You know that saying “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend?” That’s not an exaggeration for many women. They are even more important when they are custom set in a unique setting that you and your special someone pick out. Buying a diamond ring, necklace or earrings already set is a common practice, which many retailers bank on, but custom diamond jewelry offers many options that you won’t find from jewelry already set. Custom settings also give you a way to personalize your jewelry.
What kind of options can you find in custom diamond jewelry, though? You’ll find almost anything that you can think of! If you have the money, you can put any size stone on that special woman’s finger, around her neck or on her ears. However, size is not everything where diamonds are concerned. Larger stones are going to cost you a bit more than smaller ones will. The difference lies in the cut of the stone. The cut and shape are what supply the brilliance and the sparkle for which diamonds have become known.
Did you know that diamonds once appeared almost black and lusterless? Once, long ago, diamonds were prized only for their hardness. However, with the advent of modern diamond cutting and diamond cutting tools, the sky is the limit. Once, 8 facets were the most you would expect to see on a diamond. Today, you can find 55 or more!
If you are going to go with custom made diamond jewelry, you’ll need to find a large selection of loose stones. Loose diamonds are the only way in which you can have custom jewelry made, unless you have an heirloom stone that you would like removed from an old setting and remounted. Loose diamonds can be found through many quality jewelers and come in all shapes and sizes. Round brilliant cut diamonds are the most common, but you can find princess cut diamonds, oval cut diamonds and marquis cut diamonds, as well. Looking at loose diamonds also gives you the best way to compare the stones since those that are already set can hide some imperfections.
The cut is what actually determines how much light penetrates the stone and is refracted and reflected through the facets. A cut that is too shallow will make the stone appear dim and dull. On the other hand, a cut that is too deep will make the diamond appear lifeless. The right cut is needed to maximize the amount of light that the stone can reflect back. So, remember and keep in mind that light will most likely only be entering and exiting through the top of the stone, since the majority of the sides and the bottom of the stone will be in the setting.
The best option is to find a jeweler that will allow you to see firsthand the difference in types of cuts. More often than not, you will also find that this kind of jeweler offers a better selection of stones. Once you have judged a good cut, you need to find the right shape for the jewelry. Make sure that you take into account the tastes of the person you’ll be giving the stone to. A heart shaped diamond given to a woman that only likes oval shaped stones is not likely to win you any points. That means that you will have to try to get some information out of her. This can be done by looking at jewelry that she currently owns and discussing types of stones with her. For a more subtle approach, browse through a jewelry catalog or visit a store with her; you’ll find that she has many opinions to help you out.
Why do we speak only of women, when men wear diamonds as well? The same advice applies for a woman seeking to purchase a diamond ring or earring for the man in her life. Finding the perfect stone means communicating with the person the gift is meant for.
The setting is almost as important as the stone. There are a number of metals available to set the stone in, from yellow gold to red gold, white gold, platinum, silver and even titanium. Titanium is a favorite of men, for the most part. Many women prefer white gold or platinum over standard yellow gold, as well. Finding a jeweler that offers custom created rings, necklaces and earrings is not terribly difficult to do, either. However, you should expect to pay more for these than you would simply purchasing a preset stone and setting from a department store. You will be much happier with the results, though, when you present a custom selected diamond and custom made setting to that special someone. Seeing the jewelry on that person and knowing that there is no one else in the world that has the same setting is priceless.
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