The average cost of an engagement ring in the United States is approximately $4500 with tradition suggesting two months of your salary should be allocated to the ring purchase. Any way you look at it, buying an engagement ring is a major financial commitment and you need to know you are getting the most diamond for your money. Buying your ring online is one of the best ways to avoid puffed up retail costs and middleman markups. Making large purchases such as a vehicle, house, or engagement ring are occurring online more and more frequently and is a smart way to minimize costs. Consumer confidence in online purchases is fueling the e-commerce market and bringing prices down. The standard retail jewelry markup is over 100% which affects the size and quality of diamond you are able to purchase. Why choose to pay more and get less? Buying online will allow you to purchase a much higher quality diamond at a higher carat weight which is what every woman wants. All risk is removed when buying online when a proper return policy is offered and the diamond is third-party certified by a reputable gemological laboratory. As more and more business moves online, don’t get caught paying too much for an engagement ring at retail stores. Buy online from Desert Brilliance and get twice the diamond for your money.

The answer to this question depends on what is most important to you.  If you want the best money can buy, you should look to buy a D color diamond.  If you are looking for a combination of value and quality, then a G or H color diamond is probably what you want.  If you need to save some money on your diamonds, then consider an I or J color.  You can learn more about diamond color on our diamond education page.  Just remember that diamond color is only one of the four C’s and you shouldn’t ignore the others in making your diamond purchase.

Desert Brilliance offers the finest certified diamonds for your diamond engagement rings and diamond jewelry.

Have you ever received a gift this strange?

Dog shock collar — we don’t have a dog

A check that bounced

A picture frame with the wrong initials on it

A birthing video from a professional midwife

Autographed picture of Bret Michaels

A 3-ft. SpongeBob SquarePants pirate doll

Moosehead bookends

$10 in scratch tickets

A cat suit

A check from my husband’s friend, and in the ‘for’ line, it said vasectomy

You can’t pick out your own wedding gifts but you can pick out a certified, ideal cut diamond which will last a lifetime. Save thousands at Desert Brilliance wholesale diamonds.  

Upgrading a family heirloom ring can be a classic way to honor your family’s past while looking forward to a bright future with that special someone.  You might want to use an antique setting and upgrade the diamond.  Or you might have a family diamond that you would like to add to a new setting.  Whatever you might want to do with your antique jewelry, we will do everything we can to help.  Just contact us here and we can answer any questions you might have.

Everyone has their own reasons. Here are David Letterman’s!

10. Poconos offers newlyweds free room with champagne-glass Jacuzzi.
9. If I’m gonna catch Larry King, I’d better get going.
8. Still drunk from St. Patty’s, dude!
7. She needed a green card.
6. When you’re my age and look like I do, if someone says they’ll marry you, you do it.
5. Don’t have to listen to any more crap from that quack Dr. Phil.
4. I finally fit into my dream dress!
3. Free cake
2. Got tired of waiting for Paris Hilton
1. Figured at the least we’d get a mediocre Top Ten out of it.

Whatever your reason for getting married is, make sure to get the most for your money buy purchasing your engagement ring from Desert Brilliance.

No need to tell everyone the economy is down.  Just turn on the news if you haven’t heard.

But that doesn’t mean that people stop getting married.  So we thought we would share some ideas on how to save money on diamond engagement rings and diamond jewelry in a down economy.

1.  Buy online.  The number one way to save money on a diamond engagement ring is to buy online.  Online jewelry retailers don’t have the overhead that brick and mortar retailers do.  Those savings are passed directly on to you.

2.  Weigh the metal choice.  Do you really need platinum?  If so go for it.  If not, think about white gold.  If you are going with white or yellow gold, consider selecting 14K gold instead of 18k gold.  That will typically save you about 8-10%.

3.  Pay attention to the table percentage and width to get a diamond that looks bigger than other diamonds of a comparable carat weight.  We posted a blog about this a couple days ago.

