How to Design Your Own Engagement Ring

Current Trend on How To Design Your Own Engagement Ring :

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:33:00 -0500

Hi, diamond symbolises your love to a girl, it shows your commitment to you. You must accept this fact! Diamond is a girl’s best friend, your girlfriend will definitely hope for a great best friend from you. Do you know what is in her heart? What does she want? If you do not know, then how to design your own engagement ring?

Lately, I have realised that many girls are asking for yellow diamonds, a less rare diamond as compared to pink diamond. If you have watch “Blood Diamond” before you will definitely know how rare and how expensive is a pink diamond. The pink diamond in the movie has caused thousand of deaths. I definitely recommend you this movie, but please do not watch this movie with your girlfriend, because it may spoil her childhood dream about diamond.

Of course, there are more girls who are asking for pink sapphire too, very beautiful stone, but is much cheaper than a pink diamond obviously. Therefore, when it comes to design your own engagement ring, you may consider using pink sapphires to surround a princess cut diamond, this will definitely be a very unique and special engagement ring, just for your girlfriend.

How To Design Your Own Engagement Ring : Ask Your Girlfriend

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 07:56:00 -0500

Ok… let’s us discuss about how to design your own engagement ring again. Today, I’m going to give one huge huge fact about how to design your own engagement ring - Ask Your Girlfriend.

I have searched through some forums and answered some questions in Yahoo! Answer yesterday night, I found that some guys have not enough budget and they are afraid to tell their girlfriends that they could not afford the dream engagement rings that their girlfriends want. When you do not know what your girlfriend like, or when you are afraid that your girlfriend do not like the engagement ring that you are going to design your own… ASK YOUR GIRLFRIEND!

You wouldn’t want your girlfriend to say, “WOW… I love this ring!!! Thank you… muaksssss~~~.” … while in her heart… “Geezzz… I don’t want this…”
She may just keep the ring in the future and wouldn’t want to wear it oftenly, isn’t this a waste.

I do know that you have tried your best to design your own engagement ring for your girlfriend, but, it will be useless if your girlfriend do not like them. So, remember to ask your girlfriend!

Princess Diana’s engagement ring. Instead using diamond as...

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:21:00 -0500

Princess Diana’s engagement ring. Instead using diamond as the centre piece, she used a blue sapphire, which is very unique indeed. However, please keep in mind that a high quality blue sapphire is more expensive than the diamond of the same carat and same grade. Consider using this idea to design your own engagement ring if your girlfriend is a big fan of Princess Diana.

Latest Trend!!! in Design Your Own Engagement Ring :

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:04:14 -0500

According to Knoxnews and Bloomberg, here are the LATEST TREND of the engagement ring purchased. They have compiled statistics from 2006 until now. Maybe you can consider some of these when you want to design your own engagement ring :

Budget :
The average budget spent on an engagement ring in US is… $3,200

Band :
According to Knoxnews, “Some brides would like to have a ring like their grandmother had.” Antique band’s demand has increased considerably this few years. It sounds more like wedding ring than engagement ring to me actually. Example at Amazon.com

Diamond Cut :
Square Cut is getting more and more popular while round diamond’s popular has fallen. This can be attributed to several stars such as Ashley Judd, Brooke Shields and Reese Witherspoon have received huge media coverage due to their square-cut diamond ring. According to the survey, some also feels that round diamond is too common nowadays and a square diamond will make their engagement rings more special.

Stone Color :
More girls are opting for colored diamond this season. Instead of getting white diamond, now the demand of yellow diamond has surged.

Side Stone :
Surprising, due to the recent news about Diana, more girls are asking for sapphires, rubies and emeralds. These people want to create similar ring as Diana, which is a sapphire surrounded by diamonds (something like this, but not really the same). (caution : high grade sapphire is more expensive than diamond of the same grade!!!)

Setting :
Bezel Setting and Tension Setting have become more popular when people want to design their own engagement ring because these settings make the diamond seems to be LARGER, and tension setting can enhance the stone grade by as much as two grades, according to experts.

So… which design will you consider when you are going to design your own engagement ring?

My Girlfriend's & My Conversation at a jewelry shop

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:25:00 -0500

One afternoon, my girlfriend and I passed through a jewelry shop. There wasn’t any people there at the moment. Suddenly, my girlfriend just say, darling, let’s go see diamond. I never say yes, most probably I didn’t have chane or the authority to say so. So… I was dragged into the shop.

