Engagement Rings

At The Beautiful Company we specialise in wedding rings and engagement rings and especially Diamond Engagement Rings. When couples get engaged it is common for a woman to receive a diamond ring as a sign of their engagement. Men rarely wear engagement rings but a diamond ring is certainly something the average young man has to buy at some point in a relationship.

Diamond engagement rings have developed from a simple three stone ring set in yellow gold taken to express the words "I love you" to the current trend of bigger diamonds set as solitaire rings (single stone rings) in white gold and platinum.

A relatively new trend is for diamond engagement rings and wedding rings to be in other metals than platinum and gold, the most popular new metal at the moment is Palladium and The Beautiful Company has a range of palladium diamond engagement rings and palladium wedding rings that can be made in this metal that beautifully complement each other.

Whilst there is no doubt that cost plays a big part for most people when choosing a diamond engagement ring, there is no doubt that the silver coloured metals make particularly attractive jewellery which is both stylish and modern. Although white gold is an alternative it is more expensive and some people do have allergies to this. Platinum whilst fabulous to look at and wonderfully hard wearing, is beyond most peoples price range.

Diamond engagement rings have changed and there is a much wider choice these days to suit all tastes and all budgets. You will see on this site as well as the solitaire rings there are also the traditional 3 stone diamond rings, 5 stone diamond rings and more

Whilst Diamonds still are forever and a girls' best friend it still comes down to finding something that meets your budget. The Beautiful Company offers diamond engagement rings from under £300 to several thousand in an effort to meet everybody's budget and choice.

Engagement Rings a World View

The tradition of the engagement ring purportedly goes back to classical times where the fourth finger of the left hand was considered to containing the vena amoris or "vein of love".

In the United States today, a woman has also been known to buy an engagement or promise ring for her partner at the time of the engagement.

In some European countries both the man and the woman wear engagement rings. However, in this case the man's engagement ring is often then also used as the Wedding ring. (In Germany often the engagement rings for both partners are plain gold or platinum bands, worn on the left hand, which are then moved to the right hand and used as the wedding bands once they get married.) The bride usually gets a diamond wedding ring, priced usually around 500-2000 dollars. Nowadays even some men wear two rings i.e. an engagement ring and a wedding ring, but this is still rare.

In the developed world the 'recommended' cost of an engagement ring has ranged from two weeks to the early 21st century norm of one month to as much as three months of the man's wages; although where these recommendations is unclear, they have nevertheless found their way into general usage. In the United States, de Beers and some jewellery merchants have promoted a general guideline of two or three months' pay. A spokesperson from Tiffany’s Australia, quoted on the television program A Current Affair (February 1, 2005), suggested that a man should spend two to three month's salary on an engagement ring.

Material and design

Designs of such rings have varied greatly over the years. It is typically a precious ring, and mounts a diamond or other gem. Current fashions for engagement rings are for a gold, platinum, or silver ring with a single diamond. The establishment of the diamond engagement ring as a standard in Western culture is a result of one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history, by the world's leading diamond producer de Beers, in the 1940s.

An engagement ring is often intentionally expensive as a sign of the intendion for the relatioship to be long lasting. The argument for a diamond is that it is the most enduring, beautiful, and expensive stone. Many women, however, prefer different gems or semiprecious stones to the stark clarity of a diamond. Most of these stones are colored. Sapphires, star sapphires, emeralds, and rubies are often used in engagement rings. Pearls and opals are rare, because these are soft stones.
In some European countries (e.g. Germany, Norway and Denmark), engagement rings are usually plain gold bands without a diamond. In others (e.g. France), engagement rings usually mount a colored gem rather than a diamond.

Gold and platinum are recommended by more jewelers, not only because of their inherently higher value, but because they are much more durable than silver. Often a gold or silver ring will employ a platinum setting because it will better protect the stone.

Titanium and stainless steel are becoming more popular because of their lower cost and higher strength. These materials allow for a type of setting called a tension setting which is popular because it causes the illusion of a floating stone.

History

The inception of the engagement ring itself can be tied to the Fourth Lateran Council presided over by Pope Innocent III in 1215. Innocent declared a longer waiting period between betrothal and marriage; plain rings of gold, silver or iron were used earliest. Gems were more than baubles; they were important and reassuring status symbols to the aristocracy. Laws were passed to preserve a visible division of social rank, ensuring only the privileged wore jewels. As time passed and laws relaxed, diamonds and other gems became available to all.

