Choosing Your Wedding Jewellery.

It is probably safe to assume that most men really don't know very much about jewellery, so buying a diamond engagement ring is a big step. You'll be spending a considerable amount of money, how are you to be sure that you are getting good value?

We have attempted to explain the terminology associated with jewellery, diamonds in particular, if you read this you will be armed with a very basic knowledge of diamond buying, which should enable you and your fiancé to make the right choice

Where to start?

If you haven't used a jeweller before ask around your friends who have recently been married or engaged, they will be able to recommend a reputable jeweller to you. If that fails check our jewellers page there are many jewellers listed there from all over Ireland. Many of these have web sites.

How much to spend.

It is generally accepted that the groom should spend the equivalent of one months salary on the engagement ring, however the amount that you spend is entirely a matter of personal choice. The average amount spent on the engagement ring seems to average out at about 7.5% of the overall wedding budget. If you have Microsoft Excell in your computer you can download our budget planner, we hope it will assist you with your wedding budget.

The Four C's

The four C's are "Cut, Colour, Clarity and Caret."
These are the criteria which are used to define the quality and value of a gemstone.

The Cut.

A gifted diamond cutter can bring out the brilliance of a stone by cutting the stone so that it reflects the maximum amount of light both within the stone and through its face.

The object is to produce a stone which is symmetrical.
An ideal cut diamond would have 58 cuts on a round stone, this number of cuts reflect the maximum amount of light.
Premium Cut is also symmetrical and but not as perfectly cut or reflective as an Ideal cut.
Inferior Cut, when cutting these stones the cutter has tried to retain as much as possible of the weight of the original stone, which probably contributed to loss of brilliance.
Polishing also affects the grading of diamonds, stones that are poorly polished can be downgraded.

Diamonds are graded with a scale of 0 to 10 with the 0 being the rare ideal cut with the 10 at the other end of the scale.

Colour.

The colour of a diamond actually refers to the amount by which the stone is colourless. Some jewellers have a set of master stones in their shops, they use these

Table of Colour Definition.

Carat

There is sometimes confusion as to what carat refers to, it is actually a measurement of weight (One carat is 200 milligrams) one carat is divided into 100 points. You would tend to think that the larger and heavier the stone was the more valuable it would be. This of course is not the case, colour and clarity are also very important factors in determining the value of a stone.

Jewellers have or should have scales that can weigh diamonds to an accuracy of .002 of a carat, which is an incredibly sensitive set of scales.

The Setting.

If you have ever looked closely at a diamond ring you will see that the stone is held in place by little metal brackets (prongs) if the setting is inferior and the prongs badly formed this can allow the diamond to move around and probably eventually fall out. It is important that all of the prongs are securely formed over the crown of the stone.

The Shape.

There are many shapes on the market today. Designers are constantly experimenting with new shapes, but the classic cuts are round brilliant, emerald, oval, pear, marquis and square. The shape you choose does not affect the quality or cost of the stone. The shape of the cut stone is probably determined more by a desire to get as large as possible a cut stone from the original un cut stone.

Insure Your Ring.

When you purchase your ring don't forget to insure it, you can usually add it to your household policy.