'Tis the season to get engaged...
...And for those of you considering doing a little gem shopping for the holidays, I am reposting a little item that I created for another board a while back. Enjoy!
Originally posted July 31, 2006 at I-Cat's Board
They say a dog is man's best friend, but I have to say I like my dogs a LOT! But I like my diamonds, too. Bruce Weber of the Utica Square store taught me to "grade" stones, and there has been no living with me ever since. So if you are in need of a fabulous rock, I'm your girl! Here are a few little beauties for your viewing pleasure.
Photo credits: "'Tis the season" photo courtesy of Samsclub.com; "Classic" Tiffany ring photos courtesy of Tiffany.com; "Anniversary," "Asscher" and "Fancy" ring photos courtesy of Samsclub.com
posted by ET at 11:17 PM
8 Comments:
Word to the wise...when diamond shopping, get to know the four "Cs": CUT, CARAT, COLOR and CLARITY. Cut is the shape...round brilliant, princess, Asscher, oval, marquise, emerald, etc. Carat is the stone weight (see other comment). Colors range from D-Z, with D being the whitest stone. Anything above an H is highly desirable, but if you have an excellent clarity, anything through "J" is gorgeous. Clarity refers to imperfections in the stone. VVS is the best, I is the worst..."I"= inclusions. Never buy a stone below VS2 unless you loupe it to see if any inclusions can be covered by a prong in the setting. Inclusions cloud the stone's brilliance. Make sure your stone has been graded and certified by EGL or another reputable lab. You will find better stones by selecting a loose stone from a diamond seller. Avoid mall jewelers, as they have lesser quality stones at huge markup prices. To be continued...
When contemplating the big purchase, a good guideline for spending power is two months' salary. One carat is a very desirable solitaire size for the average pocketbook, and platinum is the metal du jour for most ladies. If you are uncertain about ring style, a simply solitaire can always be re-mounted in a new setting that you pick out together.
One more thing..."tcw" or "total carat weight" refers to ALL of the stones in a ring, not just the center stone. This is important if you are looking at a setting with side stones or any stones aside from the main solitaire stone. The price of stone per carat weight increases exponentially, so a pave setting or smaller side stones is one way to get more "bling" for your buck.
Your married. I know it. I've seen your husband.
(Thanks for the plug.)
*You're
NOTE that I was very good and did not correct you, even though your MySpace lists grammar as a hobby! Mwahahahahahahaha!
P.S. - why were you looking at this again??? Hmm????
I wanted to see if there were any more comments after mine. Now, see what I would be missing out on if I hadn't?
Well, that makes sense. Okay, point taken. Now BACK to work on your paper! (Closes door of cage)
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