Buying diamonds: How to find the right engagement ring for her

The pivotal moment in any proposal is the presentation of the diamond engagement ring.  When you ask her to marry you, you'll want to be confident you've chosen the diamond she wants and that her reaction will be one of true amazement and sheer delight.

But, it's also important you have the confidence that the diamond you've selected is of high quality and the best value for the price. 

Before you make a decision, find out what diamond she dreams about.You don't have to be a detective, but you do have to start looking and listening for the signs.

Here are some ways to figure out what diamond engagement ring will thrill her without necessarily tipping her off.

• Ask her friends and family if she's ever mentioned what shape diamond or setting she prefers.

• Take note if she comments on the diamonds her friends are wearing. Or ask her what she thinks of other women's engagement rings. For instance, you might say “Alison's diamond is really beautiful, don't you think?”  Then see what she says.  

• Look at the rest of her jewelry carefully and determine her style. Does she prefer larger pieces or more delicate? Does she like a contemporary look or a more classic style? A jeweler can counsel you once you determine her style. For example, more classic taste would probably dictate a round diamond or an emerald cut, while more modern style choices would lean toward a princess cut, oval or marquise.

• Notice whether she wears yellow gold or silver jewelry, so you'll choose the right setting for your diamond.

• Thumb through fashion magazines together, and see if she notices a particular diamond ad. If not, point one out and ask her what she thinks of it.

• Wander through a jewelry store on your next trip to the mall and see what kind of rings and jewelry catch her eye.

• Look at her hand.  Some shapes, like a marquise, might cover too much of her finger to look graceful if her hand is small and delicate.

• Find out her ring size by asking her friends and family if they know, or by taking one of her rings and making an impression in a bar of soap.  A jeweler can look at the soap impression and determine her size.

Once you know what to look for, learn the basics about buying diamonds before you even think of making your purchase.

Quality, craftsmanship and value are critical in a purchase this expensive. To buy the most beautiful diamond you can at the best value for your money, you need to learn a few things about buying diamonds.

Buying diamonds: What makes a diamond beautiful?

A diamond's beauty is the result of its inherent attributes – the quality of the rough stone – as well as the craftsmanship applied to it in the cutting and polishing process. You can determine a diamond's beauty up to a point with the naked eye. What you're looking for when buying diamonds is fire, sparkle and brilliance -- that flash of light that happens when a woman wearing a diamond ring moves her hand, so that light enters the stone from different angles and is reflected back to you. You're also looking for color and clarity, which are harder to determine with the naked eye, yet critical contributors to a diamond's beauty.

A master diamond artisan cuts a stone to maximize its brilliance, so that it reflects light efficiently and returns it back to your eye through the top of the stone. This is called Return of Light. If the artisan begins with high quality rough – a stone with good color and clarity – the potential for maximizing brilliance is even greater. However, a poorly cut diamond will have no life to it, no matter how big a rock it is or how fine a piece of rough it started out as. A diamond's beauty and brilliance, then, depend both on Mother Nature and the skill of the diamond artisan.

Buying diamonds: How do you measure the value of a diamond?

Cut, color, clarity and carat weight are the diamond attributes, or characteristics, known as the 4Cs, and anyone interested in buying diamonds should learn all about the 4Cs before entering a store. Most diamonds sold by reputable jewelers are accompanied by diamond certificate that evaluates each of the 4Cs for that specific stone.

Diamond certificates may be issued by one or more of the major independent gemological laboratories. Certification serves as written proof of a diamond's attributes and a basis for comparing diamonds and measuring the value of diamonds with similar attributes. Certification gives you the power to purchase a diamond with the characteristics you want at a fair market price.

Buying diamonds:  Branded diamonds.

When you're shopping for a diamond, you're faced with the same choice as when you're shopping for clothes. There are those with name brands and those without. Usually, name brands are associated with a certain style and cachet that is recognizable to you and to others who see you wearing them. But name brands also suggest better quality. After all, if a designer puts his or her name on a collection, it is done with obvious pride. You may pay slightly more for a brand name, but you know exactly what you're getting – a name that stands behind the products it sells and meets high quality standards.

If you have concerns about how to buy the best diamond (and most people do!), zeroing in on a name brand diamond is an excellent way to narrow your choices to diamonds of particular quality.

You might check out The Leo Diamond ® , by Leo Schachter, the first diamond ever to come with an additional certification verifying its fire, sparkle and brilliance!   Find out more about the uncomparable Leo Diamond and where you can find yours.

Buying diamonds: Resources to help you with your research.

The Leo Schachter diamond website has a downloadable diamond buying guide that provides a checklist of everything you need to look at to shop, compare, and buy diamonds.  

A trusted local jeweler can also provide helpful guidance when buying an engagement ring.    Find a jeweler in your area.