4. Review the location of inclusions on the diamond grading report.  Diamond clarity is a measurement of the number and size of inclusions (or dirty spots) in a diamond.  The more inclusions and the larger they are, the lower the clarity grade.  However, by paying attention to where the inclusions are, you may be able to purchase a diamond with a lower clarity grade without really giving up much in terms of noticeable quality.  For example, a diamond with a clarity grade of VS1 may only have one inclusion.  But if that inclusion is right in the middle of the diamond, it may be much more noticeable than a diamond with a clarity grade of SI2, if the inclusions in that diamond are around the edges of the diamond.

Desert Brilliance sells custom diamond engagement rings direct to the public at wholesale prices.

Becoming educated on how diamonds are graded will help you choose the best diamond for your money. Studying the four C’s of diamond quality and understanding how to read a grading report should always precede making a purchase. Still, no matter how informed a customer may be the most common mistake is to buy the heaviest carat weight diamond within the buyer’s price range. Let’s face it, the bigger the diamond the better right? Beware, the heaviest carat weight diamond within a set price does not actually mean it will look the biggest. It is possible that a diamond with a lower carat weight will look bigger than its heavier counterpart. How does this happen? The secret is paying attention to table percentage and total width. These measurements can be found on the diamond grading report also known as a diamond certificate. Do not buy a diamond that does not have a grading report or you will be unable to confirm its quality. The width measurement is a very important comparison. For example, a two carat diamond that is cut too deep may not be as wide as a 1.75 carat diamond with a better cut. Even though the two carat stone is heavier, the visible area of the smaller and better cut 1.75 carat diamond is larger. So, do not rush out and buy the heaviest carat diamond you can afford. Pay attention to the table percentage and overall width. This will make sure that you get the best and, most importantly, the largest appearing diamond for your money.

The use of diamonds as gem-stones dates back to ancient India where they were mined and shaped for religious purposes. Diamond popularity and demand has grown exponentially over the last two hundred years as cutting and mining techniques improve and become more cost effective. Diamonds are desirable due to their natural characteristics of light dispersion and brilliance but must be cut and polished to exact specifications. The highest quality diamonds are those cut to the most precise measurements. Pre-cut rough diamonds are rounded and misshapen when mined and lack the luster and reflection of polished diamonds. Shaping the rough crystals into polished gem-stones is a difficult and painstaking process as they are the hardest naturally occurring substance on earth. Skilled gem cutters multiple facets and polish the diamonds to reveal the stone’s desirable properties. Much of the rough diamond must be cut away and as a result many diamond cutters compromise cut quality for carat weight which diminishes the final appearance. A diamond certificate or grading report reveals the final proportions of a diamond and inform the customer of the cut quality. Purchasing certified diamonds with ideal proportions will always be the best value for the money.

Nothing fancy on this proposal, but something they will remember the rest of their lives.

Visit Desert Brilliance for the finest certified diamonds.

The art of diamond cutting or polishing dates back to medieval Europe when diamonds were not commonly used for jewelry. Because of its natural rough form and extreme density multiple cuts or “facets” are required to realize a diamond’s dispersion commonly known as fire. The ability to make precision cuts progressed over time and was not perfected until the 1900’s. The original round brilliant design was created by Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919 who’s mathematical model doubled the amount of light and fire output. Tolkowsky’s design has been the basis for all modern diamond designs. His technique has been refined by computer technology for even more precise facet cutting and brilliance.
The culet is the point on the bottom of the diamond and is sometimes cut to make a small facet. A diamond grading report will reveal the existence of a culet facet. When viewing a diamond from the top, or table, the culet facet may be visible making it less popular in modern ideal cuts. This and other important diamond characteristics contribute or detract from overall value and should be examined before making a purchase in order to verify quality.

It has been ten years since my wife and I were married. Although I had never heard of Rhodium Plating until I got into the diamond jewelry industry I am glad I finally did. I recently had my jeweler perform the Rhodium Plating on both of our white gold rings. My wife also had some bent prongs from chasing our children around all day. I just picked them up this morning and was extremely impressed! My ring I thought had been replaced it looked so good. When my wife looked at her ring she was as happy as the day I gave it to her. The prongs were perfect, the white gold looked brand new, and the diamonds had more “fire” than I had remembered.

