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.
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
About 1 in 8 people will have an allergic reaction to white gold. But it usually isn’t the gold in white gold that causes the allergy. Pure gold is naturally bright yellow in color. White gold gets its white color because it is really an alloy (a mixture of metals) that contains gold and some other white metals, usually nickel to give it a white color. (The gold alloy is usually then rhodium plated to give it a shiny whitish-silver appearance. The rhodium is also more scratch resistant than the gold alloy.) It is usually the nickel that most people are allergic to in white gold. The allergy can be worse with 14K white gold than 18K gold. This is because there is more non-gold metal alloy in 14K white gold than 18K white gold.
So what are your choices if you are the 1 in 8 that has an allergic reaction to white gold? Yellow gold is one option. Yellow gold typically doesn’t include any nickel, so individuals with a nickel allergy won’t usually have a problem with yellow gold. But it you prefer the look of white gold, then platinum is the metal for you. Platinum is significantly more dense than gold, so it is more scratch resistant and will retain its shine for longer, although platinum is also more expensive than gold.
This guy probably used up all of his luck in one day. First he gets to “Come on Down!” Then he actually gets on stage. Then he spins the big wheel and proposes to his fiancee. During all this, the big wheel lands on $1.00 so he gets a thousand bucks. Then he wins the whole kit-and-kaboodle at the end. What a day! (Not quite sure what he was doing trying to balance the ring on his nose, but I’ll give the guy a pass on that one.)
Tungsten and titanium have become popular metal choices for custom wedding rings. While they are not considered to be precious metals each has its own unique characteristics which make them a desireable choice in jewelry metal. Tungsten is a very dense metal traditionally used in high impact functions and machine tools. Because of its durability tungsten can be polished to a mirror shine and resist scratches or blemishes for years retaining its original luster. Titanium is lightweight yet very durable. A common myth is that if your tungsten or titanium ring gets stuck the only way to get it off in an emergency is by amputating your finger. The truth is that hospitals and most jewelry stores are equipped with saws that can safely remove the ring and not your finger. Both titanium and tungsten are safe and stylish choices for your men’s wedding band.
Yes and no. White gold is an alloy, or a mixture, of gold and other white metals, such as nickel, silver, or palladium. The higher the karat weight (i.e., 14k vs. 18k), the higher the quantity of gold, which is why true 18k white gold is actually more of a gold color than true 14k white gold, which is whiter than 18k white gold.
I say “true” 18k and 14k white gold because most white gold sold in the jewelry industry today is plated with rhodium electroplating. Rhodium is a precious metal that is a member of the platinum family and is much harder than true white gold. Rhodium also resists scratches and wear much better than gold and it gives a white, shiny appearance. However, because white gold is only plated with rhodium, the rhodium will eventually wear away and will need to be re-plated. At Desert Brilliance, we offer free rhodium re-plating for your lifetime, so that you can always keep your jewelry looking as brilliant as the day you bought it.
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