One thing’s for sure though – classic solitaire engagement rings are still one of the most popular design choices and if you’re looking for some tips on choosing the perfect one, I hope you’ll find the following information useful.

Brilliant Cut Diamond (round shape) Of all the images you have in your mind of the perfect diamond, this is possibly the one that springs to mind before all the others. A Brilliant diamond is a round shaped diamond, cut in such a way as to produce a stone with such amazing sparkle and clarity that it truly lives up to its name. You will often see these stones set in clusters, on a band or as a single diamond in a solitaire engagement ring.

Emerald Cut Diamond (rectangle with cut corners) The Emerald cut is an ideal shape if you’re looking for something a little more understated. Usually rectangular in shape and cut at the corners, this flat cut, although beautiful, does not reflect the light as much as some of the other more faceted diamonds. You will often see an Emerald cut diamond with other stones set alongside it, although it certainly can be set as a solitaire should this be the diamond of your choice.

Pear Shaped Diamonds (pear or teardrop) The Pear shape is another Brilliant cut diamond type. A popular choice for engagement rings, a diamond of this shape also lends itself perfectly to necklaces and earrings as it hangs so beautifully. This is a wonderful choice for anyone looking for all the sparkle of a traditional round cut diamond, but in a more unique design.

Princess Cut Diamond (square shape) Traditionally a perfect square, this contemporary design is the perfect choice if you’re looking for something a little different. Often set as a solitaire stone, the Princess cut reflects the light to absolute perfection which appears to make it shine even more brilliantly than other diamonds. The Princess cut is the preferred choice of many.

Oval Cut Diamond (oval shape) With similar characteristics to those of the Brilliant diamond, the Oval may be the one for you if you want all the sparkle of the Brilliant style, but you don’t want a round stone. An Oval diamond offers something which is a little different, with an element of traditionalism at the same time. Yet another beautiful choice for a solitaire engagement ring.

Heart Cut Diamonds (heart shape) Probably the greatest and most recognized symbol of love, the heart-shaped diamond is far less common, but still very sought after for items of jewelery to be given as romantic gifts, or for the ultimate in romance, the solitaire engagement ring. It takes a very skilled diamond cutter to fashion a heart-shaped diamond with a high-grade cut, but when done properly, the results are truly amazing. If you’re looking for a break with tradition and for a stone that’s a little different, a little more fancy, yet no less beautiful than the others, this could be the one for you.

Marquise Cut Diamond (pointed oval shape) A true classic, the Marquise cut is best described as an elongated oval with pointed ends and this beautiful diamond has enjoyed huge popularity over the centuries in all types of jewelery. It is thought that the origin of the Marquise diamond can be attributed to King Louis XV of France who was so smitten with his mistress, the Marquise de Pompadour, that he ordered a diamond to be specially cut to capture the beautiful shape of her smiling lips. Hence, the Marquise diamond was created and its romantic history alone could quite possibly be the reason why so many people have chosen this exquisite gem as the stone for their own solitaire engagement ring.

Solitaire engagement rings are true expressions of love – good luck in your search for the right one for you.

Nonetheless, it is notable that a good number of renowned jewelers agree into saying that the tension set engagement rings have their own share of bane and boons.

The Boons of Tension Set Rings

Due to the fact that tension set engagement rings are exquisitely designed and are strikingly beautiful, there should be no doubt that they can easily attract attention to themselves. They come in gold, titanium, platinum and white gold and in every possible style and designs imaginable. In addition, only tension setting can deliver that kind of contemporary modern look in which many conventional settings fail on. For a great number of people who had never seen a tension set engagement ring before, they often wonder and find it an enigma how on earth that the stone being used in it perfectly stays in its place without anything to hold it there. Thus, when you go to a social gathering people who see your ring can’t help themselves but talk about it and ask you questions about the ring.

Compared to other channel set stones wherein the stones can be easily lost as they easily get loose, tension set engagement rings became even more renowned for its ability to retain the set stones intact. Jewelry makers for this kind of setting often assert that the set stones won’t budge from their place thus will never be lost. This actually stirred controversy and debate among the big wigs of the jewel industry but truth remains this cannot be said of the traditional channel set rings.

The Bane of Tension Set Rings

Just like anything else in this world, nothing considered to be good can also be said to be perfect. Tension set engagement rings has its own share of banes, too. One of these would be resizing. It would be a great challenge for a jeweler if he is asked to resize this kind of ring. Reason being is that when resizing is done, he would need to change the overall shape of the ring, thus it will influence the thickness of the ring and this will have a dramatic effect on the amount of tension it will have  to hold and support the set stone. As the ring itself is intended to be used forever, this will be troubling for the owner whether he would opt to have the ring resized and consequently face greater risk of chance that the stones can get loose and be lost or not to resize it all. It is not a rocket science for anyone to understand that as we grow older and our bodies mature with age, so does our ring size. We may lose or gain weight as we become older, thus it should not come as a surprise that we could have a different ring size when we hit the age of 45 compared to when we were just 25 years old.

