It is not a coincidence that diamond rings account for 75% of all engagement rings – their brilliance, beauty, and resilience make them an appropriate choice for marriage or commitment.
You can find many confusing resources online, often presented by jewelers trying to sell you something. It can be hard to tell the difference between a gimmick and an actual value.
The purpose of this article is to teach you how to get the most bang for your buck and avoid getting fleeced when purchasing diamond rings.
Setting Styles for the Diamond Engagement Ring
In most engagement ring articles, you’ll find that the information immediately jumps into how to select the best diamond. There are plenty of ways to go wrong when it comes to diamonds, and you may spend more than you need on a diamond that isn’t all that impressive if you follow some principles.
A ring’s setting is what determines how the diamonds appear, so we need to consider that before diving into diamond details. That determines the rest of the design.
A ring’s setting determines how the stones on the band are positioned, including the center stone. The most distinguishing characteristic of diamond rings is likely to be their style and format. It is the most important thing to get right. According to a recent survey, women care about ring setting style more than diamond quality, so it is crucial.
The Effect of Setting on Budget
Choosing the setting and metal for your ring band as well as the stone is an important decision.
To ensure that this ring fits within your budget, you may want to choose 14 karat gold for the band instead of platinum if you want a blingy ring setting with lots of diamonds inlaid into it.
Also, a simpler setting can leave you with more funds to pay for a center stone of higher quality or larger.
Here are a few examples of the types of settings, and you can click through to find out more about them.
Solitaire
In terms of engagement rings, solitaire settings are by far the most popular choice. A simple and classic design, with a single diamond sitting in the center, typically a round cut or princess cut diamond.
They are often the least expensive style because of their simplicity. There is no support from either side, which leaves the main stone to flail in the wind and create the impressive choreography all by itself.
Bezel
A bezel setting has a metal rim that surrounds the sides of the stone and sometimes extends slightly above it.
It’s a very secure setting and its low profile means it’s suitable for women who lead active lifestyles. They don’t snag, and the rim of the bezel provides a lot of protection to the stone. Bezel settings are also suitable for softer stones, such as rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.
Setting bezels are more likely to be made from metal than solitaire settings, and they generally cost the same.
Channel set
Several rows of small diamonds are inlaid into a ring band to create a channel setting. The addition of channeling to rings adds a touch of glitz and glamor. Solitaires with diamonds are often enhanced with them for a bit of extra sparkle and can be a great alternative if you cannot afford a large center stone.
Pavé
It is a ring paved in diamonds, covered in many small diamonds that cover the ring’s entire surface, sometimes even the underside of the band.
The cost of the more complex setting and the additional support stones usually matches the reduction in the cost of the smaller center stone, although it can be a good option to support a smaller center stone. You can reduce the budget by choosing a ‘half pavé’ design where only one-half of the band has stones and the other half is plain.
Three stone
An advantage of a three-stone setting is that you will be able to buy a diamond with a greater carat weight at a much lower cost. For example, three 1/3-carat stones would be considerably less expensive than one one-carat stone.
Conclusion
No matter what ring you go with as long as you pay attention to your partner’s style you are sure to get a stunning ring that they will love. Remember at the end of the day it is the love that the ring represents that really matters.
