Engagement Rings - Shaping a Colourful future
Almost everyone in the world knows about white diamonds, the most popular choice for all kinds of glamorous jewellery from earrings to pendants to the most popular engagement rings. But less well known is that there are many other colours available that you can use to differentiate a special piece of jewellery from all others. The average yearly output of the world's diamond mines is approximately 130 million carats. 49% of these come from mines in Africa and most of these are the ubiquitous white diamonds. Almost never seen are blue diamonds. They are so desirable and so rare that they are tremendously expensive. Naturally occurring blue diamonds are so uncommon that most jewellers have never even seen one. The most famous blue stone is the Hope Diamond weighing in at over 45 carats. Another colour of diamond that is gaining in popularity is pink. Pink diamonds are as expensive according to quality and carat for carat as are blue diamonds.
The Darya-i-Nur diamond is the world's most famous pink diamond and weighs an amazing 185 carats. Among the largest sixty-six diamonds in the world, only one is pink. Equally difficult to obtain is the red diamond. There are believed to be less than twenty natural red diamonds in existence today. Yellow is a commonly seen colour for diamonds used in engagement rings. They can range from a very pale yellow to a vivid bright yellow depending on the quantity of nitrogen atoms absorbed while the diamond is crystallising. Another unusual diamond colour is brown. These can vary greatly in shade and hue but are less expensive because they are not as popular as gems to be set by themselves. The shape that people choose for their diamonds demands considerable thought. There are several things to think about more than just what shape is the favourite.
Particular ring styles coupled with particular finger symmetry lend themselves better to certain diamond cuts. The first is the actual structure of the stone. Even if it is the right shape, it may be cut professionally or cut poorly. A longer stone will look more elegant when set with accent stones. The width of the band will also help decide the shape of the diamond. A wide band will look better with elongated stones while a more delicate, narrow one works best with round or square. Perhaps the most important factor for the choice of engagement rings is the conformation of the bride's hand. A woman with long fingers will look better wearing a princess cut while a woman with shorter fingers might feel better with the added length of an oval or marquise stone. A lot of women look to see what is in vogue when they are getting engaged according to what their favourite movie star is wearing. But this can be tricky. What is “hot” today can quickly look dated and “cheap” if it is too drastic or unusually shaped. It can also be difficult to find other jewellery that coordinates well with it.
