Diamond rings can be made to order.
A diamond ring is one of the fashion focal pieces of a wedding, and there are thousands of wedding ring designs and designers out there. Vintage rings are making a comeback, while solitaires are still a popular choice. Yellow gold, platinum and white gold are all options when picking out a ring to accentuate the diamonds. The diamond's clarity and color should figure into your choice of ring, regardless of the shape. Does this Spark an idea?
The Round Cut Diamond
The round diamond is one of the most popular styles.
Round cut diamonds are found in most wedding bands. This cut is wildly popular, comes in a variety of sizes and tends to blend well with other diamond shapes in the band. The round diamond is famous for reflecting brilliant light more than any other shape of diamond. Jewelers will often cluster smaller diamonds in a circular shape below the round cut.
Princess, Emerald and Radiant Cut Diamonds
The princess cut ring takes on a square shape.
The princess cut diamond resembles a faceted square. Light reflects off of this shape more than most other cuts. Princess diamonds are popular in solitaire settings. Although the emerald cut looks like a rectangular shape on first glance, it is actually trimmed on more than four sides. The top is usually flat, with the edges cut at a minute angle, creating a more detailed rectangular shape. Emerald cuts can come in any size. The radiant cut is also more square in shape, and takes on the features of a more pillowy top. More of the edges are cropped off than on a princess cut. People with smaller budgets gravitate toward the radiant cut because it hides more flaws.
Oval, Pear and Marquise Cut Diamonds
An oval cut is said to flatter women with smaller hands, creating the look of longer fingers. Similar to the oval cut, the pear shape is an elongated diamond, in this case rounded on one end with a sharp point on the other. This shape is harder to cut, which can create uneven sides. Shoppers must be sure to check for a correct ratio. This shape is also called the tear drop. The marquise cut, meanwhile, is elongated with points at both ends. The marquise shape fits well as a centerpiece in a diamond ring with different shaped, smaller diamonds placed around it.
Heart and Trilliant-Cut Diamonds
While the heart-shaped diamond is not as popular as other cuts, it finds its beauty in the center of the diamond. The bottom is similar to the pear-shaped cut, with a pointed end. The trilliant cut is newer, leaving the diamond triangular in shape. The triangle can have pointed or rounded corners. The shape originated in Amsterdam, and can have edges cropped off the top, similar to an emerald cut diamond.
Wedding Bands
Choose your preferred metal for your wedding band.
For years, yellow gold trumped white gold as the most popular metal for wedding bands. Nowadays, white gold and platinum are more in style. Yellow and white gold match any diamond. Gold must be mixed with other precious metals to create a stronger band. Platinum is a precious metal that is stronger than gold. When polished, platinum resembles silver. Sterling silver is a more affordable metal. However, silver tarnishes and must be polished on occasion.
