Platinum Engagement Rings - The Pros

Many jewelers say that diamonds are the most precious stone on the planet, and that platinum is the most precious metal we have on the planet, so why not pair them together to create the most precious and perfect platinum engagement ring for your sweetheart?

Platinum engagement rings are very durable, standing up to the challenges of an active everyday life without getting dented or scratched up along the way. Plus, while gold rings are only a small percentage of actual gold (since gold is such a soft metal), platinum engagement rings are actually about 90-95% pure platinum. Platinum has it’s own sparkle and beauty to it in a wedding ring, so a platinum engagement ring paired with a beautiful diamond will really sparkle and shimmer. Not only will your ring sparkle, but platinum is a great investment. The value of platinum is very high and rarely decreases.

Platinum Engagement Rings - The Cons

One thing you’ll find when shopping for platinum engagement rings is that they can actually be nearly double the cost of an engagement ring with just white gold. Engagement rings are expensive anyway, and with many couples having to scrimp to meet their bills and start paying for a wedding, many couples feel it more important to use that savings towards their weddings or future life together, and not on their rings. Many brides complain that only the trained eye can distinguish a platinum engagement ring from a white gold engagement ring that is kept polished and kept up, making the extra expense unimportant.

Whatever route you choose in deciding whether or not you want to take the plunge and purchase a platinum engagement ring, remember that your engagement ring is a ring you will not only wear your entire life, but also that it is just a symbol of love and a promise of forever from your future spouse. Personally, I didn’t think that having a platinum engagement ring was worth the extra cost, and so my husband and I took that money that we saved on our engagement and wedding rings and went on a really nice honeymoon!

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Platinum Engagement Rings - Worth the Money?

What are Wedding Ring Sets?

Basically, wedding ring sets are the integration of both the engagement ring and the wedding ring in a similar design.

Wedding ring sets have a similar design, either snapping together or fitting together in some other way such that the bride is only really wearing one ring. Wedding ring sets compliment each other, and great for women who hate wearing more than one ring on her ring finger. We didn’t purchase a wedding ring set for my rings, but we found both an engagement ring and a ring guard that fit well together. Basically, my engagement ring slides down into a space between the guards, and the finished result is a row of small diamonds on either side of my engagement ring diamond, giving it a unique and special look.

Benefits of Wedding Ring Sets

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of wedding ring sets is that it can really be a lot easier than purchasing the rings separately and hoping that they look good together. Wedding ring sets will save you alot of time going from jeweler to jeweler to see what kinds of wedding bands will match and compliment the engagement ring that was already chosen. You’ll find your choices are limited if you’re going this route. Not only does it make deciding easier, but you can also find some great deals on wedding ring sets from jewelers. Plus, you can easily find wedding ring sets which will take care of not only the wedding rings for your bride, but that also include matching wedding bands for the groom. One stop shopping, it’s really hard to beat.
If you’re having trouble picking out the best engagment ring and wedding ring combo for both you and your bride, then you might want to consider looking into wedding ring sets. They can be an excellent purchase for a bride and groom who are looking to save some time searching for matching bands, and you might be able to work a good deal on an affordable price for purchasing all three rings at the same time.

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What are Wedding Ring Sets?

Family Heirlooms

Vintage engagement rings have a lot to offer if you want a ring that is both beautiful and meaningful, and like I was saying above, unique. Sometimes vintage engagement rings are passed down from generation to generation, and sometimes you have to go looking for them.

Antique engagement rings passed down from generation to generation are great in that they provide a certain history and sentimentality.  Plus, there is something really touching about the idea of having an engagement ring that has been worn by their family for generations.

Vintage Engagement Rings

Because vintage rings seem to be a really hot trend right now, you should be able to find numerous outlets selling vintage jewelry and antique engagement and wedding rings. Antique engagement rings refer to a ring that is about thirty years old, and some kind of cool story behind it. Vintage engagement rings, on the other hand, are rings that are made even longer back than that, such as before 1950. Vintage engagement rings embody classic elegance and romantic individuality. They are romantic and typically ornately crafted.