While there are strong claims on the side of the jewel makers themselves that this kind of stone setting is very dependable and reliable because the stone settings are not movable, there are a few of these jewelers as well who say that they have been approached before by some clients who own a tension set ring and have lost some of the diamonds. These stories leave no room to have a final verdict now with regard to whether or not a tension set ring could be considered way better than those of conventional ring settings.

One final thing that could be considered as a major drawback for a tension set ring, and this one mainly concerns jewelry makers themselves. Keith Farley is a renowned jeweler who actually posted on Inform website that a tension set ring owner will have no hard time at all in removing a diamond stone from a tension set ring. It is notable that these ring owners who have claimed to have lost a diamond stone or two from their tension set ring still have their rings under warranty, wherein in any instance that they lost a stone used in their tension set ring will be replaced by the makers in gratis.

Our top 7 princess-cut engagement rings:

7. The reason the princess-cut diamond is a favorite among diamond lovers is that gives the wearer the best of everything a diamond can offer. Not only does the princess cut look unique and stand out in a crowd, it also offers stunning brilliance and fire. 14-karat white gold is sold more often than any other white gold.

6. This princess-cut diamond, with its sharp and uncut corners, creates a brilliant shape for diamond rings. Shaped like a square, inverted pyramid, a princess-cut diamond can offer more sparkle and brilliance than any other square diamond. 18-karat yellow gold is considered to be the highest quality gold that is sold in the United States and Europe.

5.Prong setting is perhaps the most used for solitaire rings. It sets a single diamond stone in perfection. Your stone can be placed in a more prominent way or sit near the hand. This type of setting creates a sort of a basket that holds your stone in place. This works as the base of your stone, exposing more diamonds than other setting types.

4. Let this gorgeous diamond engagement ring be the promise of forever for the princess of your heart. Crafted of lustrous 14-karat white gold, the ring features a princess-cut center diamond embraced by round diamonds. This engagement ring is sure to be cherished for years to come

3. A type of configuration in which the main stone is being surrounding by several stones, giving your precious ring a more streamlined look. If you’ve settled for more than one stone on your ring, then this would be the perfect setting.

2. Because of the method of polishing, inclusions are more difficult to see in a princess-cut diamond than in any other square diamond. A princess-cut diamond also tends to be shinier and more brilliant than other square diamonds. White gold is often used to enhance diamonds and other gemstones.

1. This fashion ring features a square center set with four princess-cut diamonds. Crafted of 14k white gold, the ring is accented with round-cut diamonds at all four sides of the square.

Number 10.

Blue bloods prefer blue sapphire — or at least Prince Charles did when he proposed to Lady Diana Spencer with an 18-carat oval sapphire engagement ring. The blue bauble didn’t mean lasting love for those royals, but don’t count blue sapphire out just yet. Check out this three-stone sapphire-and-diamond ring from House of Taylor.

The piece features 8.28 carats of Ceylon sapphires and more than 2 carats of diamonds for a price of $49,500.

Number 9.

Diamonds may be the conventional choice for most engagement ring buyers, but since when do millionaires heed convention? Grunge rocker Kurt Cobain gave fellow rocker Courtney Love a 5-carat diamond-and-ruby engagement ring. Unfortunately for Love, the ring was stolen on Valentine’s Day in 1995. Hopefully, prospective buyers of this three-stone oval ruby-and-diamond ring from House of Taylor will have better luck — and some insurance.

The piece, which features 12.48-carat Burmese rubies, sells for $63,600.

Number 8.

If this ring doesn’t make you green with envy I’m not sure what will. This House of Taylor three-stone emerald-and-diamond engagement ring features 6.84 carats of Columbian emeralds and more than 2 carats of diamonds, all set in 18-carat white gold.

It sells for $93,600.

Number 7.

For the thrifty millionaire looking for yellow-diamond chic, this 6.10-carat fancy yellow diamond engagement ring from Ross-Simons may do the trick. The ring features a rectangular diamond flanked by two trapezoidal 1.35-carat diamonds as well as 0.35-carat surrounding diamonds.

It sells for $100,000.

Number 6.

This yellow diamond is anything but mellow. Baseball star Johnny Damon and actors Charlie Sheen and Eddie Murphy have all paired their marriage proposals with yellow diamond engagement rings.

