Gents, are you getting ready to pop the question to that special girl in your life? Ladies, do you want to give your future fiance a nudge in the right direction regarding your engagement ring preference? Brilliance matches different kinds of engagement rings with different kinds of personality types for the perfect fit that will last a lifetime.
A yellow gold kind of girl?
Chances are, you have a vivacious personality and have a whirlwind of a social life. If you have a warm skin tone (you can check your wrist for greenish colored veins), yellow gold is your best bet for a great jewelry metal match. Natural blondes or redheads will also look great wearing engagement rings with yellow gold bands.
…or a white gold kind of girl?
White gold is a good choice for those who like their jewelry timeless and understated. It is also the best kind of precious metal color for people with cool skin tones (look for blue-toned veins on your wrist, or a rosy undertone to your skin). Skin that tans easily is considered cool-toned. A wardrobe filled with classically tailored clothes and not a lot of faddish ones will also go well with a white gold engagement ring.
Want a Princess-cut diamond?
The “Princess” part of this particular diamond cut should already be a giveaway. It is of a squarish shape, with corners angled to have maximum light refraction. The kind of sparkle which the Princess-cut engagement ring provides will definitely allow the wearer to feel like royalty. Princess-cut diamonds are also associated with independent, self-confident women.
Raving over the round diamond cut?
Considered the most classic diamond cut, a girl who likes her clothes, jewelry, and accessories transcending time and trends will most likely go for this kind of engagement ring. It is the diamond cut that typically make up the lion’s share of sales in many jewelry stores. In fact, any other kind of cut that isn’t a round-brilliant is also referred to as “fancy cut”. Ladies who have a warm, dependable, and friendly personality deserve a round diamond engagement ring.
Asking for an Asscher cut diamond?
The Asscher cut, invented in 1902, has a squarish shape almost similar to the emerald-cut. It also features cropped corners which gives it a sort of octagonal look. This is to ensure maximum clarity. Those who like vintage-looking jewelry will likely fall for the Asscher-cut diamond. Art Deco-inspired engagement rings feature this kind of diamond cut, and it will suit dramatic and flamboyant personality types.
Got a soft spot for the solitaire diamond?
The solitaire diamond engagement ring has been the preference of many newly-minted fiancees, and the gents who proposed to them, of course. This very popular setting has a quiet elegance that can withstand all sorts of jewelry fads. It features a single diamond, but the wearer’s personality can influence its carat weight, type of precious metal, shape, clarity, and other factors. However, those who lean towards sedate jewelry pieces and prefer dateless designs typically choose the solitaire setting.
Hello, halo!
The Halo diamond cut is fast becoming a favorite among celebrities and socialites. It features a center diamond with its own aura of smaller diamonds. While many may tend to think that more than one diamond on an engagement ring is ostentatious, a halo setting can also look classic, especially when worn with tailored clothes. It speaks of restrained, good taste as well as a preference for timeless luxuries in life.
Paving the way for a pave setting?
The pave setting for engagement rings are usually a hit with those who like the finer things in life, and have a keen eye for fashion. Small diamonds form a halo around a central stone, and go around the precious metal (as with paved stones on a path). High-profile future brides typically prefer this kind of setting, although more sedate versions of the pave engagement rings will also suit ladies who can appreciate its beauty.
Tags: Engagement Ring, Preference
Categories: Brilliance, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Gems, Rings
The emerald is the birthstone for the month of May, and Brilliance shines the spotlight on this brilliant green gem with a handy infographic. Information about it is segmented into facts and figures, color, variants, a location map of its mines, its physical characteristics, history, healing properties, legend, usage, and ideal purposes for gift-giving. As an added bonus, the infographic features the different celebrities who have the emerald as their birthstone, as well as those who have been spotted wearing emerald jewelry.
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Tags: Birthstone, Emerald, May
Categories: Brilliance, Gems, INFOGRAPHIC, Jewelry
Named after the 14-year old Prince of Baroda, the April 16 Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale of this Golconda diamond set new world records. It became the most valuable diamond ever sold…both at the auction house and in the United States.
