Diamond Engagement Rings Specialist

Last year, there was a sharp drop in diamond shares because people weren’t buying as many diamond rings or diamond jewellery as before. The common man tightened his belt with the onset of the recession and the first thing to be hit was the luxury items, seeing a drop in diamond stock rates. Now suddenly, all that looks set for change and people are going out and buying diamond rings and jewellery again with the market recovery. So diamond stocks are expected to reflect that and start going up soon too.

Right now might be a good time to invest in diamond stocks as a lot of diamond mining companies are being traded at much less than their actual value – something that won’t happen for too long. With demand of diamonds slated to go up in the months to come, the stocks will too. According to the experts, investing in companies that are already producing diamonds rather than ones in the exploration stage might be a good idea.

More and more men seem to think that it’s only fair that they get an engagement ring too. And if it’s a diamond ring, all the better. For one thing, men are wearing a lot more jewellery today and for another, why should only the man do the spending, seems to be the sentiment.

For too long perhaps, men have done all the spending, even the very expensive engagement ring. However, with women earning as well, it’s time, men feel, that they, too, start paying and what better way to begin that with an expensive ring. According to famous jeweller H. Samuel, there’s a steadily increasing demand for men’s engagement rings today – also called ‘mengagement rings’. So we’re guessing that more and more women will start proposing to men now.

All jewellery made of palladium will have to be hallmarked in the UK and from the 1st of January this year, that rule has come into effect if the jewellery contains anything more than one gram of palladium. Here in the UK, it has been possible to keep the standard of metals high thanks to this compulsory requirement of hallmarking.

For years now, silver, gold and platinum have been hallmarked and now it’s the turn of palladium which is gaining in popularity. It looks a lot like platinum but it is nowhere as expensive so hallmarking it removes the possibility of it being passed off for the more expensive metal. The hallmarking will have three things – the sponsor’s mark, the mark of how pure it is and the town mark.

Ashley Cole was woken up at night with sounds of a disturbance. Apparently thieves were trying to force their way into the couple’s mansion through a window. So speculation is on as to what they hoped to make away with and the conclusion seems to be the diamond rings that Ashley gave Cheryl. The rings that she is supposed to have left behind when she went off on Los Angeles.

The rings are supposed to be valued at £310,000. She has two high-priced diamond rings – one is her engagement ring valued at £150,000 and the second diamond ring that is valued at £160,000 which Ashley gave her when the press started writing about his extra-marital affair. However, when rumours of more affairs started doing the rounds, Cheryl took the rings off and hasn’t been wearing them since.

A diamond has long been revered as an object of beauty, a symbol of purity and eternity and a treasure to be valued. As an expression of love and commitment, it has no rivals.

Diamond Rings – is there an Old Tradition?

There seems to be a general rule that an engagement ring should be worth two months of your salary. What you need to know is that this “tradition” is an invention by a huge advertising campaign run by De Beers after World War II. The diamond market had depreciated during the war years, and it was imperative to revive diamond sales. The hugely successful slogan “A Diamond is Forever” was launched and established the diamond ring as a necessity for modern day betrothal.

Research for this campaign also revealed another way to promote the diamond. It could also signify, in a very visible manner, how successful a man was materially. The size of the diamond would be the proof - a very neat sales gimmick that was quickly adopted by every haughty diamond salesman to sell the most expensive ring he possibly could to the customer. Knowing this, we can safely put that little rule away. Even if you are rich as Croesus, how much to spend on a diamond engagement ring is an entirely individual and personal decision. Only you know your income, your budget, your plans for the future and your relationship with your fiancée-to-be.

Diamond Rings – is there a Particular Style?

Another myth is the “solitaire diamond engagement ring” – no doubt, the solitaires in the pictures used in conjunction with the above advertising campaign sank into the subconscious of the masses, to the delight of diamantaires everywhere. A solitaire is always more expensive than smaller diamonds combined to equal it in weight. If a solitaire does fit in your budget, then it is only a question of finding the right stone.