This De Beers 5.11-carat radiant cut ring, set in platinum, costs $400,000.

Number 5.

The original Asscher Cut diamond was first developed in 1902, but the design hasn’t languished in the annals of history. Famous Asscher fans include Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon, who reportedly wore a 4-carat Asscher Cut stone on her ring finger while married to actor Ryan Phillipe. But why settle for 4 carats?

This 10.19-carat Asscher engagement ring from De Beers is set in platinum and sells for $520,000.

Number 4.

Soccer star David Beckham kicked a goal into the heart of wife and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham with an appropriately posh pink diamond engagement ring.  Are you thinking pink, too? Check out this Secret Kiss of the Rose Ring from De Beers. The piece features 4.15-carat rose-cut white diamonds and a 0.8-carat pink diamond, set in platinum.

Just try not to turn pink from the price: $525,000.

Number 3.

This platinum-set diamond engagement ring is from the Elizabeth Collection of House of Taylor Jewelry, a Los Angeles-based international jewelry company whose principal shareholders include movie legend Elizabeth Taylor. The 5.98-carat oval-cut diamond in its center is “internally flawless” and surrounded by 3.96 carats of round brilliant diamonds in a floral design. Of course, star power doesn’t come cheap.

This ring will cost you a cool $1.3 million.

Number 2

Whether you prefer round extravagance or a more angular glamour, Tiffany has you covered. On the left is the famed jeweler’s oval diamond micromelee split shank ring. Both rings are set in platinum.

The 14.79-carat creation retails at $1.465 million. On the right, you’ll find Tiffany’s 12.03-carat cushion diamond ring, which sells for $800,000.

And the winner is: Number 1.

The rock atop this De Beers platinum engagement ring gets a D — as in D-color, the most desirable grade on the diamond color scale. With its round and flawless stone, this De Beers piece weighs just a little more than 9 carats, but if you buy it your wallet might weigh considerably less.

The ring’s price is set at $1.83 million.

From here.

White gold engagement rings are made using white gold. It is made by combining two metals ” nickel and pure yellow gold mix or palladium and yellow gold. White gold is usually plated with rhodium to make it more brilliant and achieve that pale luminescence. White gold can also be achieved by adding silver to pure gold.

White gold engagement rings are advantageous in terms of price, appearance and durability.

White gold engagement rings are cheaper alternative to platinum engagement rings.

If you love platinum jewelry and are on tight budget white gold jewelry is a fine alternative. It can cost as little as one-fourth the price of other expensive metal or a platinum ring. It resembles platinum engagement rings but at a less expensive price.

White gold engagement rings are lighter and stronger than others.

White gold is stronger than most pure or yellow gold. It is also lightweight, unlike platinum.

White gold engagement rings are more durable that those made with platinum and yellow gold.

White gold is also more durable as it is more scratch resistant in comparison to platinum and gold. Such characteristic allows the ring to maintain a flawless appearance under more strenuous activities.

White gold engagement rings are more brilliant than silver.

White gold engagement rings are often confused with those made of silver. However, compared to sterling silver, white gold is more brilliant.

White gold engagement rings look best with brilliant cut diamonds.

White gold highlights the brilliance of diamonds, And since it is cheaper, you can afford for a more elaborate ring or bigger diamond for your engagement ring. These pieces possess the shining brilliance that draw special attention to the diamond since white gold engagement ring resembles platinum so much.

White gold engagement rings are more versatile than yellow gold engagement rings.

The white gold has an advantage over the yellow gold although is much less popular than yellow gold. White gold engagement rings like other white gold jewelries can fit any jewelry and any ensemble. Take note ” yellow gold might be more beautiful than white gold but it does not always fit well with other types of jewelry. Those allergic to yellow gold are most probably not allergic to white gold.

There are white gold engagement rings made of palladium or silver. These are wider alternative for people with allergic reactions to nickel. Usually white gold engagement rings are made with nickel.

A piece of chic white gold diamond ring is a perfect give you can give yourself. Properly tended these pieces will surely become treasured heirloom. White gold diamond rings maker for an excellent wedding and engagement rings.

And just like Yellow Gold, your engagement ring can be made with 14K or 18K white gold. There are probably a couple of reasons for this trend. The first reason is because white gold tends to keep your diamonds looking whiter. A Yellow gold ring can give a little bit of yellowish tinge to your diamond in some cases.

Years ago, yellow gold was the metal of choice for diamond engagement rings and just like all things in fashion, it tends to be cyclical. White gold was invented after the 1st world war and ever since then, white gold and yellow gold rings have rotated in popularity. However at least for the last 5 years or more, white gold has stayed as the most popular choice for engagement rings.