At one time, engagement rings mounted sets of stones. One traditional sentimental pattern mounted six to celebrate the joining of two families: The birthstones of the bride's parents and the bride (on the left), and the birth stones of the groom and his parents (on the right). The parents' stones were mounted with the mother to the left of the father. The bride and groom's birthstones would be adjacent in the center. Another similar pattern, for four stones, mounted the birthstone of the parents' marriages, and the birthstones of the bride and groom. These token rings often disassembled, to expose a channel in which a lock of the suitor's hair could be treasured.

The first recorded diamond engagement ring was presented by the Archduke Maximillian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy as a betrothal gift in 1477. However, the diamond engagement ring did not become the standard it is considered today until after an extensive marketing campaign by De Beers in the middle of the 20th century.

What Are Diamonds?

Natural diamonds are pure carbon, formed into crystals deep below the earth's crust millions of years ago. Diamonds are found and mined in several parts of the world but predominantly in South Africa.

Diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man and when found they are far from the cut and polished gemstones you will see in our diamond rings and are known as “rough diamonds”.

The diamonds used in our diamond jewellery have been sourced from specialist cutting and polishing centres all over the world, and we warrant that no diamonds known as “conflict diamonds” are knowingly sold and to the best of our ability we have undertaken measures to prevent their sale including obtaining written assurances from all our suppliers that all our diamond jewellery is conflict free.

What are “Conflict Diamonds”?

In 1998 it was discovered that UNITA, a rebel group in Angola was funding its war against a legitimate government by the control and sale of rough diamonds, which have since been known as “conflict diamonds”. Rebel groups in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo also funded conflicts in this way.

At its peak the trade in conflict diamonds was estimated to be less than 4% of annual rough diamond production and is now estimated to be less than 1%. But we believe that one diamond traded in this way is one too many, hence our efforts to get written assurances from all our suppliers that all our jewellery including our diamond solitaire and diamond eternity rings is conflict free.

Buying Guide for Diamond Rings, Diamond Pendants and Diamond Earrings

The 4Cs of Diamonds are Cut, Clarity, Carat, and Colour.

When buying a diamond ring, diamond pendant or diamond earrings from The Beautiful Company the price we charge for that particular item depends on the interplay of all the 4Cs, Cut, Clarity, Carat, and Colour of the diamond and the amount and type of metal used in the setting.

The 4Cs are used throughout the world to classify the rarity of diamonds. Diamonds with the combination of the highest 4C ratings are more rare and, consequently, more expensive. No one C is more important than another in terms of beauty and it is important to note that each of the 4Cs will not diminish in value over time.

Once you have established those 4C characteristics that are most important to you then look on the site and find the diamond solitaire ring or diamond eternity ring that best meets your desires in terms of price and quality. The 4C’s are explained below.

Carat

Carat is a measure of the weight of a diamond or with diamond rings, diamond pendants or diamond earrings it’s also used to describe the total weight of diamonds the item has.

Carat is often confused with size even though it is actually a measure of weight. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. One carat can also be divided into 100 "points." A .75 carat diamond is the same as a 75-points or 3/4 carat diamond.

A 1-carat diamond costs exactly twice the price of a half-carat diamond, right? Wrong. Since larger diamonds are found less frequently in nature, which places them at the rarest level of the Diamond Quality Pyramid, a 1-carat diamond will cost more than twice a 1/2-carat diamond (assuming colour, clarity and cut remain constant).

This also means a 1 carat diamond solitaire ring will be more expensive than a 1 carat diamond eternity ring, diamond trilogy ring or a diamond eternity ring that contains more than one diamond, providing the clarity of the diamond solitaire ring is equivalent to that of the others.

Clarity

Clarity Refers to the presence of inclusions or imperfections in a diamond.
Every diamond and therefore every diamond ring is unique. Nature ensures that each diamond is as individual as the person who wears it. Naturally-occurring features known as inclusions provide a special fingerprint within the stone. Inclusions are natural identifying characteristics such as minerals or fractures, appearing while diamonds are formed in the earth. They may look like tiny crystals, clouds or feathers.

To view inclusions, jewellers use a magnifying loupe. This tool allows jewellers to see a diamond at 10x its actual size so that inclusions are easier to see. The position of inclusions can affect the value of a diamond. There are very few flawless diamonds found in nature, thus these diamonds are much more valuable.

