Tag Archives: Carat

What shape are you?

Posted on June 16, 2011 | 1 Comment

Do you love Diamonds but  are not sure that you want a Round one? Fancy Cut Diamonds might not be as common as the Round Brilliant ones, but they are definitely just as striking.

You probably already know the Round Diamond. Now, let’s take a look at some fancy shapes. We took a few snap shots of loose Diamonds to show what they look like before they are set. This way, we can really see the different properties of the different cuts.

The technical term for Princess Cut is Square Modified Brilliant, which means that it is a Brilliant Cut Stone, like the round one, but with the top part cut into a square shape. Because of its brilliance, yet unusual shape, the Princess Cut has many fans…

A Cushion Cut Diamond has larger facets than a Round Brilliant Diamond, which means that it sparkles in a different manner. This cut makes the light reflect back in all directions, which makes it a mesmerizing choice.

The Emerald cut Diamond is a step cut stone, with fewer facets,
which means that it does not reflect light in the same way as a Round Diamond. With focus on the shape and clarity, the Emerald Cut is a less sparkly option, but still a classy choice that mainly attracts the vintage lover.

There are several other Fancy shapes and colours of Diamond, but the above pieces are the most commonly found ones. Which one is your favourite?

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Solid as a Rock

Posted on July 8, 2010 | Leave a comment

Let’s face it girls, we all want to round off the proposal with a special ring for all to see. But does it need to be a ‘Rock’? Especially in Asia, people seem to focus a lot on the size of the Diamond. How many times have you heard people asking to “See the Rock” when a friend got engaged? We often expect huge impressive stones that show how much our boyfriends love us. Not only does this set a lot of pressure on the guys, as well as the relationship – it is also quite predictable.

Surely, love and commitment is best reflected through uniqueness of style rather than the size of a Diamond?

Your relationship and your personalities are unlike any other in any case. So why choose an engagement ring – the symbol of commitment - that is conventional? When the design is formal, then everything really does boil down to the issue of size…

At the same time, we often hear, in our line of work, customers wishing for a special design for their wedding ring because it stands for something special. So why are the requirements for an engagement ring still so one-sided?

50s housewife

One reason that you often hear is that the engagement ring was a ‘security blanket’ for the lady, who had to stop working and dedicate her life to the marriage and family. But in 2010, how many women do you know who live their lives like that? Marriages have changed, the status of men and women have changed. So why have the notions about engagement rings not changed? Or have they?

Let us know what you think…

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Dressing up your Diamond

Posted on June 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

Ever wonder how different settings affect the look of a Diamond ring? Here are two Diamonds of 1.50ct, with the same dimensions in two different ring settings.

Diamond Setting

Our two examples here are a Classic 6-claw setting with a thin slightly tapered band on the left, and a 4-claw setting with a rounded broad band on the right.

As you can see, there are many factors that play part in the look of each setting. A thin band, accentuates the Diamond and makes it look bigger. But on the other hand, the thick claws on the 4-claw setting, make the overall effect bigger. Together with the broader band, it is a more solid looking ring, where the 6-claw is a feminine classic!

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Chasing the Carat

Posted on June 12, 2010 | Leave a comment

Being in the trade, people often ask us How big should the Diamond be? What do girls expect? We get these questions from customers, friends, and even people who are nowhere near engagement, but simply curious. The only right answer to that in our opinion, is ‘up to you’. It really depends on how much you have, how much you want to spend and the kind of person you are.

3 Carat

In no way do we think one should see the size of the diamond as a sign of love, even though buying an engagement ring is a romantic gesture.

We hear girls talking about Diamonds and guessing what size their respective boyfriends might buy for them. Actually, some of them have misconceptions about the price of Diamonds and even though they don’t have an accurate idea of the value, they can still have their mind set on 1 carat – or even 2! In fact, very few can tell just by looking, especially after the Diamond has been set into a ring. To further complicate things, the carat tells only the weight, not the size of the Diamond, so it is nearly impossible to tell the carat just by looking, as it all depends on the cut and shape.

Diamond Cut

The Cut determines how big the Diamond looks


So why this fascination with the 1 carat Diamond? Actually it might just be a numerical occurrence. 1 carat sounds like a standard because we start counting from 1. And with this as a reference, anything short of 1 carat will be ‘less’ than required.

So what if we told you that the measurement carat, has nothing to do with a standard Diamond size or what one ‘should’ get. It is simply a historical coincidence. In Roman times, traders needed a way to measure the value of gemstones. As gemstones are relatively small, the merchants had to find a way to measure them correctly. The solution: carob seeds. These seeds were chosen because their weight was believed to be unusually constant and therefore reliable as a weight for measuring small gemstones. Many years of trading passed in this style, until early 20th century, when a standardized system for weighing carat was set in the US. Other countries followed and this is now the worldwide standard. One carat is now equal to 200mg, or 0.2 grams. Doesn’t sound as big in grams, does it? – “One gram of diamond please…”

BnW

Whichever size you choose, be sure to do it for the right reasons. And keep in mind; you can always ‘upgrade’ the Diamond later. Believe us, if you like diamonds in the first place, it is unlikely that the engagement ring is the LAST Diamond that you will ever buy…

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