In Salt Lake City, December is not only about the cold and snow. It’s also the engagement season! Wedding Wire revealed about 20% of marriage proposals for the year occurs this month. While there’s no official study to explain it, the presence of family and incredible deals may encourage it.
If you’re thinking of getting down on your knee with custom jewelry in Salt Lake City, there’s no better time to plan for it than now. Begin by knowing your gemstones and settings:
Gemstone
For many years, diamonds and engagement rings have become synonymous. If a diamond is what you want, start by learning the criteria called the 4Cs. These are cut, color, clarity, and carat.
- Carat is the weight measurement of the diamond.
- Clarity refers to the presence of inclusions or flaws in the stone. The more inclusions there are, the lower the diamond’s value can be.
- The cut brings out the brilliance of the diamond depending on the finish and the angle. Some diamonds have an inherently beautiful cut. An experienced craftsperson, however, can further improve this feature.
- Color is the shade or hue of the stone. In the color range, diamonds from D to J are the best for engagement rings. They are nearly colorless to colorless stones.
Loose diamonds that score high in these categories are more likely to be the most expensive among the bunch.
Are you looking for something unique? You can consider fancy diamonds. These are the diamonds that do not belong in the standard color spectrum, but gemologists can still evaluate them according to the criteria mentioned above. With this gemstone, you have to look into the vividness of the shade. The deeper or bolder it is, the more valuable it becomes.
You can also pick other gemstones such as emerald, garnet, and sapphire, which is the stone in Kate Middleton’s engagement ring.
Setting
The setting of the ring is just as vital as the gemstone since it’s the one that makes it a star. A wrong choice, therefore, can make or break the value of the ring. For this, you have a variety of options:
- Prong Setting – This is the most classic engagement ring look. Also known as a claw setting, it features about 4 to 6 prongs that secure the stone in place. If there are no accent stones, then the prong setting also becomes a solitaire setting.
- Bezel Setting – It is perhaps the second most popular kind of setting. It includes a metal that wraps around the stone while another rim holds it securely. This setting is ideal for active people since it prevents snags.
- Pave – In this setting, accent stones are within the metal band that surrounds the main one.
- Tension – It provides a more contemporary look to the engagement ring. It features a pair of bands that hold each end of the diamond. It makes the stone appear suspended or floating.
As custom jewelry, you can buy the stone and the setting separately. It gives you free rein on the design, size, and even the price you’re willing to pay. All you need is to ask the jeweler for assistance if you need one.