You do definitely need to educate yourself about diamonds. The four Cs are cut, clarity, colour and carat and these guidelines decide the price of the stone. If size is important, than you could consider a cut other than round, as round cut diamonds appear smaller, being greater in depth. There are settings that enhance the size of the stone and jewellers do make prettier and more decorative settings for smaller stones. If the compromise is to be on clarity, then the recommended cut is a brilliant, as these cuts manage to hide minor inclusions (flaws). Purely colourless or “white” diamonds are rare and therefore highly expensive. So should you find a size and cut of diamond that you do really like, and which fits the budget, then a gold setting may be the answer, as gold always makes diamonds look whiter.

Diamond Rings – is there Another Way?

There are girls who like to be “surprised”, and then there are girls who would love to help select a ring that they plan to wear for the rest of their lives. If your intended is happy to be on the buying team, many decisions become easier. Once the budget is decided, the actual shopping can begin.

People have different ideas about romance and what it stands for in their lives. But whatever the notions about the concept of romance, it is almost always accompanied by diamond. Diamond rings are considered to be the epitome of romance. You really can’t go wrong with a diamond ring.

Diamond Rings and Romance

Diamond rings are romantic and that is the plain and simple truth. No lady of any age can resist the romantic implications of a diamond ring or the lure of a diamond ring. From the guy’s side, no proposal is complete if it does not have a diamond ring to accompany it. It’s the one thing that can make or break your romantic proposal. You have set the scene, you have the most amazing location, the best cuisine and you have the most amazing diamond ring to accompany what your eyes, your lips and your heart are saying sans words. Your diamond ring says it all.

Diamond Ring: Select the Best

Diamond rings come in a range of designs, patterns, and carat weight to suit your pocket and in beautiful settings using gold and platinum. Your choice of a diamond ring should be one which will complement your lady’s personality and individual style statement. If you have planned your romantic proposal to be a complete surprise then you will have to take a chance on the size but don’t let that put you off your stride. There is a wide variety to choose from and there are designs to suit every types of person.

Look for patterns like geometrical patterns, flowers, clusters, the alphabet her name starts with, the alphabet your name starts with, or a full ring of diamonds. The sky is the limit and your imagination too. Make your romantic proposal the most romantic proposal ever, give her the best diamond ring, the one she never expected you to even consider and watch the sparkle of diamonds in her eyes.

Diamond Ring: Presented with Panache

Probably the most romantic and popular proposal in the world is the one where the lady finds the ring at the bottom of her champagne flute. But of course there are many other ways to present your diamond ring to your lady love. Hiding it in a dessert might be foolhardy but what you could do is to do the traditional thing of going down on one knee – just choose a venue that is romantic. It could have musicians playing a serenade, it could be up in a cable car, it could be on a helicopter ride or a boat ride to a romantic island, it could even be while you are both out rock climbing. Choose a place you know she will love and go with it!

Diamonds have long held an incredible fascination for man ever since it was discovered all those years ago. Naturally this fascination led to more and more people gravitating towards mining for diamonds. The quest for diamonds led man to many a rare find and soon they started forming the basis for museums. Today some of the best diamond rings and jewellery can be seen in diamond museums like the ones in Amsterdam, Bruges Belgium, the Harry Oppenheimer diamond museum in Israel, the diamond museum of Antwerp and last but not the least the famous Mouawad Legacy Collection.

Diamond Rings: the Diamond Museum at Antwerp

For simply eons now Antwerp has been the Diamond Centre of the World. It comes as no surprise that the biggest Diamond Museum in the world is located here. This is a museum with a difference as its aim is to involve the viewer’s senses in the very mystical but magnificent world of diamonds. The combination of “image” and “sound” and the audio visual guide ensures that you absorb the museum and all that it has to offer at your own pace. In Antwerp are some of the best polishers in the world. In Antwerp you will find some of the best the diamond rings the industry has to offer.

Diamond Rings: The Diamond Museum for the Mouawad Legacy Collection

In Beirut, Lebanon, you will find the Robert Mouawad Private Museum. The Mouawad Legacy collection is not just an excellent collection of diamonds but it is the one collection that pays tribute and homage to the world’s most beautiful discovery ever, the Diamond. Diamond rings are part of any diamond collection and the Mouawad collection is no exception. Many jewellers feel proud to include their exquisite pieces of diamond jewellery in the Mouawad Legacy collection. Such is the power of this collection.

