Express your love with one-of-a-kind diamond engagement rings and settings

Diamond engagement rings are the universal symbol of lasting love. People from all over the world share the common desire to find one-of-a-kind engagement ring settings and stone shapes that will express their love for one another. It's a beautiful tradition.

Every year, men and women look for special diamond engagement rings. Rings vary from antique and estate rings to unique shapes like pear, three stone, emerald cut, heart shaped, oval, and the popular solitaire.

Every woman dreams of decorative engagement ring settings that capture the commitment and dedication of their relationships. Choose from white gold, yellow, or pink settings, or unique engraved diamond engagement rings.

In preparation for your wedding and pledging your life to loving one another, let this guide help you find perfect diamond engagement rings.

Diamond Shapes

Diamond engagement rings come in various shapes like diamond, pear, round, princess, emerald, asscher, marquise, oval, radiant and heart. Deciding what's best for you simply comes down to personal taste and preference.

Diamond cuts

Diamonds are rated by their cut:

• Fair
• Good
• Very good
• Ideal

Diamond grades

High grade diamonds are "eye-clean", meaning that they have no inclusions visible to the naked eye. Any professional jewelry consultant will tell you that inclusions take away from the natural delicacy of diamond engagement rings.

IF or FL grade diamonds are of excellent quality, but can be more expensive than the equally qualified SI grade diamond. You can always find quality diamonds on a budget if you look for a good cut and a G or H color.

Diamond clarity

Diamonds are masters of light, dividing the light filters into a rainbow of colors. The flashing reflection of a diamond is called its fire, and is more spectacular when the diamond is pure.

Color in a diamond taints its fire, acting like a filter to the light. Therefore, color grade is determined not by a diamond's color, but by the color of its fire.

Diamond grades are as follows:

• FL grade are flawless
• IF grade are internally flawless
• VSI - VS2 have a few inclusions at 10x
• SI1 - SI2 have few to some visible inclusions
• VVS1 - VVS2 have inclusion at 30x

A diamond's clarity grade is broken into letters, from highest to lowest grade.

D is the highest grade, as it's completely colorless and rare. E grade is also colorless, with only small traces of color detected by a trained eye. F grade is also considered colorless, even though professionals can find some color.

G-H grades are near-colorless, only noticeable when compared to higher grades. I-J grades are near-color, but an excellent value. K-M grades are among the lower grade, while N-Z grades are the lowest.

Diamond color

A top of the line diamond will be colorless in a D-F grade, with faint to no fluorescence rating.

Great value can also be found in a diamond of near-colorless grade, like G-I, and a fluorescence rating of medium or strong blue.

If you're on a budget but want beauty in a diamond engagement ring, look for a good cut, SI1-SI2 clarity, and a strong fluorescence effect.

Diamond weight

Carat weights are measured according to this system: 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/2, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

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Best diamond size

To find the best carat weight of diamond that is right for you, consider the following:

• Your personal style
• Size of finger
• Size of setting
• Your budget

Your personal style is important when choosing a decorative diamond. Smaller diamonds might suit an active lifestyle, while a less active lifestyle might cater to a larger cut.

Diamond engagement ring settings always appear larger on a small finger. If you're on a budget, always go for a good cut, an SI1-SI2 clarity and an I or J for color grade. Jewelry consultants can help with the specifics, like matching cuts with settings.

Diamond settings

• Classic solitaire settings
• Settings with sidestones
• Settings with matching bands
• Three-stone settings

All diamond engagement ring settings come in your choice of platinum, gold, white gold, and titanium bands.

Grades of Gold

The purity of gold settings are described by the fineness of their karat, which means the ratio of gold to metal. (Karat should not to be confused with "carat".) The two most common qualities of gold are 14K and 18K.

14K is made of half gold, half metal, but is more durable than 18K. The standard for higher quality gold starts at 18k, as it's 3/4 gold and only 1/4 other materials. 22K and 24k are the more valuable qualities of gold, still maintaining their hardness of metal.

Remember, the finer the gold, the deeper and richer the yellow color will be. You can also find engagement ring settings in white gold, which has alloys of gold, palladium and silver or settings in rose gold, which has alloys of yellow gold and copper.

Finding the best quality diamond engagement rings and engagement ring settings is simple and easy using this online resource. Take hours off of your search time using our buyers guide, so that you can relax and enjoy the excitement of planning your upcoming wedding!

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Women get pajama party to check out diamond engagement rings
In conjunction with its newly-launched Wish List service which allows customers to choose their favorite rings online and in-store, Robbins Bros. offered women an opportunity to come out and shop for the ring of their dreams at a price they can afford, without the assistance of their significant other. In true bachelorette-party style, women - comfortable and cozy in their pajamas - chose from over 3000 rings as they ate chocolate, sipped on champagne, and took advantage of free manicures and delightful gift bags. Celebrities in attendance included Taraji Henson of Lifetime's The Division, Sherri Shepherd of ABC's Less Than Perfect, Karin Anna Cheung of MTV's Better Luck Tomorrow, and Stacey Kamano and Brande Roderick of Baywatch Hawaii.

'Women are having more input regarding the type of engagement ring they will wear and this pajama party serves as a fun-filled event that is beneficial to both the woman and the man,' says Steve Robbins, Chairman and CEO. 'With the Wish List, at any given time her significant other can access it to see the top picks. This way he'll surprise her with the very thing her heart desires. It's a win-win situation.'

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