For many men, the only thing more daunting than “’til death do us part” is buying the diamond engagement ring that begins 85 percent of American marriages. There are the pushy salespeople. With new meanings to words such as girdle, pavilion and dispersion, there is almost a new language to learn. And the biggest anxiety-producer? The lingering worry, sometimes even after your beloved sports her new sparkler, that you paid too much for what you got.
The reality, though, is that while each diamond is unique, there are clear guidelines for buying an engagement ring to fit any budget, say many jewelers and diamond experts. And in recent years, consumers have had more opportunities than ever to teach themselves the ins and outs of diamonds before they face a salesperson.
All diamonds may look the same to a novice eye, but there is a big difference in color, clarity, cut and carat–traditionally known as “the Four C’s.” And with those differences come a big difference in price. Those qualities matter, too, because they determine how well the stone will hold its value. (Like gold and most real estate, diamonds do not depreciate.)
Before you lay out big money, said Ladera Ranch, Calif., jeweler Barbara Parker, it’s important to know your intended’s taste in jewelry. She suggests looking at rings in advance or bringing in magazine photos of styles they like. When men come to her showroom to buy any kind of jewelry, she peppers them with questions about the women in their lives.
If you are unsure about what to choose, most jewelers suggest buying the largest, best-quality diamond solitaire ring you can afford, rather than a ring with several low-quality stones.
Nearly all jewelers recommend buying diamonds that come with certificates that authenticate the stone’s characteristics. Most common are certificates from the Gemological Institute of America and the European Gemological Laboratory.
Both are helpful and sometimes necessary for insurance if the jewelry is lost or stolen, but jewelers say GIA certificate guidelines are stricter than EGL’s and carries more weight with insurance companies. “Especially when you get into the diamonds that run into $5,000 and above, it’s wise to go ahead and get that GIA certificate,” said Jerry Davies, with the Personal Insurance Federation, an industry trade group.
Diamond dictionary
A glossary of terms to help you select a diamond:
Brilliance: The combination of all the white-light reflections from the surface and the inside of the stone–it gives a polished diamond its brightness.
Dispersion, or fire: The breaking up of white light into spectral hues and the “rainbow” colors you see when light passes through a prism.
Fancy colored: Any naturally colored diamond with a noticeable depth of color considered to be rare or attractive. Red and green are the rarest fancy colors, followed by purple, violet, orange, blue and pink. Yellow and greenish yellow diamonds are more common.
Finish: The quality of a diamond’s polish, the condition of its girdle and the precision of the cut.
Optical properties: Those characteristics of a gemstone govern its interaction with light.
Points: A point is the unit of weight equal to one one-hundredth of a metric carat (0.01 ct.).
Scintillation or sparkle: Refers to the tiny flashes of light when the diamond, the light source or the observer moves. Sparkle depends on the number, size, position of the facets and quality of the polish.
Shape: Shapes other than the standard round brilliant are called fancy shapes or fancy cuts. Their names are based on their shapes.
SOURCE: GEMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA
Shopping list
When shopping for a diamond:
1. Educate yourself.
You should never shop for a car before doing at least some research. Diamond shopping is no different.
2. Know your budget.
Make sure it’s your budget and not what others would have you believe should be your budget. Diamond retailers say the diamond industry would like consumers to think that the average price or carat size of an engagement ring is one and a half to two times what it really is. Case in point: the average carat weight of an engagement ring is about .8 carats, not 2 carats as the diamond industry says.
3. Be nosy.
You or your intended probably have admired rings of friends, relatives or colleagues. Ask these people for tips on where they shopped, what questions they asked and how much you should expect to spend.
4. Take a close-up look.
Always ask to see the diamond on its own, outside the setting. Ask the jeweler for a loop, or even better, a microscope so you can inspect the stone more closely for imperfections not visible to the naked eye, including inclusions, fractures, black marks, dimensions.
5. See the report card.
Always ask if the diamond comes with a certificate, preferably from the Gemological Institute of America.
6. Simple is best.
When in doubt about the setting, spend your money on the stone and go simple, with a solitaire setting.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Victoria Rodriguez (vrodriguez@tribune.com)
