I recently got engaged to my girlfriend and have been writing a number of articles on purchasing engagement rings. When you go to purchase a ring you will most likely buy the setting and the stone separately. While there are many stones that you can have placed in your ring setting it is likely you will choose a diamond. To help you find the best value here is how to understand the quality of a diamond and what aspects are most important. Diamond quality is measured according to the 4Cs which are Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat.
White diamonds portray a lack of color (If you choose chocolate diamonds or something similar the color scale will not apply). The ratings system runs on a scale from D all the way to Z (including all the letters in between). There are a five categories of diamond color within this scale: Colorless (D,E, F), Near Colorless (G, H, I, J), Faint Yellow (K,L, M), Very Light Yellow (N, O, P, Q, R) and Light yellow (S-Z).
AS you try to decide the kinds of things you want to do with your family for recreation, you can look into the many opportunities out of doors. From camping and hiking to boating, there are many opportunities available to the outdoor adventurer that will lead to awesome experiences, and even more awesome memories.
This one is more personal and there really is no rule here other than pleasing your girlfriend. It used to be said that two months' salary was the right amount but ignore folklore and look at your finances. It probably is not worth going into debt just to begin a marriage but it is up to you. Knowing your spending limit will help you when making decisions later.
Before you hit the streets jump onto your computer. The internet makes this process ten times easier than it otherwise would be. First make a list of all the diamond stores in your area along with the urls for each. I did this on an excel sheet. Visit each online store to look at the inventory that they have along with the prices. If they do not meet your needs drop them off the list. As a side note, many stores will have more inventory online than in their physical store. If they have warranty information about their rings read through these making sure they include what you want, free 6-month cleanings/inspections and yearly rhodium dips are generally standard.
With your now much smaller list of stores take off work during a weekday (Saturday store hours are limited ironically) and visit each store. Tell the sales rep what you are looking for and have you show her what they have that meets your qualifications. Write down notes about the rings, their prices, and any deals that are offered. Also ask details about the warranty offered on the ring. Check if the warranty offers insurance, if it does not consider including the ring in your home insurance policy. Be aware that the prices listed for rings are usually just the setting and you will need to pay for a stone as well.
Diamonds that are too shallow (larger surface area and shallow depth) will have light travel straight through the diamond without reflection. If the diamond is conversely too deep the light will enter the diamond and then be refracted to the side out of the bottom of the stone. The ideal diamond will reflect the light entering the stone back up to your eye. Ideal diamonds have an equal mix of light and dark portions when looked straight down on the diamond. Poorer diamonds will be either very dark or a bland light color.
The easiest to understand carat simply refers to the weight of the stone. Each carat can be subdivided into 100 points. Each point matches up to the hundredth of the decimal. A diamond .35 carat diamond is a thirty-five pointer. Not surprisingly larger diamonds are more rare and more valuable. A note to make is that carat weights that are exactly the following (.5 carat, 1 carat, 1.5 carat, 2 carat, etc.) can be very expensive. However, if you have carat weight that is slightly off one of these exact measurements the diamond will be much cheaper. If you are worried more about the size of the stone you can search for stones based on top surface area measured in millimeters, (but remember having a shallow or deep diamond will affect the brilliance of the diamond).
So as you decide on buying a boat, remember to consider all of the costs it will include. Looking for auto insurance in Lakewood, CA will help you to understand the cost that goes into keeping a boat.
White diamonds portray a lack of color (If you choose chocolate diamonds or something similar the color scale will not apply). The ratings system runs on a scale from D all the way to Z (including all the letters in between). There are a five categories of diamond color within this scale: Colorless (D,E, F), Near Colorless (G, H, I, J), Faint Yellow (K,L, M), Very Light Yellow (N, O, P, Q, R) and Light yellow (S-Z).
AS you try to decide the kinds of things you want to do with your family for recreation, you can look into the many opportunities out of doors. From camping and hiking to boating, there are many opportunities available to the outdoor adventurer that will lead to awesome experiences, and even more awesome memories.
This one is more personal and there really is no rule here other than pleasing your girlfriend. It used to be said that two months' salary was the right amount but ignore folklore and look at your finances. It probably is not worth going into debt just to begin a marriage but it is up to you. Knowing your spending limit will help you when making decisions later.
Before you hit the streets jump onto your computer. The internet makes this process ten times easier than it otherwise would be. First make a list of all the diamond stores in your area along with the urls for each. I did this on an excel sheet. Visit each online store to look at the inventory that they have along with the prices. If they do not meet your needs drop them off the list. As a side note, many stores will have more inventory online than in their physical store. If they have warranty information about their rings read through these making sure they include what you want, free 6-month cleanings/inspections and yearly rhodium dips are generally standard.
With your now much smaller list of stores take off work during a weekday (Saturday store hours are limited ironically) and visit each store. Tell the sales rep what you are looking for and have you show her what they have that meets your qualifications. Write down notes about the rings, their prices, and any deals that are offered. Also ask details about the warranty offered on the ring. Check if the warranty offers insurance, if it does not consider including the ring in your home insurance policy. Be aware that the prices listed for rings are usually just the setting and you will need to pay for a stone as well.
Diamonds that are too shallow (larger surface area and shallow depth) will have light travel straight through the diamond without reflection. If the diamond is conversely too deep the light will enter the diamond and then be refracted to the side out of the bottom of the stone. The ideal diamond will reflect the light entering the stone back up to your eye. Ideal diamonds have an equal mix of light and dark portions when looked straight down on the diamond. Poorer diamonds will be either very dark or a bland light color.
The easiest to understand carat simply refers to the weight of the stone. Each carat can be subdivided into 100 points. Each point matches up to the hundredth of the decimal. A diamond .35 carat diamond is a thirty-five pointer. Not surprisingly larger diamonds are more rare and more valuable. A note to make is that carat weights that are exactly the following (.5 carat, 1 carat, 1.5 carat, 2 carat, etc.) can be very expensive. However, if you have carat weight that is slightly off one of these exact measurements the diamond will be much cheaper. If you are worried more about the size of the stone you can search for stones based on top surface area measured in millimeters, (but remember having a shallow or deep diamond will affect the brilliance of the diamond).
So as you decide on buying a boat, remember to consider all of the costs it will include. Looking for auto insurance in Lakewood, CA will help you to understand the cost that goes into keeping a boat.
About the Author:
Neighbors Plus Insurance Services has been independently owned and locally operated, to ensure that the needs of our community are being met. We work hard to ensure that our clients in Lakewood and Southern California are able to have the most affordable and reliable insurance choices available.
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