Diamond Rings at the Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum

Refurbished, redesigned and redone to ensure that anyone looking in will know without a doubt that here is Israel’s contribution to the magical world of diamonds. The Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum takes its visitors into the world of diamonds and its journey from the core of the earth to its final destination - you. Here you will find diamond rings and jewellery that will blind you with their brilliance. Some of the most gorgeous flawless solitaires can be seen here and they compare to none in cut, carat, colour and clarity.

Diamond Rings in the Diamond Museum Bruges Belgium

The diamond museum at Bruges is the newest of the five big diamond museums in the world today. This city holds the unique distinction of being the place where the art of polishing diamonds for rings and various other pieces of fabulous jewellery was invented way back in the 15th century by a local goldsmith by the name of Lodewijk van Berquem. Today the museum is home to a rare replica of Margaret of York’s crown which had been handmade in Bruges.

They say diamonds are forever and the truth is that here is one stone which does last forever. The word “forever” is almost always associated with love and romance and all its ramifications. Diamond rings are considered the epitome of love and romance. Even the most simple of proposals gets that extra advantage when accompanied by a beautiful diamond ring. If you are considering buying a diamond ring you could consider a solitaire.

The Diamond Ring: The Solitaire

The solitaire is the most perfect and the most beautiful in the entire diamond family. It is the one stone that can hold its own in any setting, any design and on any hand. Diamond rings come in many shapes, sizes, designs and patterns but the solitaire is the only one which can make a statement on its own. Diamonds are found in a range of colours too but the solitaire by itself reflects all the colours of the rainbow and others in its multifaceted persona. No diamond ring can compete with a solitaire and if you are thinking of proposing to your lady love then look no further than a solitaire.

The Diamond Ring: The Perfect Solitaire

The perfect solitaire is one which comes with all the four Cs in place. The four Cs are the Cut, the Clarity, the Colour and the Carat. The Cut should be such that light comes in from the top, reflects all around and is dispersed back through the top. This brings out the beauty of your solitaire to its best. The colours of diamonds range from no colour to white to pale yellow apart from all the colours of the rainbow. The best solitaire is considered to be the one which has no colour at all. Clarity is the third C to be looked at while selecting the perfect solitaire. Flaws and blemishes on the surface of the stone affect the clarity so the fewer the flaws the better the quality of the diamond. And last, but not least, Carat or the weight of the diamond. The higher the carat, the higher is its rarity factor and of course its value. One carat is 100 points so if you are looking at a diamond that weighs in at, say, 68 points then its weight is 0.68 carats.

The Diamond Ring: A Solitaire Says It All

Accompany your romantic proposal with a diamond solitaire and you need not put into words what your lady love means to you. Here is one diamond ring that will ring true for many years to come and no girl forgets the time she was proposed to with a solitaire.

Today the diamond has become a symbol of love, of being pampered, of making your own style statement and of course a status symbol. Diamond rings have carved their own niche in the world of jewellery and precious stones, gold, silver and various other ornaments. Today a diamond ring signifies a proposal of marriage, a proposal of together forever, a declaration of commitment, a declaration of love unfettered and true.

Diamond Rings: Fashion Shows Of the World

Today the best way to display your collection of diamond rings and other diamond jewellery is to have fashion shows. Some of the leading names in diamond fashion shows are the Beverly Hills Diamond Fashion Show held every year during the Annual Awards Season, the Victoria’s Secret Diamond Fashion Show where diamonds are used with a difference which include their line of lingerie, the Gini Diamond Fashion Show to name a few. Diamond fashion shows are held so jewellers can display some of their best pieces on some of the most beautiful ladies in the world of modelling. They can carry diamond rings and other diamond jewellery with style and confidence, luring one and all towards the shine and sparkle of some of the best diamonds in the world today.

Diamond Rings: Displayed To Their Best

Diamond jewellery is seen on many famous celebrities in diamond fashion shows the world over. Last year, during the 7th annual awards season’s diamond fashion show preview there were many who wore their diamonds with panache and élan and literally took everyone’s breath away. Some of the really amazing pieces were the Mont Blanc over £3 million necklace and earrings set which left everyone gasping. Then there were the diamond rings and other pieces worn to the best of their advantage by many other celebrities.