Our jeweler never seems to disappoint me or any one of our customers! My only hurdle now is getting her to let me upgrade the diamond. She has serious sentimental attachment to her ring but being our ten year anniversary I really want to put a “nice rock” in its place. I am pretty sure I will reach my goal of an upgrade soon but it will require me to set the old diamond into a beautiful pendant. I can’t wait to pull it off I know she will love it! If you are interested in this process follow the link for more information. If you would like to have your white gold ring Rhodium Plated send me an e-mail and we will set it up! jared@desertbrilliance.com

I’ve heard of being excited about getting married, but this lady has this guy completely wrapped around her finger.  He breaks out into hallelujahs in the middle of the wedding ceremony.  Give this video just a few seconds and you will be laughing out loud.

Maybe he bought a custom diamond engagement ring at DesertBrilliance.com and just couldn’t wait to give to his lovely bride!!!

This is a pretty amazing story.  Not sure how you could swallow a ring without knowing it.  Let’s hope they really cleaned that ring well before…

Discover the brilliance of a Desert Brilliance diamond.

This is a question we get a lot and one that we understand.  When you buy diamond jewelry online, you don’t get to touch it and look at it from every angle before buying.  However, the real benefit of buying diamond jewelry online is the significant price savings that are available along with a corresponding increase in quality.  But the secret to obtaining those savings is to make sure you are comparing apples to apples, as the quote goes.  It is imperative that you know the characteristics of the diamond you are purchasing.

One of our customer’s recent experiences shows just what I am talking about.  This customer found a ring that his girlfriend loved and was what she always wanted at Ben Bridge Jeweler®.  The ring was a one carat platinum ring with a one carat princess cut diamond and sidestones totaling 3/8 of a carat.  The ring was priced at $7,495.  However, they didn’t say anything about the characteristics of the center stone.  After pressing them, our customer finally was able to find out that the diamond had an H color (which is not bad), but had a clarity grade of I2 (which means that there were large carbon spots in the diamond that would have been noticeable to the naked eye).  Based on a comparable diamond and the same setting, we could have sold our customer the same ring for around $4,800, a savings of almost $2,700.  Our customer was amazed to learn of the extra money he almost spent for nothing.  Having already saved the $7,500 to purchase a ring, our customer decided to significantly upgrade the center stone to a F color and VS1 clarity at a total cost of $7,015.  So he got a much better ring and still saved almost $500.

We encourage you to compare our prices on certified diamonds with those of other retailers.  We specialize in providing the highest quality diamonds at “rock” bottom prices. (Pun intended!)

A diamond inclusion is any flaw in the interior of a diamond, such as dirt or carbon that did not form into a diamond.  The number and size of inclusions is one of the factors that determines a diamond’s clarity, which is one of the four C’s of a diamond.  The number and size of inclusions directly affects the price of a diamond.

A diamond grading report or diamond certificate includes an illustration of the type and location of the inclusions contained within a specific diamond.  Because most people are not trained to be able to spot the inclusions, even under a high powered microscope, it is essential to only purchase diamonds that come with a diamond grading report or diamond certificate so that you know what you are purchasing.

You should also beware of “enhanced diamonds.”  These are diamonds where a laser or other type of tool has been used to remove inclusions in a diamond.  To learn more about enhanced diamonds, you can click here.

At Desert Brilliance, we are proud to offer high quality certified diamonds at exceptional prices.  Discover the brilliance of a beautiful diamond at DesertBrilliance.com.

The four C’s of diamonds are color, cut, clarity and carat weight.  Each of these characteristics affect the price of a diamond.  However, sometimes we are asked which characteristic affects diamond price the most.  This question is a bit hard to answer in the abstract because color, cut and clarity have a fixed range or scale, whereas carat size could potentially be limitless with a rough 500 carat diamond recently unearthed.  (Click here for a video on this magnificent diamond.)  So, for example, a two carat diamond is obviously going to be significantly more expensive than a half carat diamond, which probably makes carat size the characteristic that most affects diamond prices.

However, ignoring carat size, the other three characteristics would probably be ranked in the order of color, clarity and then cut with color being the characteristic that most affects value.  The better the color grade of a diamond (click here to learn more about diamond color), the more it affects price.  So changing from one color grade to another will have a greater effect on price than changing from one clarity grade to the next highest.  The next most important characteristic is clarity.  And then cut will have the least effect.  Interestingly, however, the cut of the diamond is the characteristic that will most affect its fire and brilliance.  (Click here to learn how a diamond’s cut affects the fire and brilliance of a diamond.)

