Engagement Rings

Ring Metal Types

Shopping for an engagement ring more than just how big the diamond is as the band can be equally as important. The best place to start is to examine her other rings.  This should give you insight into whether she’s a gold or platinum type of woman.

Metal	Character	Price	Maintenance
	Enduring Platinum is the strongest, most pure metal. It will last a lifetime.	More expensive Platinum is rarer than gold. Platinum jewelry is composed of 90-95% pure platinum.	Infrequent/more difficult - Strongest jewelry metal - Resistant to damage - Won’t wear away - Develops a satin finish - Difficult to polish, repair - Won’t tarnish
	Classic 18k gold is the most common engagement ring setting.	Less expensive 18k gold is composed of 75% gold and 25% metal alloys to give it strength.	More often/easy - Softer, malleable metal - More easily damaged - Will wear away over years - Easy to polish, repair - Won’t tarnish

Ring Cut Types

There are several different types of cuts to diamonds with Round and Princess cut being the most popular.  Here is a visual of each:

Ring Setting Types

	Solitaire Settings A four-prong setting shows a bit more diamond, while a six-prong setting offers a slight security advantage.
	Settings with Sidestones Adds additional sparkle or color. Channel settings protect sidestones from abrasions by keeping them flush.
	Three-Stone Settings The three-stone ring has one diamond for the past, one for the present, and one for the future.

Diamond Size

Carats	Diameter	Starting Price*
0.5	4.91 – 5.3mm	$1,200
0.75	5.76 – 6.07mm	$2,600
1.0	5.98 – 6.66mm	$3,500
1.5	7.04 – 7.63mm	$7,300
2.0	7.77 – 8.35mm	$9,700
*All prices from Blue Nile

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