If the future bride likes one of these jewelry, then he can be sure that an engagement ring made of white gold is the perfect choice. By comparing the features, you’ll see that white gold engagement rings have several benefits that platinum bands do not. Platinum is a good deal more expensive than white gold. White gold rings provide some other advantages as well. One great benefit is that white gold is stronger than platinum which helps avoid bending and scraping easily.

Another point is, that the white gold finish stays brighter longer. Besides, platinum prongs break more at ease than those prongs made of white gold. White gold features so many advantages as well as being really beautiful. White gold is the ideal backdrop for diamonds and other valuable gemstones. White gold engagement rings are clearly favorites in the wide range of engagement rings.

Indeed, rings-regardless of its kind-are beautiful and stunning. Depending on your purpose, rings are always valuable and sentimental.

Today, wanting to veer away from the traditional color of yellow in gold, more and more couples choose white gold diamond rings for their engagement. According to countless surveys, gold is the most common-not to mention, popular-choice of most couples for their wedding or engagement rings. Gold can either be white golf or yellow gold. Common standards dictates that fine gold jewelry should be mounted in either 14-karat (K) or 18 karat (K) gold.

The 18-karat gold should consist of 18 parts pure gold combines with 6 parts other metals while the 14-karat gold has 14 parts pure gold with 10 parts of other metals. In market, white gold is more preferable compared to yellow gold. White gold is usually more recommended for a diamond ring mount than yellow gold because it doesn’t wash off after years of use.

Although gold yellow appeals because of its glow and bright finish, more and more soon-to-wed couples prefer the simplicity and elegance of white gold in their diamond engagement rings.

An 18k white gold is also recommended compared 14k white gold because it has whiter color.

I have been presenting diamond engagement rings to couples in love for a very long time now and always wondered when will it happen to me? It just so turns out that we had enjoyed a brief conversation together .We had made a connection at this magical moment of two people crossing one another’s paths through the not such a big world after all (N.Y.C.) After accepting an invitation from me in accompanying me for dinner, we had found out a lot about one another in such a short time. Well we only had so much time to get to know one another as it turns out she was from Germany. We had dated for two and a half years long distance, taking turns every three months. We are now currently together here in the United States and we are living very happily with one another. Believe me guys, I will be doing the same thing very soon and will be going through the very same process. Although it may be easier for me to purchase the most perfect diamond being that I am in the business, I will take care of you as well as if it were me sitting in that seat. That’s what I would want. I would want someone to show me the right way of finding the most perfect diamond ring for her. 

Diamonds are still the world’s greatest investment. The diamond remains the most treasured symbol of devotion, honor and strength. The diamond is forever, and therefore expresses the love between two people from celebrating anniversaries, your newborns birth, to an important promotion. Celebrate your special story with a diamond, she will love you forever!

After you have done this, then make sure to learn as much as possible about the holly grail of diamond purchasing, namely the Four C’s. It is very important that you learn as much as possible about cut, color, clarity and carat before buying diamonds because this will help you establish the range of quality where you think your diamond should belong. Not only this, it will also help you decide what your diamond engagement ring should look like, and you’ll be no dummy when "negotiating" with jeweler.

Best deal is really something you will like the most for available budget, and in order to get maximum for your money you need to know what kind of diamond you want. This is really subjective term that depends upon a lot of things, but knowing basics can help a lot before the final decision is made. So don’t be lazy to learn as much as possible about 4 C’s so your diamond engagement ring buying adventure can well and truly start.

A man’s engagement ring used to be that it was simple and not complicated. Today’s man has decided that they are more prone to something that is heavy and more designer. The design of a man’s ring is simpler in the pattern but can entail a stone or engraving, such as their initial or a special quote.

You can get them specially made, as you can with any ring. The men’s ring does normally sport a diamond just as the ladies ring does. A popular choice is to have one or two set in the middle. The man’s ring will tell about his personality and who he is. It is important to know what kind of ring he would want to wear before you run out and purchase one.

The engagement ring can also be purchased in a set with the wedding band. This way, come the day of the wedding, both rings will match as with the bride’s rings. It is important to shop around till you find the ring that is just right. As said, they can also be custom made. If you have a stone from another ring that has sentimental value, it can be taken off and used in the engagement ring for a man. This will make the ring even more special.

There are many designs and different metals that you can choose from. Depending on your budget, will depend upon how you shop. If money is a little tight then silver is the cheapest option that you can go with. Gold is the next step up and for those that say the sky is the limit, platinum is the option for you. So, do a little research and do some looking at different places before you make the final decision.