Below is a text recording of my girlfriend (G) and a salesperson at a local jewelry shop who I would like to call him, Mr. Jeweler (J).

G : Sir, I would like to see some diamonds, please let me see diamonds that only have certificates.
J : Ma’am, all diamonds here have certificate, what kind of diamonds do you want?
G : Ok, then please give me anything that is below D to F (I thought that my girlfriend is so good that she never requested anything from A to C, she must be trying to save money for me), preferably 1carat (wow, just 1carat? It must be very cheap, I always watched reality shows that give away diamonds which has higher carat)

after awhile J brought a small tray of diamond

J : Ma’am, here are some of the high quality diamonds here and here are the certificates.
G : Wow, really, darling you see, this diamond is so nice, you see it is the highest quality, D grade, colorless.
Me : Yes dear, it is very nice and it is colorless.
(Huh? I thought A is the highest grade, I know always get D grades for my result, are you trying to make fun of me? Wait, do you think that I’m stupid? Of course diamonds are colorless, they are transparent, and has the highest don’t know what index according to physics)

Then…
J : Ma’am, please allow me to help you to compare between these 2 D grade and F grade diamond.

Suddenly…
G : Wow… Darling, Darling!!! Can you see the difference between this 2 diamonds, one is D grade, one is F grade? Can you see that D grade looks better and more shiny?
Me : Yes dear, D is higher than F, I know… of course D grade is better. (seriously I couldn’t see any different)

Me : Sir, I will buy this, how much is it?
J : This diamond will be $4829 sir, I will give you a special discount……
Me : Nevermind, I think I will look around for better diamond and I will get back to you soon.
J : Certainly, thank you sir.

(We spent around 1hour in the shop, looking through stones that I couldn’t even afford, silly. It seems that I do not know anything about diamond, how bout you? It is really very important when it comes to design your own engagement ring, I think we should learn the art of diamond too)

How To Design Yown Own Engagement Ring : Identify Diamond Part 3

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:59:40 -0500

Wow… when it comes to design your own engagement ring, it is really really troublesome. Here is my story (continued) :

And then, yes and then (by that time, my girlfriend has already become good friend with the Mr. Jeweler), both of them are talking about color of diamond. My girlfriends show me two different diamond and say, “Darling, you see this is D grade, is colorless, is the best quality. Then darling, this one is F grade, has some faint color, is lower quality.”

“Wait wait wait, aren’t all of them are colorless and transparent?” I replied.

Lecture Begins… Darling… Actually, diamonds have different colors, they can be graded by :

D (Colorless)
E (Colorless)
F (Colorless) - the color can only be seen by professional (I doubt that my girlfriend actually saw it)
G, H (Near Colorless) - can only be seen by professional
I, J (Near Colorless) - very hard to see, but if see properly there is a faint color.
K, L, M (Faint Yellow) - noticeable faint yellow

Try to get D to F grades when you want to design your own engagement ring, you will be able to know what is the grade by referring to the certicate.

Referrence :
Brilliance.com Diamond Education : Diamond Color

How To Design Yown Own Engagement Ring : Identify Diamond Part 2

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:47:06 -0500

So, in the jewelry shop, my girlfriend handed over the magnifier to me. And say, “Darling, can you see there are some flaws in the diamond, it means this diamond is of lower grade.” Darling, basically. clarity of diamond can be categorized to :

Flawless (FL)
Internally Flawless (IF)
Very Very Slight Included (VVS1 & VVS2)
Very Slight Included (VS1 & VS2)
Slightly Included (SI1 & SI2)
Slightly Included (SI3)
Included (I1, I2, I3)

The more inclusion (weird substance) in the diamond, the lower grade it is. But, the inclusion can only be seen under magnifier (super power!) But WAIT! I CAN’T SEE ANYTHING! WHere are the flaws? Every diamond seems to be identical to me, just that their shapes are different, their sizes are different. Where are the flaws? I just can’t believe it, women are so particular with these invisible stuffs! (Click here to see diagrams of different clarities)

When you want to design your own engagement ring, make sure that you get a good quality diamond because its value will increase in the long term.

