Trends come and go, but using a precious metal and a sparkly diamond to symbolize the bond between two people who want to spend forever together is here to stay. To make sure you choose a wedding set that speaks to your unique relationship, read on, and choose the perfect metal and stone.
A Circle of Love
Wedding ring shoppers have an array of precious metals at their disposal. The trend toward white metals continues, with many loving the bright and light look of either platinum or the more-affordable white 14k or 18k gold. When it comes to simple bands, the look of titanium or stainless steel offers both durability and affordability. Dark metal bands are also very popular. Made of black tungsten, they are incredibly durable and will probably last forever.
Choosing a Diamond
Few stones demonstrate everlasting love like a diamond, and couples gravitate towards the largest and most sparkly stone they can afford. The size, though, may not be the most important aspect of a stone. You can find a fairly large diamond that appears dull because the cut is not right. Contrary to what many think, the cut of the stone refers to how masterful the cutter was who shaped the stone into the multiple facets that create the "fire". When you see a rainbow effect reflected off your stone in bright sunlight, that is the cut doing its magic. When it comes to grading the cut, diamonds come in:
- Excellent
- Very good
- Good
- Fair
- Poor
Other Aspects of Diamond Quality
After the cut, diamonds are evaluated by color, clarity, and size (carat). As far as color goes, unless you want your diamond to have a distinct color like yellow or pink, look for a stone that is as colorless as possible. Colors are graded from D to Z. The difference between a D and an H, however, is almost indistinguishable to the eye. Diamonds, as they progress toward the end of the alphabet, get progressively yellower.
Clarity refers to how spotless a diamond is. Diamonds are a naturally-occurring stone and may have tiny dark or light spots in them known as occlusions. This is likely the least important of all grades, and they go from IF for internally flawless (rare) to 12 and 13 (heavily occluded).
Lastly comes size, categorized by carat weight. Larger stones are rare. Many are set on 1-carat or 2-carat stones, but if the cut and color are good, a smaller stone can look visually larger and be just as lovely on the finger.
To get more information about wedding rings and how to pick the right set for you, speak to your local jeweler.
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