Buying a diamond engagement ring is an exciting and sometimes anxiety-inducing task. Understanding what to look for in a diamond can be difficult if your knowledge is lacking.
You’re in luck! We will equip you with all you need to begin your search for the perfect diamond engagement ring.
Lab Grown Diamonds
Opting for lab grown diamond jewelry instead of mined is an ethical and environmentally conscious choice. Lab created diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically identical to natural diamonds. All in all, the diamond’s appearance is just the same, and you aren’t skimping out on your diamond’s quality.
So, there’s no need to look any further than here. Clean Origin has a wide range of engagement rings and customization options for you to create the perfect engagement ring.
The 4Cs: Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat Weight
When buying a diamond ring, it’s important to consider a variety of factors to ensure you’re getting the best quality stone for your money. The 4Cs are significant quality parameters for identifying diamond quality. Here are what the parameters are and how they determine a diamond’s grade.
Cut
Often confused with diamond shape, diamond cut refers to the way a diamond has been shaped and polished.
Diamond shape, however, refers to the stone’s silhouette. Examples include radiant, Asscher, and round diamonds.
As determined by the International Gemological Institute (IGI), cut grades include Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, and Good. The phenomenal cut quality of a loose diamond is determined by its balanced appearance, with diamond facets arranged in a manner that allows the diamond to gleam.
Lower-grade diamond qualities do exist, but Clean Origin does not sell those.
Clarity
Diamond clarity refers to the presence of inclusions (internal flaws) and blemishes (external flaws) in a diamond. Diamonds– including lab created diamonds– are composed of pure carbon that has withstood great heat and pressure. With that comes both dark and light blemishes and inclusions.
The more impurities, the harder it becomes for light to pass through the stone. High clarity grades indicate few or no inclusions, which make for a stunningly clear and typically more costly diamond. Find out more about diamond clarity with this chart.
Color
As determined by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), color grades indicate the color of a diamond on a scale from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow). Generally, higher color grades (DEF) are more expensive, as they are colorless. However, a low color grade and a subsequent lower price do not signify an insufficient stone.
With that, to ensure you receive a quality diamond with aesthetically gorgeous standards, Clean Origin does not sell L or lower-colored diamonds. Our extensive selection ranges from colorless (DEF) to near colorless (GHIJ) to faint yellow (K).
Carat Weight
Commonly mistaken for the gold purity descriptor “karat,” carat weight (ct) informs diamond weight, not size. In some cases, two gemstones of different physical sizes may be similar weights.
Carat weight is typically expressed as 1.00, meaning 1 carat. Each carat is 100 “points,” which explains why we see carat weight referred to as 0.5 ct or 1.25 ct. This number system allows the customer to know the exact measurement of the diamond they are looking to purchase.
All things considered, lab grown diamonds have the same carat weight breakdown as mined diamonds. As carat weight increases, diamond prices do, too. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that while weight is a valid descriptor, carat weight does not dictate diamond quality on its own.
Unique Ring Design
Diamond Shapes and Colors
Round diamonds are a common shape set in most engagement rings. Make the stone unique by choosing a fancy shape you are less likely to come across. Or maybe get a well-known diamond shape in, let’s say, blue?
Peard
Above is our Arielle Ring with a diamond band in yellow gold. The pear-shaped center stone is housed in a cathedral setting but is leveled up with an east-west orientation.
Asscher
Here, we have The Madeline diamond engagement ring in white gold. The Asscher cut center stone brings life to this minimal bezel solitaire design.
Marquise
The Madeline engagement ring style is compatible with a range of diamond shapes, including marquise.
Heart
The heart shape diamond is rare to find, and we’ve got it for you to add to a range of ring settings. If you’re not looking to customize, a few designs that our lab created heart shape diamond is compatible with include the Antique Solitaire Ring, Waverly Ring, Symphony Ring, and Fantasy Ring, to name a few.
Princess
Our Iris Promise Ring is a stunner with a diamond-studded halo design. This ring houses a unique blue princess lab created diamond with a plethora of smaller lab grown accent diamonds on the band.
Ring Setting
Like round diamonds, the solitaire ring setting is quite popular. While the style is undeniably classic, there’s no problem with branching out to other diamond ring settings. Here are a few from our extensive selection of engagement ring settings.
Cathedral
The cathedral setting features a center stone raised by arches of metal that come up from the shank. Above is the Bristol Six Prong Solitaire Ring in rose gold metal, featuring a cathedral setting with simplistic trellis detail.
Bezel
Our Lumiere Ring features a half-bezel, which is unlike our full-bezel designs that fully surround the center stone.
Halo
A halo design houses the center stone with a plethora of smaller diamonds. Our Sorriso Oval Halo does this to the max, housing over 60 lab created diamonds.
Stone Count
There are no rules! Your engagement ring doesn’t have to be confined to a single center stone. Why not two or three?
Two Stones
Two stone engagement rings are also named Toi et Moi, French for “you and me,” with the two diamonds symbolizing a perfect pair. The Amelie ring features an oval-cut diamond with a second stone of your choice.
Three Stones
Our three stone rings include a focal stone set between two smaller stones. Here we have our Vineyard 3 Stone Ring in yellow gold metal, featuring a raised setting and diamond-studded band.
Ring Band
No need to stick to the same silver band… unless you want to, of course. A unique design can manifest through more than just the center stone. Expand with other ring details by reimagining the metal band.
Plain vs. Pavé
A plain band is minimal, but it doesn’t have to be simple. Our metals are gorgeous enough to wear on their own, but you can elevate the band with unique detailing. The Celtic Solitaire ring takes the plain band up a notch with a Celtic-inspired twisting design up the shoulders.
A pavé setting means the ring features an array of small diamonds along the band. The French name translates to “paved,” as the technique mimics a paved road. The Eleanor Classic Ring is a great example of pavé, with a gorgeous, thin, diamond-studded band.
Twisted Band
As mentioned prior, plain bands do not have to be a bore. The Ronny Ring is a twist on a solitaire ring, with a whimsical twisted band and four prong setting holding the center stone in place.
Metal Color
Clean Origin offers fine jewelry made with precious metals formed from recycled material.
White Gold
You may have noticed our gold rings are only offered in 14k white, yellow, and rose gold, or 18k white or yellow gold.
Yellow Gold
The gold content is the only difference between 14- and 18-karat gold.
Rose Gold
To make different colors, gold is mixed with other materials to achieve rosy or silver tones.
Platinum
Our platinum metal is made from 90% pure platinum.
Consider a Bridal Set
Bridal sets are a great way to ensure the engagement ring and wedding band are a perfect match. So much so that one would be encouraged to wear them together.
Some bridal sets accommodate the shape of the center stone on the engagement ring.
Are you looking for a large round diamond or an elongated diamond shape like marquise or oval? We have contoured wedding bands to ensure the rings fit perfectly as a pair.
Clean Origin’s Engagement Rings
Ultimately, the right engagement ring is the one that fits both your preferences and your budget. A ring can have many commonalities but be exceptionally special to you and your significant other. So don’t sweat the small stuff to impress others. What do you like? What does your partner like? That’s what you should pick.
Above all, if you or your partner need more insight to understand exactly what your preferences are called, you can always schedule a virtual appointment or visit us at one of our stores. For a quick guide, read our extensive diamond and ring education pages.