Inclusions are ranked on a scale of perfection, known as clarity, which was established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The clarity scale, ranging from F (Flawless) to Included (I), is based on the visibility of inclusions at a magnification of 10x.

Some inclusions can be hidden by a mounting, thus having little effect on the beauty of a diamond. An inclusion in the middle or top of a diamond could impact the dispersion of light, sometimes making the diamond less brilliant.
The greater a diamond's clarity, the more brilliant, valuable and rare it is and the higher it is on the Diamond Quality Pyramid.

Clarity Description

• FL - IF Flawless/internally flawless
• VVS1 - VVS2 Very, very small inclusions, very hard to locate under a 10x, unable to see with the unaided eye
• VS1- VS2 Very small inclusions, hard to locate under a 10x, unable to see with the unaided eye
• SI1 - SI2 Slight inclusions, easy to locate under a 10x, but unable to see with the unaided eye
• I1 I2 I3 Inclusions – which can be visible to the unaided eye – collectively known as P Clarity

The Beautiful Company offers with just about all its diamond solitaire rings and some of its diamond eternity rings three grades of clarity namely P clarity, SI and VS as we feel these clarity give the best balance of quality and affordability.

For diamond solitaire rings with diamonds of 0.5 carat weight or below generally P clarity is fine as the size of the diamond means that any inclusions would be very difficult to see. For solitaires of 05 carat or higher we would recommend moving up to at least SI clarity so that there is no chance of seeing anything with the naked eye.

For diamond eternity rings and diamond trilogy rings of 1 carat or less as each individual diamond is less than 0.5 carat then P clarity is generally fine. Any grade of diamond is available on request please “Contact Us” for a quotation.

Colour

Colour Refers to the degree to which a diamond is colourless.

Diamonds are found in almost every colour of the rainbow, but white-coloured diamonds remain most popular.

Diamonds are graded on a colour scale established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) which ranges from D (colourless) to Z. Warmer coloured diamonds (K-Z) are particularly desirable when set in yellow gold. Icy winter whites (D-J) look stunning set in white gold or platinum.

Colour differences are very subtle and it is very difficult to see the difference between, say, an E and an F. Therefore, colours are graded under controlled lighting conditions and are compared to a master set for accuracy.

Truly colourless stones, graded D, treasured for their rarity, are highest on the Diamond Quality Pyramid. Colour, however, ultimately comes down to personal taste. Ask a jeweller to show you a variety of colour grades next to one another to help you determine your colour preference.

Nature has also created diamonds in intense shades of blue, green, yellow, orange, pink or - rarest of all - red. These diamonds are called coloured fancies and are extremely rare and highly treasured.

Here's a grid that will help you understand the colour grades of diamonds:

All the Beautiful Company diamond solitaire rings and diamond eternity rings are of at least colour H unless otherwise stated as this colour represents the best value for money, giving a diamond ring with a nice colour for and affordable price.

Cut

Cut Refers to the angles and proportions of a diamond.

Nature determines so much about a diamond, but it takes a master cutter to reveal the stone's true brilliance, fire and ultimate beauty.

Based on scientific formulas, a well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone. This results in a display of brilliance and fire, thereby placing well-cut diamonds higher on the Diamond Quality Pyramid than deep or shallow-cut diamonds. Diamonds that are cut too deep or too shallow lose or leak light through the side or bottom, resulting in less brilliance and ultimately, value.
Cut also refers to shape round, square, pear, or heart for example. Since a round diamond is symmetrical and capable of reflecting nearly all the light that enters, it is the most brilliant of all diamond shapes and follows specific proportional guidelines.

Non-round shapes, also known as "fancy shapes", will have their own guidelines to be considered well-cut.

The Beautiful Company offers a full range of diamond solitaire rings with Brilliant (round) cut, Princess (square) cut, Marquise cut, oval cut, heart cut and pear cut diamonds all available. Diamond eternity and diamond side stone rings with a variety of cuts are also available some also have a mixture of cuts within the same ring!

Certification

We provide either certification by the manufacturer or an independent  certificate provided by one of the world's leading diamond laboratories.  These include GIA, IGI, HRD, ANCHORCERT by Birmingham Assay Office & other leading laboratories.