How To Design Yown Own Engagement Ring : Identify Diamond Part 1

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:31:44 -0500

What kind of diamond to use is very important when you are thinking of how to design your own engagement ring.

When my girlfriend first brought me to a jeweler shop, the jeweler talked a bunch of weird jargon, I was very very blur at that moment. My girlfriend ask for something clarity something color… What? Darling, are you crazy? What clarity? What diamonds have color? Where where? Come on, Mr. Jeweler, I know that you can cheat my girlfriend, but you can’t cheat me! Don’t try to bluff me, diamond has no color at all, it is TRANSPARENT!

Then, my girlfriend stared and me and say, “Don’t be an embarassment, Diamonds have different grades, and the grades are determined by its clarity and color, blah blah blah blah…” My brain just couldn’t install all the information, she just repeated what the Mr. Jeweler just told me… blur.

So, after that I have searched through the Internet. To my surprise, diamond, this tiny stone, has its own theory and principles. I think it is very important when it come to how to design your own engagement ring.

How to Design Your Own Engagement Ring (Part 4) :

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:48:00 -0500

When you design your own engagement ring, you can try to consider some of the ideas below :

1) Embed love notes at the ring, you know what you should write.
2) Add additional jewel which your girlfriend likes, be it ruby or sapphire, but you must make sure that the ring looks nice.
3) Make a special box! You have to ask some gift shops or specialty shops in your town when you design your own engagement ring. You can put some small crystal dolls in the box along with the engagement ring.
4) Create a super duper romantic atmosphere when you are proposing to blind her eyes. This will definitely make your designed engagement ring extremely special.

These are just some ideas from me, do you have more ideas to share to design your own engagement ring?

Rick

Why Do You Afraid to Design Your Own Engagement Ring Online?

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:41:00 -0500

In this technology era, there are some people who are still reluctant to buy things online, not to say to design your own engagement ring online. I’m not surprise because at first, I’m still worried about the security and the quality of the engagement ring I will receive if I purchase online. I’m afraid that I will be conned by people if I design my own engagement ring online. However, after I searched through the web, I realised something :

1) I always thought that online shopping is more expensive
The truth :
i) Shopping online is actually cheaper because the operation cost is lower. Jewelry shops need workers to serve you, but online jewelry shops do not need workers to serve you. Hence, this cut down operation cost substantially.
ii) Design your own engagement ring online will be much cheaper because there are different templates for you to choose from. If you are not certain with the price, you can cross referrence on different sites, such as comparing between Amazon.com and Brilliance.com. There is no additional designing fee when you design your own engagement ring.
iii) Most of the online jewelers provide free shipping(some even use FedEX), hence no additional cost.

2) I always thought that the quality of the engagement ring will be lower
The truth :
i) The quality of the stones are guaranteed since the diamonds and gems have certificates from GIA, AGS and IGI (learn more about certificates here)
ii) All of them offer money back guaranteed, hence I can always return the engagement ring if I’m not satisfied.

Therefore, I think that it is 100% safe and quality guaranteed to purchase your engagement ring online or to design your own engagement ring online. Hope that this can clear some of your worries :)

Rick

How to Design Your Own Engagement Ring (Part 3) :

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:12:00 -0500

Now is the prime proposal season, and you definitely want to get the best engagement ring to propose. I am personally financially-disabled and even with my two months salary, I don’t think that I can afford a vibrant engagement ring. I have found some cheap and easy way on how to design your own engagement ring :

Order from your local jeweler :
If you cannot afford to buy your dream ring because it is too expensive. You can actually bring a photo of the ring and ask your local jeweler to create an identical one. You can also design your own engagement ring by asking the jeweler to make minor changes for you, hence making your engagement ring more special.

Use other cheaper stones instead of diamond :
You can design your own engagement ring without using diamond. You can use other precious stones such as sapphire, green amthlyst, white topaz et cetera. When your girlfriend ask you, hey why is my engagement ring not made from diamond??? You can just tell her, darling, I made this specially for you, from choosing the stones to the setting, this is the only engagement ring in the world unlike those identical engagement rings that you can find in stores, I just want to make you feel special. Examples of rings made from different stones can be found here.

