Become an educated expert in diamonds, jewelry, rings, precious metals like platinum and gold as well as gemstones and pearls. Make the best purchase possible with our comprehensive education pages.
Buying diamonds and jewelry can be an overwhelming experience, but that can always be changed. Understanding a piece’s quality and characteristics is straightforward and simple. You can learn here about diamond shapes, diamond cuts, diamond color, diamond calrity, and diamond carat weight.
Our education pages are designed to answer all your questions. It explains how those characteristics influence appearance, and which are more important than others. Once you're done, you'll know everything you need to find your perfect piece.
RING EDUCATION
SHOPPING FOR A RING
Choosing an engagement or wedding ring is suppose to be one of the most exciting and significant things you'll ever do. The choices can seem endless and the process may seem tiring, but don't be tempted to settle on a ring that's on sale or because it's the last one. Be sure to spend time getting to know what to look for when viewing and trying on different ring settings. After all, this is the only purchase you'll ever make that will be worn everyday, so take a few minutes, read, and help yourself become a smarter engagement ring shopper.
- DIAMOND OF A RING
- DIAMOND OF A RING
- DIAMOND OF A RING
- DIAMOND OF A RING
- DIAMOND OF A RING
DIAMOND OF A OF A RING
The diamond of a ring is a very important key factor when you are searching for your dream ring, it is key to pay attention to the diamonds that are set in it. If you want the maximum beauty and brilliance out of your ring, you want the side diamonds to all match for clarity, color, and cut, so you cannot visibly see a difference. This will get your ring pretty much noticed across from anywhere.
CHANNELS
Wanting to show off your new ring and the way your diamonds are channel set should be comfortable for you to do when everything matches right! If the diamonds are set unevenly or with gaps, the diamonds will fall out or rub together and chip each other. When choosing a ring with channel-set diamonds you also wat the channel diamonds to match as well, so, look at the ring under a 10 power Gemscope, so you can see the precision in the setting, to know you are getting a ring you will be thrilled to show off.
POLISH OF A RING
The polish of a ring is also important and it is vital to have a ring that does not have a porosity problem because that ring will break down over time and will not last a lifetime. Porosity is little surface holes that get worse as you go further into the metal and is a result of poor casting, over "cooking", undercooking and improperly mixed metal alloys. Porosity makes a ring brittle and is non-repairable. It is usually the result of mass producing rings with little quality control. You do not want rough spots in the metal either. You want a smooth, lustrous, high polished finish to the metal of your ring. Viewing your ring under a 10 power Gemscope will allow you to know whether the ring you intend to choose has a porosity issue or not.
SHANK
Also, Wwen deciding on the perfect ring to buy, it is important to notice the thickness of the ring shank. When less metal is used to make the ring, it keeps the cost lower at first, but you will end up spending more money on the ring in the future because over time, the ring will either crack or fall apart. You don't want a shank that is thin and hollowed out, you want a solid shank so it will last a lifetime.
THE STAMP AND TRADEMARKS ON A SHANK
When you buy a piece of jewelry, it is important to see that it has both a quality mark as well as a trademark. A quality mark is a stamp that identifies the type and content of the metal, so you know exactly what you are purchasing. A trademark is a symbol registered with the government, which indicates the jewelry manufacturer responsible for creating and standing behind the piece. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that all jewelry stamped with a quality mark also be stamped with a manufacturer's trademark.
QUALITY JEWELRY IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT
A ring, wedding ring, or an engagement ring is essentially composed of two parts, a head and a shank. The center stone is held in place by prongs or a bezel.
BEZEL
The bezel is a piece of metal that completely encircles a diamond or colored gem securing it in place.
GALLERY
The gallery is the undercarriage of the head of a ring, which can be functional or decorative.
HEAD
The head is the most prominent part of the ring's mounting, which holds the center stone. A ring can either have an integrated or a peg head. An integrated head is composed of a head and shank that are constructed from a single piece of metal. A peg head is soldered to the shank, so it is constructed from two separate pieces of metal.
PRONGS/CLAWS
The prongs or so called claws are small pieces of metal that cup the center stone, securing it in place.
RING MOUNTING
The ring mounting is the entire ring without a center stone or side stones, just the ring itself, alone.
SEMI MOUNT
A semi mount is a ring that has accent stones already in place, but without a center stone.
SHANK
The shank is part of the band that encircles the finger.
SETTING
The act of securing diamonds and gemstones into an engagement ring or other jewelry item.
SETTING STYLE
The setting style is the specific way that stones are secured, i.e., prongs-set or bezel-set.