Why Vintage Engagement Rings are so Popular

Antique and vintage engagement rings are popular for a variety of reasons. For one very important reason, they are typically less expensive than a new ring purchased from a jeweler. Also, these rings are very well constructed and can become a family heirloom for the new family that you will soon be building. Not only are they less expensive, but vintage engagement rings are also finely constructed, and something different from the everyday rings that many brides are sporting.

As I mentioned above, my wedding ring set isn’t a vintage engagement ring by any means, but it was something that I was definitely considering when we were picking out our wedding bands. I shopped with a trusted diamond broker, and was able to find a wedding ring design that looked vintage, but that was actually new. I loved the result, and still get lots of compliments on my ring wherever I go.

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Vintage Engagement Rings - Timeless

Forget the Stores

One thing I’ve learned when it comes to shopping for diamond engagement rings, typically your local jeweler is not your friend.

They are out to pad their pockets with their lower quality merchandise and make you believe that you are getting a great deal. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not a real big fan of jewelery stores. I think their merchandise is overpriced. Worried you won’t get a real diamond if you go to another route? Rest assured.

Two Words - Diamond Broker

One of the best ways to find discount diamond engagement rings is to employ the use of a diamond broker. A diamond broker is basically a middleman, but they don’t tack on the high premiums that your local jewelery store will. My husband used a trusted diamond broker when he bought my engagement ring, and he purchased a diamond that had a higher rating than what the jewelry stores would even offer. Once he had bought my engagement ring, we went back to a jeweler to try and find out how much it would cost for the same ring, and the difference was thousands of dollars. Really.

The Internet

There are a lot of great resources on the Internet. I’m not saying go to any Joe Blow site to purchase a diamond and hope it’s not a phony once it arrives. Make sure you’re using a trusted site, do a little bit of research before you take the plunge and buy a ring. If you’re wanting to go the Ebay route - make sure you can get a GIA report on the stone before purchasing. There is anther site I’ve seen that you may want to check out too, called Ex Boyfriend Jewelry. On it brides sell the gifts and jewelery that was given to them by an ex boyfriend that they no longer want around the house. Many of it is true and genuine stuff that they’re willing to sell for cheap just to get the memory out of their house. It’s worth checking out.

There are lots of different ways to find discount diamond engagement rings. Just keep your eyes and ears open, and be willing to do a little bit of research to make sure that you’re getting a great deal. If you have any other suggestions of things you’ve tried or heard of to save money when purchasing a diamond engagement ring, then write in and let me know. Until then…have a great weekend.

Wedding Planning Budget Guide will help you save money on your wedding.

Finding Discount Diamond Engagement Rings

Consider the Ring Shape

Yes I know, all rings are round, making them that never ending of love that you’ll hear about at your wedding.

But there are comfort fit wedding bands available and they’re pretty popular with a lot of the guys out there. Comfort fit rings are slightly curved on the inside of the wedding band to conform to the finger rather than just being flat on the inside. You have to look close to see it, but it’s there. Another option available to you is a soft fit wedding band. A soft fit wedding band has softly curved edges on the ring but not a completely curved inside surface on the ring. Or, you can buy your wedding band plain and have it flat on the inside. Suit yourself, but understand it may not be as comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

Consider Ring Width

The width of the wedding band also has a lot to do with how comfortable a man’s wedding bad is going to be. The most popular width for men’s wedding bands range between 5mm and 7mm. Men with larger hands tend to go with an average width wedding band, or one slightly wider, while men with smaller hands often choose an average 5mm or one slightly narrower. You’ll need to determine the size and length of your fingers, as well as personal preference when choosing the width of your wedding band. Remember that for many men, a slightly narrower wedding band is more comfortable to many men than a wider one, as a wider one can feel tighter on your finger.

Consider Ring Size

Nothing will both your more than having a ring that doesn’t fit correctly. When I first got my engagement ring, it was a full size and half too big, and it slid around on my finger and drove me crazy before I could get it resized. So be sure to take some time to visit a jeweler to get sized, and choose the size that feels most comfortable on your finger. Be sure to take into consideration that your finger size will change slightly from season to season throughout the year, so make sure it’s comfortable.

