How To Pick An Engagement Ring

When picking an engagement ring, elements such as the center stone, style (modern vs antique), design, and side stones are the most important qualities to start looking for. 

Picking the Center Stone

Typically engagement rings feature a diamond as the center stone but recently more brides are opting for color stones as their center.

The tradition of the engagement ring dates back to ancient Romans where an engagement ring symbolized a betrothal between two lovers, and a precious metal (either with or without a precious stone) also gave the bride financial security if the betrothed or husband passed away. The first diamond engagement ring was commissioned in 1477 by Archduke Maximillian of Austria when he proposed to Mary of Burgundy. This quickly became the trend amongst the European nobility and aristocracy. During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, the designs of diamond engagement rings became more ornate and intricate and their popularity continued. However, towards the end of the Art Deco era, in the late 1930s, the demand for diamond engagement rings began to decline due to hard economic times. In 1947, De Beers, premiered their famous advertisement with the slogan “A Diamond is Forever.” indicating that the purity, sparkle, and durability of a diamond symbolizes two people’s commitment in marriage.

If you are looking for a diamond engagement ring, let's start with understanding diamond quality by looking at the 4Cs of diamonds which are; cut, carat, color, and clarity. The 4Cs help determine the quality of a diamond which reflects in price. 

Diamond Cut

The cut refers to the shape, proportions, and symmetry of a diamond which affect how light is reflected by the diamond.

There are many different cuts of diamonds; Round Brilliant, Oval, Cushion, Emerald, Radiant, Square Emerald, Princess, Old Mine, Old European, Pear, Marquise, and Heart cuts being the most common for a center stone.

 

Apart from the shape; proportions (measurements), symmetry, and polish also play a role in the cut of the diamond.

Proportions of a diamond may give the stone an illusion of looking larger, it can also affect its brilliance and fire as it influences the interaction of the diamond with light.

Brilliance is the term used to reference the amount of light reflected within a diamond which makes the diamond “sparkle”.

Fire refers to the different colors such as red, orange, yellow, green, and blue, which emerge from light refraction.

 Having a good table-to-depth ratio is important for a diamond as depth creates more brilliance, however, a stone too deep compared to its table, may appear smaller in size.

According to GIA, the ideal ratio for a Round Brilliant cut is 53-58% Table : 59-62% Depth, and for an Emerald cut it is 60-68% Table : 61-68% Depth.

Length and width measurements in rectangular and fancy cuts also play a role in the desired proportion, as some may prefer elongated vs fat or a specific ratio of a shape. These preferences may depend on taste, finger width and length, and other factors.

Round Brilliant vs Old European

Though both are round, they are quite different in appearance. A modern/contemporary Round Brilliant cut diamond (commonly cut after 1940) has 57-58 facets with narrower crown and pavilion angles to increase brilliance, as opposed to an Old European cut (most commonly used in the Victorian, Edwardian, and Art Deco eras) which has 58 facets (including a cut culet), a higher crown and a smaller table. The open culet is usually the most distinctive characteristic of antique diamonds.

The facets in Old European cut diamonds are also larger and cut in a different pattern. The depth of Old European cuts was made in a higher ratio to increase fire, and the effect of candlelight was kept in mind when cutting the facets.

While modern/contemporary Round Brilliant cut diamonds are commonly cut by using machinery, Old European cut diamonds were hand cut.

Old European vs Old Mine

Both cuts were very popular in the Victorian, Edwardian, and Art Deco eras. They both feature an open culet, a higher crown, and a smaller table.

While Old European cuts are round, Old Mine cuts are antique cushions. The appearance of the cushion shape in Old Mine cut diamonds could range from rectangular to circular, and squarish to elongated.

Diamond Carat

A carat is a measure of weight. 1 carat equals 0.20 grams. Although carat refers only to the weight of a stone, logically a heavier stone may appear larger in size. However, depending on the proportions of the stone, the carat weight may be distributed differently, resulting in shallower and spready stones which look larger to the eye, or deeper and fatter stones which look smaller to the eye but may feature more brilliance and fire.

Diamond Color

Diamond color grading ranges from D to Z, with D being the whitest, and Z being the yellowest (of a white diamond).

Color grades are categorized into 5 groups; Colorless (D-F), Near Colorless (G-J), Faint Yellow (K-M), Very Light Yellow (N-R), Light Yellow (S-Z), and Fancy (colored diamonds such as Yellow, Pink, Blue, Green, Red, Brown, Orange etc.).