If you have any other questions, we would always be glad to help.  You can reach us here.  At Desert Brilliance, we offer the finest certified diamonds for spectacular diamond rings and diamond jewelry.

The right wedding or anniversary band can beautify and add additional sparkle to any engagement ring.  Here are five things you should consider before purchasing a wedding or anniversary band to add to an engagement ring:

1. Make sure the band is the same type of metal as the engagement ring.  The five most common metal choices are platinum, 14k gold, 18k gold, 14k white gold and 18k white gold.  Both regular gold and white gold will vary in color depending on the karat of the gold, so make sure you choose the same karat for the band and the ring.

2. Keep the widths of the band and ring relatively close.  You probably don’t want the width of the band to be much thinner or wider than the width of the ring.

3. Choose the same diamond shape.  If you are purchasing a wedding or anniversary band with diamonds, most people will prefer to have the same diamond shape in the band as the main diamond on the engagement ring, although it is still aesthetically pleasing to have various shapes on the band–such as a pattern with alternating round cut and princess cut diamonds.

4. Keep the diamond color consistent.  Avoid choosing diamonds for the band that are more than one or two color grades different than the diamonds on the engagement ring.  For example, if the diamond on the engagement ring is an F color, you should probably choose no less than an H color for the diamonds on the band or the diamonds on the band may look dirty next to the diamond on the ring.

5. Consider rhodium plating a white gold engagement ring.  Most white gold jewelry sold today is rhodium plated.  (Click here to learn more about rhodium plating.)  If your engagement ring is white gold, rhodium plating both the engagement setting and the wedding or anniversary band will ensure that both of them are exactly the same color.  It will also restore the luster and brilliance of your white gold ring.  Plus, we offer FREE rhodium plating for any engagement ring if you purchase a wedding or anniversary band from us.  Please contact us here for further details on this free service.

Get the best deals on certified diamonds at DesertBrilliance.com.

The four C’s of diamonds are clarity, color, cut and carat weight. Answering the question of which of these is most important depends on whom you ask.  For example, some people just want the biggest diamond they can get, so carat weight is going to be the most important to those people.

However, if you are looking for a diamond that will sparkle with fantastic fire and brilliance, you should be more concerned about the cut of a diamond. A diamond’s cut determines its proportions. The fire and brilliance that are characteristic of diamonds are created by a diamond capturing light (mostly through the top or table of the diamond), separating that light into its different color lengths and reflecting the light back out. A diamond cut to the wrong proportions will leak light out the sides or bottom.  (Click here to view an illustration of how a diamond’s cut reflects light.)  A well-cut diamond will reflect back almost all of the light that it captures, which creates that sparkle that everyone wants.

At Desert Brilliance, we specialize in offering only diamonds cut with spectacular fire and brilliance for your diamond ring.

If you’re unsure what she’ll say when you propose, juggle a few hammers on television. It worked for this guy.

Even if you decide to juggle, make sure to have the right diamond ring. Get the best deals on certified diamonds at Desertbrilliance.

Every wonder where diamonds come from? Some of them may have come from outer space. A type of diamond found in Africa and South America known as a carbonado may have extraterrestrial origins. Carbonado diamonds are black in appearance and so hard they cannot be cut into jewelry shapes. These diamonds are so tough that the only way to break one is using a 20-ton hydraulic press. Traditional diamonds are made of carbon and were formed millions of years ago beneath the surface of the earth. Volcanic eruptions and other seismic activity brought the rough crystals to the earth’s surface where they are harvested. Carbonados on the other hand are believed to have been deposited on earth by asteroid impacts after having been formed in intrastellar galaxies many light years away. The core of some stars is believed to be made of crystallized carbon, the largest of which is a multi-trillion carat black diamond in the center of a star found in the constellation Cenaurus. When one of these stars explodes, it sends carbonado crystals all over the universe. The black diamonds found on earth are quite possibly older than the earth itself.