Solitaire

Jewelry making is an art, which has reached a high level of refinement over the centuries. Master jewelers have explored the properties of precious metals and gemstones, developing techniques, which are used to create stunning pieces.

Solitaire rings, whether engagement rings or not, have always been popular for their simplicity and elegance. As the name suggests, with a solitaire setting you have a single stone, typically a diamond, mounted on your engagement ring. Solitaire settings are simple, classic, and create a great impact.

Expert jewelers confirm that solitaire settings are some of the most durable. If you’re shopping for engagement rings, and looking for something simple, classic, and stylish, you might want to consider the solitaire option. The following guidelines will help you find out more about solitaire rings and how to identify the right one for your beloved.

Solitaire Ring Setting

The setting is an important element, which is decisive for the way your stone looks. Choosing your setting depends on the effect you want to achieve, as well as on the properties of the gemstone – some settings are better than others are for a particular stone. You can have a prong setting or a bezel setting, among others. As for setting material, the most common are white and yellow gold, but lately platinum is gaining ascendancy, due to its luster and durability.

Popular solitaire settings include round brilliant, which highlights the sparkling facets of the diamond, or princess cut, which creates a distinctive effect with its square shape and pointed corners. On the other hand, diamond cuts such as marquise, pear, or emerald cut contribute to elongating the appearance of the gemstone.

Solitaire Ring Band

The choice of the band is also important for the overall effect of a solitaire engagement ring. Band material, width, and style, all have a say on the overall impact produced by the ring. For instance, if the band is thin, it results in making the stone look larger. If the band is thicker, it will allow you to choose from the several stone settings available.

Another thing to think about when it comes to the band of your engagement ring is color. The choice of metal and its color influences the appearance of the stone, highlighting or obscuring it. For example, white gold will enhance the color of gemstones, while yellow gold will increase a diamond’s clarity and brilliance. It’s all a matter of taste and style, so it’s best to take your time and look at each element in turn before you decide what makes the perfect solitaire engagement ring choice.

Solitaire Stone Choice

Traditionally, diamonds are the gemstones of choice when it comes to engagement rings. However, traditional patterns are beginning to change, starting from the top, as Prince William’s example shows. Instead of offering Kate Middleton a diamond, he presented her with his mother’s 18-carat sapphire ring. The royal model was soon followed by many, as surveys focusing on engagement ring purchases show. With Valentine Day quickly approaching, this might be good news for many men preparing to propose. Instead of buying an expensive diamond, you might make her happier by offering her a solitaire sapphire, emerald, or ruby. These stones are elegant and classy, and can enliven your beloved’s appearance through their colors.

Solitaire Stone and Cut

If you’ve set your mind on a solitaire engagement ring, you need to consider the stone and the cut before anything else. You can opt for a diamond or another precious stone. While it’s true that diamonds have the highest durability, more and more people are attracted by colorful gemstones. Not only because they are more affordable, although this is a substantial reason, but also because the gemstones are regarded as being more expressive than a colorless diamond. If you want an exquisite solitaire engagement ring for your loved one who’s not much into diamonds, you can choose between rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and other beautiful gemstones. If her current jewelry seems to favor the alluring hues of colorful precious stones, it might be better to give up the traditional idea of offering her a diamond engagement ring.

Brilliant round cut is the most shining because this type of cut reflects light best, creating spectacular glittering effects. As for the size of the diamond used in your solitaire setting, this depends on your loved one’s preferences, and your budget. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, as they say, and a man’s worst enemy or ally- depending on his wallet. The price of a diamond depends on several things, and one of the most important is carat.

Solitaire Diamond Ring and the 4 C’s

To assess the value of your solitaire diamond you need to check its four C’s, namely carat, clarity, color, and cut. A diamond’s carat has to do with weight, not with size. A carat consists in 100 points. 1 carat diamonds are the most common choice for engagement rings. 2 carat diamond rings are not only more hard to find, but also more expensive. As for color, it can vary significantly from diamond to diamond. Some people prefer colorless diamonds; others go for yellow tinted diamonds. There are certain grades, which assess a diamonds color. Colorless diamonds are considered the most valuable. The third C is clarity, which rates a diamonds capacity to reflect more light. Clear diamonds contain fewer imperfections, which makes them more precious. It’s difficult to find flawless stones, which have a clear and unblemished surface. These stones are rare and expensive. There is a scale, which measures diamond clarity. Before labeling diamond clarity, jewelers magnify the stone and examine it thoroughly, looking for flaws and impurity in its structure. It’s advisable to examine your solitaire diamond attentively, and ask for a second opinion before you make a decision. The last C in the 4 C’s is cut. The way a diamond is cut influences its sparkling powers. The round brilliant cut is the most sparkling. Cuts like princess or radiant are used by savvy jewelers to hide the imperfections of the stone. The cut can make the diamond stand out, and together with the band and the setting will play a decisive role in the appearance of your solitaire engagement ring.