Diamonds are the Lord of The Rings
A Quick Look At Some Popular Ring Types & Tips on How to Select Them
The word ‘Dia-mon-d’ originates from the Greek word ‘Adamas’ which means unconquerable and indestructible. The Oxford dictionary defines diamond as a precious stone consisting of a clear and colorless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest naturally occurring substance. We define diamonds as the Herculean ricochet with which an individual bounces back after they have hit the rock bottom. Diamonds are more than just aesthetically pleasing pieces of jewellery. The hardest rock in existence symbolizes everlasting strength and dignity.
There are many nuances to a diamond ring just like the many chapters in the book of life. An engagement ring or a wedding ring, both have different purposes and styles. We are here to take you through a variegated and exciting journey of the different types of rings.
SOLITAIRES
Solitaires are timeless pieces of jewellery. Whether alone or paired with a wedding band, a solitaire always manages to stand out and cut a dash. The solitaire diamond ring has a long history itself. It originates from Ancient Roman times when a ring symbolized perpetuity and was availed as a public pledge of marriage between a couple. Historic incidents such as the discovery of diamond mines in Africa during the Victorian era marked the popularity of the style with married couples to be and engagement rings were born.
HOW TO SELECT A SOLITAIRE RING?
You need to have a squint at the 4Cs of a diamond which is also perceived as the four pillars of a diamond.
- The cut has a major significance on the diamond and it tells you about the reflective quality of the diamond. Some cuts, like the round brilliant, render the stone more sparkle and brilliance than others. Likewise, certain other cuts such as the oval and marquise make a stone look much larger than it actually is.
- Second significant factor is the color. The more colorless your solitaire is, the higher will its value be. Try to look for colorless or nearly colorless diamonds while selecting.
- Just like people, diamonds tend to have their own natural sets of imperfections. The internal imperfections are known as inclusions and the external ones are known as blemishes. These imperfections highly influence the clarity of a diamond and are not visible to the naked eye. While selecting the solitaire, try to get one that is high on the clarity grade. This means it will be low on imperfections.
- The carat refers to the weight of your solitaire measured in metric carats. One carat is equal to 1/5 gram. The carat weight does not influence the beauty of the design but it greatly influences the price. Hence, consider it as the 4th C of the diamond.
Explore our collection of diamond solitaire rings in a variety of stunning designs and settings.
THREE STONE RINGS
Many jewellers have in the past combined several different diamonds into one ring. However, of all the designs created, the three-stone ring was the simplest and only one that caught on like wildfire. Generally, the ring contains three diamond stones on one ring. These three stones consist of a large center diamond with two slightly smaller diamonds on the sides. All three stones used the same mounting and all have the same cut and shape. The band of the ring could be yellow gold, white gold or platinum.
HOW TO SELECT A THREE-STONE DIAMOND RING?
They are beautiful no doubt, but it is because of their beauty that you need to be careful not to be carried away at the moment. Here are some guidelines that will help you make an informed decision when making a purchase. In the event all the diamonds are white, then you should check to ensure that the color grade between the side stones and the center stone is not more than one. Some brilliantly cut side stones tend to appear brighter than the rest so you should keep this in mind.
For the side stones, knowing that they are meant to be smaller than the center stone will not cut them. You need to be precise. The golden rule of thumb is that the width of the side stones is between 2/3 to 3/4 of the width of the center stone.
FULL ETERNITY BAND RINGS
An eternity band, also called an eternity ring or infinity ring is made of precious metal set with a complete loop of diamonds. With its endless circle of diamonds, an eternity band symbolizes never-ending love.
Because the diamonds of an eternity ring circle the entire finger, this type of ring offers an extra sparkle. Alternative styles of diamond eternity rings contain diamonds set across the face of the ring only and are known as half-eternity rings.
The continuous circle of diamonds on an eternity band symbolizes eternal love, giving eternity bands has a meaning that’s commonly associated with love and relationships.
HOW TO SELECT AN ETERNITY BAND RING?
The original ring of luxury, the full eternity is making it ideal for a ring that you would wear to parties and special occasions. With its dazzling texture and sparkle, it’s often the ring of choice to add to a collection of rings as an extra finishing embellishment. It’s a very noticeable ring, making it a popular choice for celebrating anniversaries.
Given all of its glamour and sophistication, the full eternity ring is quite delicate and is not well suited to daily use, due to wear and tear that occurs especially at the bottom side of the ring which still contains diamonds that can potentially become loose or fall out entirely.
Due to the intricacy of the full eternity design, take care when ordering the ring to make sure the ring is the right size on the first go because most full eternity rings can’t be resized once they are made.
Having said this, full eternity rings are ready to make a statement due to the full row of diamonds circled around the length of the band, creating a brilliant sparkle. It’s a ring for those who love diamonds in their jewellery in general. Due to its grandiosity, the full eternity ring is well suited to wearing to occasions, or for layering with existing rings as a finishing piece.
A diamond is meant to flaunt your beauty and not otherwise.
HALO RINGS
The halo ring is a setting that encircles a centre gemstone in a collection of round pavé or micro-pavé diamonds (or faceted colour gemstones). These pavé stones flash with light and focus attention back on the centre stone to create interest and draw people’s gaze to your ring.
A high-carat centre diamond looks enormous in a halo setting. And a quarter-, third- or half-carat diamond can look, by some estimates, as much as a half a carat larger.
The halo engagement ring made its debut in the 1920s when the style known as Art Deco became prominent. Their current resurgence has rocketed halo rings to second place behind the classic solitaire as the most favored style of engagement ring. Halo rings are almost as classic as solitaires, but with a stylish twist.
HOW TO SELECT A HALO RING?
If you want a halo setting specifically to make your centre stone look larger, choose one with diamonds of the same quality (colour, cut, and clarity) as the centre stone. “A contrast would pronounce the differences between the centre and accent stones and lose the desired effect,” he says.
You should also keep in mind that halo settings don’t have to be made up of diamonds. Patrick says that halo rings are great if you want to incorporate coloured stones in your setting, adding, “Many halo rings have beautiful emeralds, pearls, or rubies as the centre stone, which, design-wise, makes it more interesting.”
And while any cut works with a halo, a round diamond is usually the most popular option for perfect symmetry.