Well, gentlemen, we have arrived at the more detailed part of selecting an engagement ring. We can’t all be experts, but we want to help you go into the jewelry store armed with some thoughts that are important when buying her engagement ring in terms of quality. So here is our third and final installment of The Coast Diamond Men’s Guide to Buying an Engagement Ring: Quality.
Style numbers: Engagement Ring LC5410-RG, Band WC5410-RG
Thoughts on Quality from Coast Diamond’s Founder and Designer, Jay Gilbert
- Preview the engagement ring designers your jeweler features on their website before you visit. You will probably see many designs, from each designer, that have a similar look.
- When you find a design that you fall in love with, a picture will not tell the tale. You need to see rings with your own eyes and hold them in your hand to see and feel the differences.
- Some rings simply look brighter and richer. It is not your imagination.
- Does the ring have a tailored feel?
- A ring needs adequate metal at the bottom of the shank and throughout the ring without feeling bulky.
- Are the prongs holding the side diamonds of sufficient thickness to ensure the diamonds are secure? A ring may have small prongs to hold a small diamond, so it is OK if the prongs are smaller, as long as they are in proportion to the stone they are holding. The prongs should not be so bulky that they cover the diamonds.
- Be sure to ask the jeweler if they offer complimentary cleaning every six months and annual inspections, to assure you that the stones are safe and the ring has not been unintentionally damaged?
- Remember your engagement ring is not indestructible, so it is incumbent on the bride to take adequate care to ensure her ring does not get damaged. For example… Don’t lift weights or go water skiing, unless she wears special gloves.
Ultimately, if you are practical, without losing the excitement of buying an engagement ring, all will go well.
Style numbers from left: WC6024, LC6024, LC6077, LC10350, LC6026, LJ6033
Coast Diamond’s Standards of Quality
Elegant design and superb quality are the hallmarks of a Coast Diamond ring. Consistency in the qualities of old-world craftsmanship has proven to be the standard by which Coast founder and designer, Jay Gilbert, has built Coast’s success upon for 40 years. Quality begins with an elegant design, perfectly engineered by a world-class craftsman. A correctly designed ring enables our expert diamond setters and jewelers to add the finishing touches to ensure the highest quality ring. Our diamond setters and jewelers add the finishing touches to ensure the highest quality.
Each Coast Diamond ring, necklace or pair of earrings is set with diamonds that are carefully selected and measured. Our quality diamonds are of SI1 clarity and G/H color. But what does that even mean?
Let us explain with…
The Four Cs of Quality
The nuts and bolts of diamond quality are the Four Cs: cut, clarity, color and carat.
Cut
The cut of a diamond is the factor that is most important to the sparkle and all-around appearance of the diamond.
The cut grade scale ranges are excellent, very good, good, fair and poor. It is best to choose your preference of cut grade and then move on to clarity.
Read more about the cut on the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) )website.
Clarity
Clarity is graded on the absence of unique marks on or within the diamond. There are 11 grades on the clarity scale.
According to the GIA website, most diamonds fall into the VS or SI categories. These natural flaws are unique in each diamond. You can choose a diamond center stone where the flaws are hidden, or nearly invisible, in your engagement ring setting. It is extremely rare to find a flawless diamond.
The diamonds used in our Coast settings are SI1 quality diamonds.
Read more about clarity on the GIA website.
Color
The color of a diamond is a less obvious characteristic of a diamond. (Unless you choose a colored diamond like pink or yellow, in which case these diamonds are graded outside of this scale.) Most diamonds are colorless or near colorless. The scale begins with D being colorless.
Something to consider… A diamond that is yellow/brown is nice set in yellow gold, but if you are choosing platinum you want a diamond that is colorless to near colorless.
Coast’s diamonds are of G/H color.
Read more about the color of diamonds on the GIA website.
Carat Weight
Carat refers to the weight of a diamond. Don’t get that confused with size, because when comparing one-carat diamonds they can be slightly different in size. This is especially true if you are considering different cuts.
The one carat (weight) diamond can be different in size, particularly when comparing different cuts of diamonds.
Our Coast Diamond rings are commonly designed to fit a one-carat diamond center stone. However, most Coast Diamond rings can be customized to fit the carat (and cut) of your choice.
Read more about carat weight on the GIA website.
So, which of The Four Cs is most important? Take a minute to read this interesting article we found to help you decide What’s the Most Important C?
Style numbers from left: LC5410-PRS, LC5410-PC, LC5410, LC5391-PRS
How to Find a Quality Jeweler
Now that you’ve learned a bit about The Four Cs, you are ready to find a jeweler to help you choose the perfect Coast Diamond engagement ring. Taking the time to find a reputable jeweler ensures you get quality in customer service, selection and all around shopping experience. These are our thoughts for finding a quality jeweler…
- Coast Authorized Dealers
- The personnel at these select stores understand the importance of elegant design and superb quality. They have years of experience helping couples find the perfect engagement ring that will be cherished for a lifetime.
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- Find reviews, reports, directories, listings and even gripes on the BBB.
- Read reviews on websites such as Yelp, WeddingWire, The Knot and Google.
- Longevity… If a jewelry store has been around for a while, they probably have a loyal customer base and that only happens for one reason… they take good care of their customers.
- Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
- Dedicated to the science and education of gems and jewelry.
- Creator of the “4Cs” and the International Diamond Grading System™
- A GIA credential is a symbol of knowledge and trust.
- American Gem Society (AGS)
- Focus on consumer protection in the jewelry industry and high expectations in ethical standards.
- Only 3400 fine jewelers in the world are AGS certified as Registered Jewelers, Certified Gemologists, Certified Gemologist Appraisers, Independent Certified Gemologist Appraisers, Certified Sales Associates and/or Certified Jewelry Arts Professionals.
Whew! We hope you have gained a wealth of information for your engagement ring shopping from our series, The Coast Diamond Men’s Guide to Buying an Engagement Ring. You can revisit the other posts in this series at the Style and Value links.
It’s Engagement Season! Happy Engagement Ring Shopping!