When shopping for men’s wedding bands, it’s important to take the time to find a ring that your guy really likes, and one that he will wear. Nothing will disappoint you more than your husband not wanting to wear his wedding ring because it’s uncomfortable to wear on his finger. Remember that this is something your husband will be wearing for a long time, and it should be as comfortable as possible for him. So take him along if you like, get his ideas and preferences, and have him try on as many different kinds of wedding bands as you can to get a feel for what will work best for him.

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A Comfortable Men’s Wedding Band

Titanium

Titanium is quickly becoming one of the most popular metals for men’s wedding bands. Titanium is the hardest natural metal in the world, and it’s real popular among men due to it’s increased durability.

Titanium wedding bands are very resistant to scratches and and dents, but it is still very strong and lightweight, making it more comfortable. One helpful hint if you’re shopping for a titanium wedding band for your man, make sure that you are absolutely sure of the size your man is, or have your man come with you try the ring on himself. Since titanium wedding bands are so strong and durable, they cannot be resized. Titanium wedding bands can also offer a variety of colors to choose from, which can add some style and make your man’s wedding ring a little more unique.

Gold

Gold is one of the more traditional choices for metals for all kinds of wedding bands, both men and women’s rings. If a traditional gold wedding band is what you are after, then you will need to choose the carat weight of gold that is to be in the ring. Not only will you need to make a decision on carat weight, but you’ll also need to choose between having a white gold wedding band, or a yellow gold wedding band. Really, there isn’t any one color that is better than the other, it’s just based off of your preference. Personally, I like white gold because the yellow just doesn’t look very good on my skin tone. If you don’t know the exact size of the wedding band, no need to fear, gold wedding bands are typically easy to resize to fit. Gold is a pretty soft metal, so you will need to be careful when doing manual labor or other activities that may dent or scratch your ring.

Platinum

Platinum is a white metal commonly used in men’s wedding bands, and is more dense than gold. Platinum wedding bands are exceptionally strong and durable, and resistant to many of the abuses that wedding bands are often shown throughout the years. The only thing you’ll need to be aware of is that platinum wedding rings are very expensive, usually costing double or more than a traditional gold ring.

Silver

Silver wedding bands are less costly than any of the other type of band discussed thus far. It is a softer metal that is prone to oxidization, sometimes causing the silver to turn black. It is not typically recommended for daily use. But if you’re low on cash, what else can you do, right?

Tungsten

Tungsten is another popular metal for men’s wedding bands. I was surprised when I did the research on this, and found that tungsten isn’t even found naturally on the earth. For those of you chemistry buffs, tungsten is one of the transition metals, and it’s very well known for it’s strength and durability. In fact, many couples choose to use tungsten rings because they are permanently polished, and it’s virtually impossible to scratch or dent them. Plus, naturally tungsten has a dark gun metal color to it, making it look more masculine.

Whatever kind of ring you choose, be sure to consider how durable the ring should be for daily use, the color preference of your ring as well as the cost of each of the above types of metals. Most local jewelers are happy to let you try on rings and tell you about the pros and cons of each one.

Wedding Planning Budget Guide will help you save money on your wedding.

Men’s Wedding Bands - Oh the Possibilities!

What is a Diamond Broker

A diamond broker is a person who sells diamonds at a fraction of the cost of local retailers.

I don’t understand the full set of logistics behind it since I have never been a diamond broker, but basically it’s a single person or a small company who sells diamonds wholesale. This is great for you, the buyer, because you can find some real quality diamonds at a fraction of the cost you’d find in any shop that sells diamond engagement rings.

Are Diamond Brokers Trustworthy?

There are always a few bad apples in every bunch. For every five or ten trustworthy diamond brokers, there is probably one or two whom you can’t trust farter than you can throw them, and that’s a shame. My husband got the name of a trustworthy diamond broker that was used by a friend of his, and contacted her through email and phone. She was very trustworthy, timely and had some great prices for her products. She even had the GIA report so that we knew we were getting a real diamond, and not something created in a labratory or something.

