonly found in cultural themed engagement rings like Celtic wedding rings.

Engagement rings with these kind of these themes normally sport the particular symbol or motifs tied to their theme and the best way for these symbols to stand out on the ring is to have them rendered in an

alternate colored metal.

This technique is not restricted to just religious themes but also includes popular cultural themes like Harley Davidson and types of Urban cultural themes.

Check out the Celtic engagement ring top right and note the Celtic knot symbol is in pink gold for emphasis and also for highlighting the center diamond.

Other Two Tone Engagement Ring Alternatives

Simply putting two parts of a ring together that are in different gold colors is the most common type of two tone engagement ring.

It can be a mounting with a shank, two halves of a shank or just alternate gold color accents on the ring like highlights in a woman’s hair.

You also can have multicolor metals in a single piece where the different colored metals are all melted together and swirled to create a multicolor concoction not unlike that of marble cake.

This technique is commonly acknowledged to have originated in Japan and is called Mokume Gane.

These types of multitoned engagement ring mountings run a bit more than your ordinary plain gold

mountings because each one is an individual creation and the colores run right through the ring like they do in marble cake.

These mountings are truly custom individualized rings that are quite beautiful to look at. Check out the one to the above right and note how simple the basic styling is.

Bezel and half bezel heads are typically used in Mokume Gane engagement rings so that a high prong setting doesn’t detract from the swirling  ribbons of color in the shank of the ring.

Alternate Two Tone Metals

Gold is not the only multicolored metal that is common in two tone engagement ring styles.

Other modern metals like titanium can be treated and alloyed to produce varying shades of silver tones in titanium from jet black to gunmetal grays to polished white that almost passes for white gold.

Titanium is a wonderful metal for engagement rings because it is hypoallergenic, lightweight, harder and stiffer than gold and can take a range of finishes like satin and brushed that won’t wear away as quickly as on gold and sterling silver.

Because of its tensile strength and light weight titanium is a great metal for tension set engagement rings.

Normally you will find tension set rings in platinum but the amount of precious metal required to achieve the appropriate measure of tensile strength for holding in a diamond leaves these rings feeling heavy and bulky on the fingers.

The amount of titanium by weight required to achieve a similar tensile strength in tension set rings is far less and this makes it more comfortable to wear. Check out the edgy and modern looking two tone titanium tension set engagement ring above in two colors of titanium.

Image by Ben McLeod via Flickr

There a number of reasons brides to be would want a 3 stone diamond ring as an engagement ring. Normally this type of diamond ring is gifted on an anniversary or other type of special occasion but because 3 stone rings have symbolism that pertains to relationships of any kind, many brides to be opt for this style of engagement ring.

Another term for a 3 stone diamond ring is a past present future ring. Women love this type of symbolism and many feel that 3 stone diamond rings make ideal engagement rings.

The style of a 3 stone engagement ring follows the basic pattern of large center diamond flanked by a matched pair of diamonds of a complimentary shape. When you think of all the cuts and shapes of diamonds in the market today, the permutations and combinations that you can come up with are truly endless.

For instance, by simply changing the side diamonds from trilliants in the image above to pear, half moon, heart or round you can have a completely fresh and different look altogether. Couple those variation with changing the setting to bezel, flush,channel or tension and you can begin to imagine how special and individualized you can make this style of ring.  check out the ring to the left below.

It is a sapphire and diamond 3 stone engagement ring with an oval sapphire center and a matched pair of round diamonds.  Look how starkly different it looks from the image above and yet it is still considered a 3 stone ring.

There is no rule that says you cannot use a blue sapphire as an engagement ring center stone. Colored gemstones are popular center stone choices and are widely accepted in todays engagement ring market.

There are stylistic and durability advantages to the 3 stone diamond ring format. From a style point of view, it can be said that the important stones on the ring are clustered in the middle and are showcased in a way that they occupy center stage on the ring. There are no important stones that get hidden by being mounted further down the shank as channel set diamonds commonly do.

There are ring fitting advantages as well. Although 3 stone rings are not restricted to a certain shank style, for the most part you will get a comfortable fit from most styles because all the bulk of the setting is generally in the head of the ring while the shank tapers off in width down your finger for a smooth non bulky feel.

The many mounting and diamond combination styles as well as individualized styling like custom engraving and carving elements on the shank will result in a very tailored and customized engagement ring that will look different from all other 3 stone rings.

Various metal and stone choices along with textures and finishes now available contribute to highly original styling in this ring format.

A wide range of prices and shopping avenues based on quality and metal choice exist for 3 stone rings partly because this type of ring is popular among all women age groups.

Another plus is that you don’t have to be stuck with the ring if you are unfortunate enough to have to get a divorce. There is the possibility of re-using the diamonds by converting the matching side diamonds into studs and using the center stone in a pendant.