The Princie diamond was described by serious jewelry aficionados as having ideal qualities. It boasts of an aristocratic history, has an outstanding pink color, is sizable, and possesses a beautiful polish, shape, and quality. The diamond has a near flawless cushion-cut and weighs 34.65 carat. It ended up with an anonymous bidder for the whopping price of $39.9 million…in other words, the buyer ended up paying around $1.1 million per carat.
The diamond can be traced back to ancient south central India mines. Its very first owner was said to be the royal family of the Mughal empire. The Princie was first sold in 1960 by a member of the royal family of Hyderabad to Van Cleef & Arpels, and got its new name during a party at the store’s Paris branch where the young Baroda prince was in attendance.
The recent sale was the first time in nearly half a century that the Princie became available for bidding. Prior to this record-breaking New York auction, Christie’s biggest sale was at the tail-end of 2008, when the Wittelsbach Diamond was sold for $24.3 million. The famous auction house is also known for the successful sale of Elizabeth Taylor’s impressive jewelry collection.
Tags: Princie Diamond
Categories: Diamonds, Gems, News
Ask anyone what to look for in a loose diamond, and you immediately hear about the 4 C’s: cut, color, clarity, and carat. The 4 C’s are the very measures used by diamond grading laboratories and appraisers to assign value to diamonds. It is important to take note, though, that the application of these grading requirements may vary from one gemological lab to another or one appraiser to another. For instance, while the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) may assign an SI1 clarity grade to a specific diamond, the European Gemological Laboratory (EGL) could give the exact same diamond an SI2 rating. That is just a hint of the subjectivity that is practiced in diamond grading, and it gets even more subjective in the world of appraisals. The Holloway Cut Advisor (HCA) rating tool is no exception to this subjective grading scheme. In this article, we put HCA cut rating standards to the test by comparing it to the most trusted industry standard: GIA
HCA is an alternative cut rating tool mostly used by web-based diamond traders and shoppers as it is easily accessible online. Compared to the more renowned diamond grading entities like EGL and GIA, HCA is a cheaper way to rate the cut of a diamond.
HCA works by estimating a diamond’s potential light return, scintillation, fire, and spread after utilizing some basic information regarding a diamond. This information includes overall depth percentage, average crown height or angles, table percentage, average pavilion depth or angles, and culet size.
Computer generated HCA results
As per countless observations of gemologists in the industry, there are setbacks to the Holloway Cut Advisor that need mentioning. For one, there are many standards not accounted for by HCA cut rating. These include craftsmanship, cut precision (traditional symmetry), digging and painting, among others. In addition, the HCA process is entirely dependent on computer models. No living person ever rates the diamond based on its actual appearance. It is important to note that HCA ratings are often inconsistent—sometimes rating two identical stones differently, which raises serious questions about the algorithms used by the HCA computer models.
In contrast to the limited attributes used by HCA, the GIA Cut Grade rating has three major criteria which cover a more comprehensive list of quality indicators. These include face-up appearance, craftsmanship, and design. With face-up appearance, standards like brightness, scintillation, and fire are measured. Craftsmanship looks for details regarding symmetry and polish. And design delves into durability and weight ratio. Cut ratings include Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, and Excellent. These grading standards are obviously more descriptive, thus easier to interpret.
The GIA Human Factor
Furthermore, GIA grades diamond cut via a predictive computer model which takes into account approximately 38.5 million proportion indicators and at least 70,000 specific diamond quality observations. This breakthrough system is just one of the many practices and technologies that gives GIA Cut Grade more credibility. Admittedly, the use of such a reliable system is also the reason why a GIA diamond certificate costs a little more, and why the company has strict standards when it comes to grading diamonds. The final advantage to a GIA examination is the human factor that comes from a real gemologist putting their eyes and hands on the diamond to ensure that their computer analysis didn’t miss a thing. What better way to confirm the quality of a stone than by actually seeing all of the characteristics that make it great?
In the end, for the most discriminating and discerning buyers, the tried and tested GIA Cut Grade is still the most sought-after and reliable guarantee of cut quality.