The diamond broker that my husband used to buy my engagement ring was totally professional throughout the entire process. She understood that he was pretty cautious about paying that much money for the item, and tried to make him feel at ease. The ring turned out so beautifully that we even went back to her for my wedding band and my husband’s wedding band. In the end, I have a beautiful, nearly flawless diamond wedding ring that is totally unlike anything else I’ve seen.

Of course, always be sure to do your research when shopping for diamonds, and choosing a diamond broker. Make sure that they have a good, solid reputation for treating the customer right and sending a quality product. My husband has passed on the name of our diamond broker on to his other friends and family members shopping for diamond enagement rings, and they’ve not only used her and loved her, but have sent her name on as well. It’s worth looking into, after all, it saved my husband several thousand dollars, and all my friends had ring envy.

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Using a Diamond Broker

How Active is your Lifestyle?

Before purchasing a wedding ring for your man, you want to consider what kind of lifestyle that he leads. If your husband works with his hands, doing some kind of manual labor or construction work, then a harder type of metal might be better for you than a softer metal.

The softer metal rings, such as gold, will show scratches or dents rather easily and gemstones could be knocked out. If your man has a desk job or some other low impact lifestyle and job, then either kind of ring should work fine. But, if you lead a really active lifestyle and want to have the extra bling, just tell him to take it off while he is at work.

What can you Afford?

Chances are, with a wedding in your near future, your budget is probably going to be pretty limited. So it might be a good idea to shop around and see what kinds of deals you can find. There are many types of metals for wedding rings such as tungsten and titanium that are cheaper than gold, and they still look great. A plain gold band is pretty popular, and not too expensive depending on carat weight. So be sure to look at all of your options and some different styles before committing yourself to a men’s wedding ring.

Want to Make a Statement?

Some guys don’t want the everyday wedding band that is so popular. So if you’re bold and want to make a statement, titanium and tungsten wedding bands can come in a variety of colors, from vibrant to the more masculine shades. Also, gemstones are another possible addition to men’s wedding rings to help his wedding ring stand out from the rest. But if your guy is a simple, no frills kind of guy then perhaps a plain gold wedding band, or even a band with a small amount of detail may be better for you. If he has a certain theme or background that is very special to him, there are lots of men’s wedding rings with specialty designs, such as Celtic wedding rings, Irish, with crosses, and much more.

Depending on whatever your answer is to these questions listed above, there is a wedding ring out there that is perfect for your and your husband. But if you’ve been looking on the Internet and in some local jewelry shops and still haven’t found the perfect ring for your man, then you may want to consider finding a jeweler who will customize the perfect wedding band for you. Your husband will appreciate the extra thought and effort you put in to find him a great wedding ring.

Wedding Planning Budget Guide will help you save money on your wedding.

Choose the Perfect Men’s Wedding Ring

There are four basic areas that professionals look at when they are inspecting a diamond to determine it’s grade. One of them, diamond clarity, is something that I discussed in greater detail in my previous article, What is a Diamond Clarity Scale? I was going to do an article on each of the other three classifications that a diamond is given, but have decided instead to simply cover the rest of them in this article.

So, for just a quick overview of yesterday’s post, diamond clarity is basically a measurement of how clear the diamond is and if it is free from any kinds of inclusions or other blemishes that take away from the natural beauty of a diamond.

Diamond Carat

If you really don’t know anything about diamonds, then first off you should probably understand what a carat is. It’s not a vegetable that grows in the ground loved by the famed Bugs Bunny. A carat is a unit of measurement that professionals use to classify the weight, or size, of each diamond. For those of you who love trivia, a carat is actually 1/5 of a gram and 1/142 of an ounce.

Diamond Cut

The diamond cut is another important aspect in classifying a diamond. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not talking about the shape a diamond is once it’s cut. Princess cut diamonds are not more or less valuable than round cut diamonds. The diamond cut tells us about the shape and proportions of a diamond. The way that is it cut is essential to how beautiful the stone is. If the cut is poor, the diamond will lack any sparkle.