Use Artificial Diamond to design your own engagement ring:
These rings are exactly the same as real diamond and normal people would be unable to identify them. Use these diamonds to design your own engagement ring, this will definite lower your total cost. But, remember to keep this as a secret because your girlfriend will be extremely frustrated if she knows that you use an artificial diamond to propose to her. If anything bad happens, try to calm her down by telling her that you design your own engagement ring just for her. :P

Rick

Platinum or White Gold to Design Your Own Engagement Setting?

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:26:00 -0500

Have you ever considered whether to use platinum or white gold when you are thinking how to design your own engagement ring setting?

Basically, using platinum to design your own engagement ring is more expensive than white gold due to its industrial uses. According to iht.com, platinum demand in Japan actually drops in November due to the decline in weddings. Japanese couples now are switching to white gold jewelry rather than purchasing expensive platinum jewelry. So, financially wise, white gold seems to be a better alternative.

However, platinum is denser and stronger than white gold, which means the setting is stronger. Besides, the main whitening agent in white gold alloy is normally nickel. Some people who are more sensitive may feel the irritation.

Since platinum is denser and stronger, it is more resist to scratch and it can be made into more sophiscated setting.

So, it ultimately depends on your financial capability as well as your girlfriend’s finger :)

When you are thinking how to design your own engagement ring, will you use platinum or white gold? I would like to hear from you.

Rick

How to Design Your Own Engagement Ring (Part 2) :

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:44:00 -0500

I think it will be useful when you are thinking how to design your own engagement ring if you see some the highlight of the surveys done by Men’s Health, the largest men’s lifestyle magazine brand, and The Knot, the leading wedding resource on 12-11-2007.

SIZE REALLY DOES MATTER…TO HER: According to men, over 60% feel that although a nice carat size is important when choosing an engagement ring, it’s the quality of the stone that matters most. Women, on the other hand, have a slightly different view: 61% of women surveyed say that the size of her rock is equally important as the quality!

HE MAY BUY IT, BUT DOES SHE LIKE IT? Thankfully, YES. Nearly 90% of women kept the ring their guy chose, according to Men’s Health readers. 50% of women got the exact ring they wanted; while 40% love their ring, and 2% admit they are growing to love it. (p/s : dangerous point, don’t you think so? hehe)

To receive a full copy of the survey results, or to speak with an editor, please contact Allison Falkenberry, Allison.Falkenberry@rodale.com, or Melissa Bauer, mbauer@theknot.com.

A conclusion from the survey is, we should know what our girlfriends like. The easiest way to see what does she like is to bring her to the local jewelry shops and see which kind of rings, stones, shapes, and colors she like.

Here are some basic designs to design your own engagement ring.

Rick

How to Design Your Own Engagement Ring (Part 1) :

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:58:00 -0500

How to Design Your Own Engagement Ring (Part 1) :
Many people purchase engagement rings this time of year, so they can propose during the Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday as well as on Valentine’s Day. Are you one of them, thinking of giving something unique when you are proposing, why don’t you design your own engagement ring?

Here are some guides that you can follow when you are considering to design your own engagement ring.

1. Know your Budget

The accepted practice nowadays is to spend two months salary on an engagement ring

2. Select a Shape

The center stone of a diamond ring comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Many women have a definite preference. What does your girlfriend or future wife like?

1. Round -it’s the most basic and traditional
2. Oval-an elongated circle
3. Pear-shaped like the fruit
4. Marquise-it’s pointed on both ends
5. Heart-it looks like a heart
6. Princess-shaped like a square
7. Emerald-cut like a rectangular
8. Trillion-in the shape of a triangle

If you are not sure how do these shapes look like. You can check them here. You can also try to design your own engagement ring, to see how your ring will look like.

3. Size Does Matter

While size does matter, be careful not to choose a diamond on carat-weight alone. There’s also the cut, color and clarity to consider. Try to get between 1 to 1.5 carat because anything more than that will be too costly and will take away people’s attention on the bride.

That’s all the tips I have for How to Design Your Own Engagement Ring (Part 1) :)

Referrence :

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=27760&cat=1

How to Design Your Own Engagement Ring

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:33:05 -0500

Hi, I’m Rick Burton. I have a very huge interest in how to design an engagement ring because I think that every engagement ring, marks the start of a romantic love story. I would like to share my researches on how to design your own engagement ring with everyone, hope that I can hear from you too.

Rick