RingSpotters

And How About Color?

Diamonds occur in every color -  from whites to pinks, to steel greys and blues, to blacks.  I've always found it to be counter-intuitive that "color" refers to the grading scale of a "colorless" or "white" diamond.  So here's the scoop..

• The majority of diamonds are "colorless" or "white" and they are considered to be in the normal color range. In fact for every 10,000 "white" diamonds, there will be one naturally colored one.  
• Gemological Institute of America (GIA) uses the color scale to measure the degree of yellowness in a "white" diamond. 
• The rarest and most highly valued diamond is one that is absolutely colorless - with no hint of yellow. 
• A lettering system from D to Z is used to identify the amount of color present in each diamond, with D awarded only to rare, totally colorless diamonds.
• In order to be graded, the diamond needs to be a loose stone. This is because the metal of the setting can affect the color 

    
 Quick tip: If you are considering a platinum or white gold setting, consider a diamond in the D-G range.  Yellow gold will be much more forgiving to a less than colorless stone. However, regardless of the setting, the diamond will start to appear yellow if the color grade is lower than about J.

Spiral Diamond Ring

Wow. This ring is definitely not one for all tastes, but its the type of ring where if you see it from afar, you absolutely must take a look up close. When we saw the photo, it just about knocked our socks off - we had never seen anything like it!

 Cut: Round Brilliant

 

RingSpotters: A Boracay Wedding

Today we have a special posting about a bride whose ring was one of the first to be featured on Ringspotters. To complement her two stone heirloom engagement ring, she chose an elegant and stunning infinity band for her wedding ring (pictured below).  The wedding took place on May 15, 2010 on the beautiful island of Boracay in the Philippines. She sent us some artistic shots of the bride and groom rings, as well as some spectacular shots of the ceremony, which we couldn't help but share with you.

Picture this:  Vows exchanged amidst the beautiful ocean backdrop at sunset, the soft pastel hues of the wedding party, and a sunkissed bride in an elegant lace couture gown and heirloom jewels.

The wedding was picture perfect!

 

Hearts on Fire Envelop Twist Solitaire Engagement Ring + Wedding Band

RingSpotters is officially obsessed with Hearts on Fire stones and we have a fabulous one for you to admire today! This ring which features a unique twisted pave band, belongs to a lovely bride who will be getting married this August in Hawaii. She also happens to be entered in the Hearts on Fire "My Perfect Moment" contest, so be sure to click here and vote for her!  

Don't you love how this sparkles even under the building's shade?

 

Engagement Ring:

Cut: Round brilliant Hearts on Fire Envelope Twist Solitaire

Carat: 1.326 ctw, Center (0.906ct, Ideal cut, VS2 clarity, G color) and 48 small round brilliant diamonds (.42 ctw, VS clarity, G color).

Setting: 18 karat white gold and diamond engagement ring

Jeweler: The Wedding Ring Shop (Honolulu, HI)

 

Wedding Band

Cut: Round Brilliant Hearts on Fire Repertoire Select Band

Carat: 17 small round brilliant diamonds (0.25 ctw, VS clarity, G color).

Setting: 18 karat white gold and diamond wedding band

Jeweler: The Wedding Ring Shop (Honolulu, HI)

An Engagement Story:  "I received this from my fiance a couple days before Valentine's Day, so I guess you can say it was an early Valentine's Day present!  The stardust this ring makes is so distracting, I'm afraid to drive by myself!  We will be getting married in August 2010 in Hawaii."

 

What is Clarity Anyway?

If you ask 100 people on the street what "clarity" in a diamond means, people might throw out a "VS" here and a "SI2" there, but I'd venture to say that even they would not really be able to define it. It's true, clarity might not be the most important "C", but its still worth understanding, so here are the 5 things you need to know about clarity.

- Diamonds are formed deep within the earth under extreme heat and pressure and during this formation process can develop gray or white marks internally, which are called inclusions
- Diamonds can also develop external blemishes from the cutting and polishing process 
- The clarity of a diamond refers to these "birthmarks", and diamonds are rated under heavy magnification on a scale from Flawless to Very Slight Inclusions to Obvious Inclusions. 
- The majority of diamonds have slight or very slight inclusions and blemishes that are not visible to the naked, untrained eye, which is why clarity is typically not a "C" that affects the beauty or brilliance
- Remember that rarity affects a diamonds value, and flawless diamonds are extremely rare...and expensive

 

Emerald Cut Ring on Yellow Gold Setting

This week we have featured various square cuts - the asscher and radiant cuts. Today we feature another square cut - the emerald cut.  Also known as a "step" cut, the emerald cut resembles the steps of a staircase.  Originally, the cut was used on emeralds, but its sophisticated appearance quickly led it to be a popular choice for diamonds as well. Although not as fiery as the round brilliant, the emerald cut has a very sleek and classic appeal.

