Diamond Facts for your Engagement Ring

Diamonds have been known for a long time as a perfect option for engagement ring designs…. but why? One of the fantastic things about diamonds are their fabulous qualities. Diamonds are a very hardy stone and are excellent for use in jewellery such as engagement and wedding rings which may be worn on a daily basis.

On a molecular level diamonds have extremely sturdy covalent bonds between its atoms which make it exceptionally strong. Did you know that diamonds are graded as a level 10 (out of 10!) on the Mohs scale which determines mineral hardness? In fact diamonds are so strong that they are quite commonly used for industrial purposes in various cutting and polishing tools. They also have excellent optical properties which give you that lovely bright sparkly white colouring. If diamonds don’t ‘do it for you’ but you like the concept you could always consider other white gemstones such as white sapphires, or if you are concerned you are on a lower budget you could always consider cubic zirconia. But if a white gemstone isn’t your ‘cup of tea’ you could always choose to have a coloured diamond of your choice, or even go for a gemstone with similar properties e.g. sapphires or rubies can be a great option if you are looking for a nice hardy gemstone. Did you know that natural diamonds are produced at very high temperatures and pressures and can take 3.3 billion years to form? Of course if you can’t quite wait that long you can have a natural diamond sourced or even choose a synthetically produced diamond to be incorporated into your engagement ring. Today diamonds are mined across the world, however most commercial diamonds are mined in Botswana, Australia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Russia!

Traditionally diamonds have been used for the purpose of wedding jewellery for solitaire engagement rings. This would traditionally consist of a single brilliant cut central diamond set into a simple gold or platinum band. But not to worry… the jewellery market had expanded vastly and there are so many fantastic options for your engagement ring designs – most of which can incorporate the elusive diamond! It’s not only engagement rings which use diamonds now; in fact you could have them in your wedding rings, eternity ring or any other piece of jewellery you desire! And its not only the ideas for the types of ring in which they can be used which has become so expansive, there are so many great cuts to choose from. If you are hoping to stick with tradition and go for a brilliant cut diamond that’s great… but you could also have a little think about your other options e.g. marquise cut, princess cut, baguette cut or even asscher cut! If you’re stuck for ideas just have a quick browse on the internet for the different cuts available and you’ll start to get an idea of the vastness of choice you have before you!