GIA’s Diamond Color Scale has been the industry standard since 1955.

 

 For white diamonds, being in the high grades is the most desirable, and the higher the grade, the higher the price will be (if the remaining 3Cs are comparable).

Fancy color diamonds’ prices vary depending on the rarity of the color.

Diamond Clarity

The clarity of a diamond is graded based on the amount, size, placement, and visibility of its imperfections which are inclusions and/or blemishes.

The occurrence of inclusions and blemishes is due to natural causes or human error. Inclusions could be crystals, black imperfections, feathers, etc. which may occur during the natural formation of a diamond. Blemishes could be chips, abrasions, scratches, imperfect facets, burn marks, bruises, etc. which may occur during the cutting process or setting of a diamond.

The GIA Diamond Clarity Scale is the global standard for diamond clarity grading. The scale ranges from Flawless to I3 (Included 3)

 

In conclusion, the cut, carat weight, color, and clarity of a diamond are what determines its price. When picking a center stone, your main goal should be to get the best quality your price range can afford. Sacrificing one element for another may be required to stay within a reasonable budget. What to sacrifice depends on your priorities when selecting a diamond. Some may prioritize size, while others may prioritize quality.

  

Picking a Style

Picking the style of an engagement ring simply depends on your taste.

Some prefer a contemporary, simple, modern, understated style, while others prefer the ornate designs of vintage and antique rings, as well as appreciating the history that comes with not only the piece but of the era as well.

Different eras of jewelry offer different styles with unique characteristics for each period. Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco and Retro engagement rings all offer more intricate designs compared to mid-century and contemporary engagement rings. Your pick may depend on your fashion style, lifestyle, and personality.

 

Picking a Design

Picking a design and style go hand in hand, as some styles often offer certain design elements. Some design elements you can keep in mind are: metal, filigree, prongs, solitaire setting, three-stone setting, East-West vs North-South setting, and accenting stones.

When deciding on a metal you should keep in mind; the color of your center stone, your skin tone, and sensitivities as some people can be allergic to certain alloys used in metals. Here at Eric Originals & Antiques, we offer a variety of engagement rings set in precious metals, typically; platinum, 18 karat gold, and 14 karat gold.

Filigree is the professional term used to describe the decorative metalwork, typically visible in antique rings. These handmade details could include floral designs or symbols such as Fleur de Lis.

Whether you are picking an estate ring or creating your own design, prong type is also an important element to consider. Center and side stones can be 4 prong set, 2 prong set, bar set, bezel set, etc. How often you will wear your ring, how harsh your daily lifestyle is on your jewelry, and your stone shape are all factors to consider when picking a prong type.

Depending on the style of the ring you are looking for you can pick from different design styles such as Solitaire, 3 stone rings, East-West or North-South set center stones.

Once you have an idea of what center stone and style you want, you can start to consider if you want any accenting stones. If you want added brilliance in your ring you can consider additional diamonds, or if you want a pop of color, you can consider color stones. Diamonds and color stones can either be larger side stones or small accent stones on the setting.

 

Side Stones

If solitaire design is not the style for you, you can think about what type of side stones you would want your ring to feature.

If you want a three-stone ring with added brilliance to enhance your center stone, you can pick a ring with one additional diamond on each side of the center stone. Just make sure that the side stones are not overpowering your center stone and that the color & clarity of the side stones match your center stone. You can also play around with different shapes of side stones to add some movement to the ring. Some of the most popular cuts for side stones are; Baguette, Tapered Baguette, Trillion, Trapezoid, Half Moon, Pear, French, and Shield cuts.

 

 If you prefer a pop of color, you can pick a three-stone ring with color side stones, or you can choose a ring with accenting color stones on the setting.

  

To conclude, starting by picking a center stone, followed by style and design, and last but not least the side stones, is the method to select the perfect engagement ring of your dreams.

Picking an engagement ring might have lots of elements to consider, however, make sure to remember that it's one of those very rare and special experiences we get to live in our lives. Don’t forget to have fun and make the best out of the process of picking a ring you will enjoy and cherish for the rest of your life! 

Here at Eric Originals & Antiques, we take pride in making your engagement ring experience very special by paying close attention to your needs and making sure you go home with the perfect ring for you.

For inquiries please email us at info@ericoriginals.com or give us a call at (212) 819-9595. It will be our pleasure to assist you in your journey to finding THE ring. We look forward to hearing from you!