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).
Should You Propose On Valentines Day
If you're thinking of proposing and Valentine's Day is around the corner, it can be very tempting to consider proposing on that day. In this article, I'll give you some advantages and disadvantages of proposing on Valentine's Day. Each couple will have their own personal opinion of each of these issues which can help shape your final decision.
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First will go with the advantages.
For couples who celebrate Valentine's Day, getting engaged on Valentine's Day can be especially romantic.
Because so many people propose on Valentine's Day, there are a wide variety of ready to go Valentine's Day packages which remove a lot of the work from you.
A spurious advantage of getting engaged on Valentine's Day is that it will be very easy to remember the date of your engagement anniversary.
Then there are some disadvantages.
If you consider Valentine's Day to be a commercialised date that you don't like celebrating, getting engaged on Valentine's Day would be meaningless or even against your ideals.
On the same track, because so many couples get engaged on Valentine's Day, you may feel that your engagement date is a little less special because you share with so many other people. On your engagement anniversary the specialness of your night may be reduced if you realise there are three other couples celebrating their anniversary in the same restaurant.
In terms of both the day you get engaged and subsequent celebrations of that engagement, Valentine's Day can significantly add to your expense. Many restaurants hike up their prices for Valentine's Day, and many special discounts are not available on that date.
You may also not like the reception you get
from people when you tell them that you got engaged on Valentine's Day – if
this is going to be a problem for you, consider another date.