Diamond Color

When I was growing up, I thought that all diamonds were white and clear, but I was wrong. Not all diamonds are colorless. As diamonds are being formed in the earth, they become colored when certain elements or chemicals mix with the carbon. Colorless diamonds are actually pretty rare (making them ultra-expensive). Like the diamond clarity scale in my previous article, diamonds are placed into grades for the amount of color being in each one. Each diamond is ranked by letters depending on their colors as follows: letters D-F are considered colorless making them expensive and rare. Then, the letters go all the way down to Z, which is a visibly tinted diamond of really low quality.

Once you get an idea of what kind of diamond you can afford and what kind of diamond you want to buy for your engagement ring, then it’s time to start shopping. As you’re shopping always be sure to ask for the different grades of the diamond while you are looking.

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Diamond Carat, Color and Cut

The 4 C’s to Choosing a Diamond

Back in the early 1950’s, the diamond industry set up a set of guidelines for grading and rating a diamond. The grading system ended up as it is today, with a GIA rating system. This system grades a diamond based off of 4 basic qualities. They are: clarity, cut, carat and color. I feel that each area is too important to simply leave to giving you a quick description of them, and thus have decided to make this a little mini-series. As you can tell from the title, I’ve decided to discuss the clarity aspect first.

What is Diamond Clarity?

Diamond clarity is basically the quality of diamonds in relation to the existence and visual appearance of internal characteristics of a diamond.

These characteristics are called inclusions and other surface defects called blemishes. Inclusions may be crystals of a foreign material or structural imperfections such as tiny cracks that can appear cloudy in the diamond. Diamonds are viewed under a 10x magnification to look for any inclusions or blemishes to determine the diamond clarity scale the stone should be placed under.

What is the Diamond Clarity Scale?

The GIA diamond clarity scale has six main categories and eleven different grades within those categories. Don’t worry, the grading system really isn’t that complicated, and it’s easy enough to understand for someone just shopping for a diamond. So, here we go.

(F) Flawless- as mentioned above, flawless diamonds have no inclusions or blemishes visible under 10x magnification. Flawless gemstones are rare, and thus the most expensive.

(IF) Internally Flawless - Internal flawless diamonds have no inclusions visible at 10x magnification, though there may be some very slight external flaws.

(VVSI) Very Very Slightly Included #1 - This grade of diamond implies that there are some very very slight inclusions in the diamond that are extremely hard to locate under 10x magnification.

(VVS2) Very Very Slightly Included #2 - This grade of diamond has some inclusions that are very difficult to find under 10x magnification.

(VS1) Very Slightly Included #1 - Minor inclusions have been found that are difficult to locate at the high magnification level.

(VS2) Very Slightly Included #2 - Minor inclusions that are somewhat difficult to find at 10x.

(SI1) Slightly Included #1 - This grade on the diamond clarity scale indicates that that there are noticeable inclusions in the diamond that can be moderately easily seen with 10x magnification.

(SI2) Slightly Included #2 - Inclusions are easy to find under 10x.

(I1) Included #1 - Obvious inclusions in the diamond are somewhat easy to find without the magnification.

(I2) Included #2 - Obvious inclusions that are easy to locate with the naked eye.

(I3) Included #3 - Obvious inclusions that are very easy to locate with the naked eye.

Who Assigns a Diamond Clarity Scale?

There are professional grading agencies which house many trained professional are the ones who assign the diamond to a particular group on the diamond clarity scale. They look at the size of the inclusions, the position of the inclusion, the nature of the inclusions, and much more. Just rest assured that if your diamond comes with a certified GIA diamond report, you’re in good hands with the diamond you purchase. An added word of advice - if the words clarity enhanced or fracture filled appear on the report, the report is a phony because the GIA won’t register these ‘repaired’ diamonds.

Wedding Planning Budget Guide will help you save money on your wedding.

What is a Diamond Clarity Scale?