Diamond Rings: Diamonds With A Difference

Victoria’s Secret uses diamonds in its very alluring fantasy bra which has no less than 800 carats and over 2000 diamonds used. The range has flawless diamonds in all its diamond lingerie. When you’re thinking of a special gift for the lady in your life, why not try something a little different, a little over the top, a little off the beaten track, why not add it to a diamond ring and see the real sparkle, unmatched by any diamond, in her eyes? Mont Blanc too sets its diamonds in settings which defy imagination and can only leave the viewer wondering what comes next. No fashion show is complete without Mont Blanc’s signature diamond jewellery.

Think diamonds and you usually think of a huge outlay. Diamonds just have the smell of money and luxury about them and most common people wonder if they can really afford them. Just a small one for a diamond engagement ring is what many people think about and rarely beyond. However, with a little bit of looking around and maybe a bit of luck, you will be surprised that you can pick up diamonds and diamond rings at a bargain too.

Diamond Rings: Don’t Pay For The Overheads

The trouble with exclusive diamond stores is that they also have highly priced diamond rings. These stores just smell of money and one reason why you can safely avoid them if you are on a budget buying venture is that in all probability, you will be paying not just for the diamonds but the overheads too. That’s just the way it goes – it’s nobody’s fault really and if those stores have to survive paying the exorbitant outlays on their premises, they need to charge the customer. So choose a less expensive neighbourhood as well as a smaller establishment and pay for your diamond, not the overheads.

Diamond Rings: Second Hand Bargains

You might just get lucky at pawn shops or second hand sales. If someone is in a hurry to sell – say they are moving or disposing of a relative’s possessions, you might get a great bargain. You could also try your hand at bargaining at these places because very often, the person concerned does not want to waste time and wants the sale concluded as soon as possible. He or she will also be aware that to get a buyer for old jewellery might be tough unless it is an antique so they will be willing to come down on the price. So you might end up picking up a diamond ring at two-thirds of its actual value!

Diamond Rings: Online Deals

The best place to shop would probably be online where the seller has hardly any overheads and he has a range to sell. You also have the option of looking through a whole lot of designs in the price range you want at a whole lot of diamond sites. When you have such a choice and the right price, it really adds up to being the best place to buy. Just remember to check the seller’s authenticity and make sure to check out his registration. Once you do that, you can be assured that you will be getting possibly the best deal there is.

Whatever place you choose, just remember that diamonds need not be outside your reach – you can get a bargain on diamonds too if only you know the right place to look.

So much has been said about the diamond – that it is hard, that nothing will destroy it – after all it is millions of years old and it could well go on for billions more! However tough you might imagine diamonds to be, just remember that you can damage them. So here’s a quick list of how to keep your diamonds great with a few ‘don’ts’.

Diamond Rings: Don’t Forget To Set Them Securely

That’s the first commandment when it comes to diamonds in diamond rings. The metal has to be hard enough to keep the diamonds in place and the choice of setting has to be one that is best suited for the size and shape of diamond. If you are not careful about this, your diamond could fall off at any point of time and that would be an expensive loss. Not to mention a sentimental one if it happens to be your diamond engagement ring. The thing is, most diamonds are on engagement rings which are worn continuously so the setting needs to be very secure indeed to make sure it stays safe.

Diamond Rings: Don’t Forget To Take Them Off

Yes, that’s right – don’t wear your diamonds when you are doing heavy work. Indestructible a diamond may be, but that does not mean that it will not crack. If it is subjected to a heavy blow, it could just crack if there are fractures or cleavages inside it – these might be invisible to the naked eye but they could be the weak spots that take a beating when force is applied. So when you are doing heavy work, the best thing to do would be to keep them off.

Diamond Rings: Not With Other Diamonds

Remember that diamonds can scratch each other so don’t put your diamonds into the same jewellery box. They could just rub against each other and you could end up with scratches on them. Wrap them up and keep them separately so they do not touch each other.

Diamond Rings: Don’t Let The Grease And Grime Accumulate

Diamonds can lose their lustre if they are not cleaned periodically. Cleaning entails two aspects – regular cleaning at home and professional cleaning occasionally. If you allow oil and dirt to accumulate under or around your diamond, it will get dim and dull. This is why it helps to soak it in a gentle detergent whenever it shows the least sign of any dirt and wash it. Soaking dislodges the dirt which you can then rinse out with water. A professional cleaning maybe once a year is a good idea because the jeweller can not only clean it well but also check on the setting to make sure it is secure.