Today's ring belong to a bride whose emerald cut center stone is surrounded by a halo of round brilliants and a band of pear shaped diamonds.  Set in the traditional yellow gold setting, the ring is a classic and timeless beauty with a vintage flair to it.

Cut: Emerald Cut center stone with pear and round brilliants

Setting: Yellow Gold

Three Stone Radiant Cut Engagement Ring + Infinity Wedding Band

Today's ring comes from a San Francisco bride of 2 years who loves the elegance of a square cut diamond but also the sparkle in brilliant cuts. The radiant cut combines the two features.  Her engagement ring is a beautiful three stone radiant on platinum complemented by a dazzling infinity band of radiants. This ensemble just sparkles every time she moves her hand.  We love radiants!

 

 
Cut: Radiant cut center and side stones (side stones are trapezoid)
Carat: Center stone 2.25 carats; side stones .5 each
Setting: Custom "U" setting with design etched on band
Jeweler: Khoren at Ritz Jewelers, San Francisco 
A Jewelry Story: "I fell in love with radiant cuts when I was hoping to get engaged... I was pleasantly surprised when my now husband proposed...he was actually listening when I mentioned this throughout our 3 year courtship!"

Halo Asscher Cut Engagement Ring with Pave + Wedding Band

Today's gorgeous ring belongs to a bride married in September of 2009. When she got engaged, her fiance presented her with this stunning Asscher diamond in a simple setting, and together they went to a jeweler to reset the setting into something more unique.  We love asscher cuts as they are known to draw the eye to the diamond.  An asscher is a "stepped square cut", often called the "square emerald cut", with trimmed corners like the emerald cut.

 Cut: Asccher

Carat: 1.1 center, 1.5 carats for rest of the ring  (including the band--the ring has diamonds on all three sides). 

Clarity: VVS1.

Jeweler: Chabos

 A Jewelry Story: "For the setting--we wanted to have a lot of light available to come from underneath the diamond, because asschers aren't really sparkly without light.  My fiance felt it was most important to have a really clear view into asscher diamonds (he did a lot of research beforehand).   It was cool--when the jeweler set my stone, he brought me back to his workshop and I got to see him do his thing. I liked the way my fiance handled everything, because I was completely surprised, got a gorgeous diamond, and have the setting I created in my mind."

An Engagement Story: "We spent the day in Tiburon and it was absolutely gorgeous.  We took the ferry back to the city and walked along Embarcadero.  At some point, we decided to sit down in a park and just chat.  He started talking about how amazing our relationship was, and I was in complete agreement, just having a really good conversation.  Suddenly, he was on one knee and transitioned the conversation into a proposal.  I had NO idea this was coming and was 100% shocked!  He had the ring with him the entire day and didn't let on at all.  Somehow, he managed to have an overnight bag packed for both of us, a bottle of Dom Perignon, and a hotel suite at Union Square!  It was a perfect day and an unbelievable evening--I'll never forget how I felt.  I think the most incredible part is how he managed to keep such a big secret from me!  An investigator!  Honestly, it was one of the best three days of my life (our wedding was another, and finding out I was pregnant was the third...you know, our first date ranks up there pretty high, too).  I am guessing that the day I have my baby will turn out to be pretty much number one, soon enough!"

A Word about "Cuts"

Last week, I broke down what a Carat was and why it's such an important part of the ring buying process. Today, I want to talk about the other important "C", the Cut. The "Cut" can be confusing because it refers to both proportion and shape - and we typically associate this "C" with the shape.

The Shape of the stone is exactly that -- the outward outline of the finished stone.  Here's a great visual of the most popular ones...

(coming soon!)

There are actually a number of "fancy" cut diamond shapes - a few of which we have never heard of, so if you want to see what a "Lily", "Flanders Ideal Square" or a "Rising Star" cut looks like, check out this link.

The Cut, however, is almost more important because a diamond that is well cut brings out the maximum amount of light, brilliance and beauty. A deep understanding of proportions, angles and a high level of precision goes into cutting a diamond. When it's cut too deep or too shallow, the light that enters through the top of the ring escapes through the bottom or side, leaving it looking less than dazzling.

Different shapes will obviously have different facets and are cut differently, so the two are very closely tied together.

Here's a look again at two of the most perfectly cut diamonds - the "hearts on fire" and "hearts and arrows" cuts. Their perfect symmetry creates such dazzling patterns. Incredible huh?

 L-R -  Hearts on Fire Diamond, Hearts & Arrows Diamond

 

Diamond Floral Cocktail Ring

This ring is definitely a statement piece, and a beautiful one it is!  The ring is made up of 79 round brilliants set in a floral pattern, with center stones set higher than the petals.  Out of all the floral design rings we we have featured, this one sets itself apart because it is completely diamond studded. I wonder if they have a pair of matching earrings? Fantastic!

Cut: Round Brilliant

Setting: 79 round brilliants set in a floral design

Update: We swear we didn't have this in our back pocket..but the reader who sent us the ring did have matching earrings!!  Feast your eyes..