Quick and Easy Buying Guide
Carat weight: 1 carat = 200 milligrams = 6.5 mm diameter. Doubling weight doesn't double diameter.
Diamond clarity: FL/IF/VVS/VS = super expensive, near perfect. SI = best value if you can check a photo for obvious inclusions (defects).
Color: D-G = colorless, expensive, only if you have money to burn. H-J = best value. Can go lower in gold metal settings than white metal.
Cut: Better cut ratings let more light into a diamond, making it sparkle more. Very important property, don't skimp here.
Set a budget and minimum cut (Premium). Go J color for gold and I/H for white metals. Go searching for SI1/SI2 clarity diamonds at James Allen. Pick a diamond with small/no inclusions. Choose a ring setting and buy it risk-free (60-day returns).
Diamond Ring Enhancers
A diamond ring enhancer is a diamond ring accessory that is added with the primary purpose of increasing the visual appeal of the ring. Unlike a diamond engagement ring guard, it may or may not offer a degree of protection to the centre ring and diamond.
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An example of a diamond ring enhancer might be an additional thin yellow gold ring with a dozen diamonds set along the top half of the ring, with the diamonds individually being much smaller than the centre diamond in the main ring.
The advantage of such a diamond ring enhancer is that you can take advantage of the drop-off in price of smaller diamonds and buy many of them. Just make sure the diamond ring enhancer doesn't have two large a total diamond weight, otherwise it may overwhelm the original ring and diamond setting, when it is meant to enhance.
When you go looking for a diamond ring enhancer, you need to consider both style and the types of stones that you will use.
Some types of diamond shapes go well with others, for example, you may use a pear shaped stone in your diamond ring enhancer to complement a central round diamond.
You should also consider the type of metal that is used in the diamond ring enhancer. You can choose a matching metal so that the enhancer blends well with the main setting, or you could choose a different metal to create a two tone effect.
You may need to spend some time looking for a band in your diamond ring enhancer that fits well alongside your main diamond ring. This is where it can be advantageous to buy the diamond ring enhancer at the same time as you buy your original diamond ring. Your jeweller may offer matching enhancers which will take away a lot of the guesswork involved.
Some types diamond ring enhancers can even be used as a wedding ring. For example, a channel set diamond ring enhancer like the one described above could easily be used as a wedding ring by both the woman and the man.