Ring in the Details

Did you know that the holiday season is also the peak engagement season? Maybe it’s the Christmas bonus, maybe it’s being around loved ones, or maybe it’s the excitement of a new year with new beginnings. Whatever it may be, let’s pause for a minute and discuss the ring in detail.

Alexis & Joel

The 4Cs of the diamond are cut, color, clarity and carat. Now for most of us we don’t know all of these details when we said “yes”, but your partner might have gotten a brief education when they purchased the ring. 

The cut or shape of the stone is the first C. The most classic cut is round, princess and cushion. All three of these are timeless and elegant, yet the round stone gives off the maximum sparkle and light return. A princess and cushion cut stone give maximum brilliance with a royal and antique look appeal. 

Leanne & Chris – BethAllen  Photography LLC.

Diamond color is determined on a D-Z scale. D being completely colorless and the most expensive. A round brilliant diamond hides color extremely well where a longer cut diamond will show more color. Diamond color is ultimately a personal preference and does not reflect the quality of the stone.

Irma & Ryan – Kristen Cloyd Photography

The clarity or natural imperfections of the stone is C3. There is a rating scale called GIA rating scale from Flawless (F) to Included (I). Ideally the best eye clean diamond comes from a nice balance of color and clarity.

    Audrey & Mike- Artisan Events

    Michelle Kujawski Photography, Kate and Joe

    Lastly 4C is the carat weight of the diamond. This is the weight of the rock. It’s a common misconception that 2 of the same carat weight diamonds will look the same.

    I surveyed  my Instagram followers and other fellow brides about their engagement rings. Here are the results. 

    From the survey results above there are a lot of varieties in the engagement rings, yet each one of them shares the sentimental value and love story that makes this symbol of commitment so valuable.