Tags: GIA, Grading Standards, HCA
Categories: Diamonds, Education, Gems
Brilliance launches the birthstone feature for April: the timeless diamond. It provides interesting facts and figures, as well as information on the diamond’s color, variants, a location map of its mines all over the world, and its most recognizable physical characteristics.
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Tags: April, Birthstone, Diamond
Categories: Brilliance, Diamonds, Gems, INFOGRAPHIC, Jewelry
These days, more and more brides-to-be are deciding to have colored birthstones on their engagement rings to go with the customary diamond. It’s a fresh, meaningful, sentimental, and very personal take on this piece of jewelry that symbolizes commitment. Let’s take a look at some of the best reasons couples give for incorporating birthstones on engagement rings.
A ring that exudes warmth and charm
While a diamond is undoubtedly beautiful and is expected to become an heirloom for its durability and timelessness, many couples feel that adding a splash of birthstone color, gives it a more personal meaning. Gems with bright, bold hues such as sapphires, rubies, and emeralds exude warmth and personality. People who know and love the precious stones representing their birthdays and anniversaries seem to naturally gravitate towards the color of these stones for their clothing and other possessions. An engagement ring bearing a birthstone to complement the traditional diamond celebrates the color and meaning that come with it.
When Jessica Simpson got engaged to Eric Johnson a few years ago, many took note of her dazzling and very non-traditional ruby gemstone and diamond engagement ring. It featured three precious stones: a large ruby in the middle, with two diamonds flanking it.
Celebrating two milestones in one
Many wedding speeches uttered between a bride and a groom have to do with blessing the day the other was born. A sentimental and significant gesture would be to combine the couple’s birthstones on one ring to emphasize that two lives are now joined together for eternity. Emeralds paired with garnets, sapphires with diamonds, a ruby with a topaz, and other combinations of precious stones can really add significance to the engagement ring you will be wearing. It is best to consult with an expert jewelry maker to get the best settings for your birthstones so that you end up with a ring that is not only eloquent, but utterly aesthetic in every sense, as well.
A colorful timeline
Apart from their respective birthdays, a couple can have plenty of milestones to celebrate together. Birthstones have their own months to represent, so they can become colorful “markers” on an engagement ring which can act as a timeline leading up to the big day. If you want to do this, think back on the day and month of your first meeting, first kiss, the day of your proposal, your anticipated wedding date, and other important milestones you share as a couple. It will take time and a lot of effort to execute, but once you get it custom made, you will have on your finger an engagement ring that nobody else has because it is truly yours.
Even prominent couples have integrated birthstones into their engagement rings. For his lovely future bride and future First Lady of the United States, JFK presented an emerald ring surrounded by 2.88 carats of diamonds when the latter proposed to the former. It was speculated that the emerald represented the month of May, the very month when they were first introduced to each other at a party.
To shop our wide selection of exquisite Gemstone Engagement Rings, please click here: Gemstone Engagement Rings at Brilliance
Tags: Birthstones, Engagement Rings, Gems, Jewelry News
Categories: Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Gems
Got a special someone celebrating a birthday or anniversary, but at a loss as to what to give them? Fret not, because Brilliance has launched a handy and insightful infographic on Aquamarine, The Birthstone of March.
What better way to honor someone you love than to present them with the precious stone associated with their birth month? You can get an idea of how each stone looks like, plus interesting facts and trivia about it using this very helpful infographic.
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Tags: Aquamarine, Birthstone of March
Categories: Brilliance, Education, Gems, INFOGRAPHIC, Jewelry
Amethyst – February
A form of Quartz mineral in a pleasing violet or purple shade, mined primarily from volcanic rocks in Africa and Brazil. Linked to an increased sense of calm, serenity, and understanding, the stone is believed to minimize the stress and anxiety of the wearer.
Did You Know? Amethyst was considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness and the gemstone still symbolizes sobriety. Fine amethysts have been featured in the British Crown Jewels, and have been a favorite with such diverse figures as Egyptian royalty to Catherine the Great.
Moh’s Scale of Hardness: 7/10
Interested in birthstones? Check out our infographic on Birthstones by Month: Gemstones by Month Infograph
Categories: Brilliance, Education, Gems, Jewelry
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