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Engagement and Wedding Rings

While your wedding will be a very special day that you'll remember forever, your rings are a symbol of your loving marriage that you'll wear forever. Selecting the perfect ring doesn't have to be terrifying--it can be thrilling and gratifying. Here the basics:

Buy with your heart

Buy the diamond that LOOKS the best to you. Let salesmen EDUCATE but not influence you.

Spend what you feel comfortable spending. Ignore the adage that you're "supposed" to spend two month's salary. Spend what feels right.

Shop around. Look at lots of diamonds before deciding. Learn to spot the difference between an I grade and a K grade.

Diamond quality: Color, Cut, Clarity, and Color

When evaluating a diamond, the experts refer to the "Four C's". The basics:

Color: Unless you are shopping for something unusual (like a Canary diamond), the "perfect" diamond will be completely colorless. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) range of color ratings begins at "D grade" and runs all the way through Z grade (which would be quite yellow). Grades D, E, F are considered "colorless", Grades G-J are "near colorless", Grades K, L, M are "faint yellow", Grades N-R are "very light yellow" and Grades S and lower are considered "light yellow." Note that some diamonds have a rich bright color and are graded differently.

Cut: The cut of the diamond determines how brilliantly the diamond sparkles, because the cut influences how light is reflected inside the diamond (this is different than the "shape" of the diamond, which is the overall appearance). It can be very difficult for the untrained eye to evaluate the detail of the cut, so we recommend buying a diamond with an AGS (American Gem Society) certificate.

Clarity: The clarity of the diamond refers to the imperfections within the stone. You should look closely at the diamond with a 10x microscope to get a feel for the clarity of the diamond. Nearly all stones have imperfections--the fewer, the more expensive the diamond will be.

Carat: This refers to the size of the diamond, by weight. The larger, the more expensive. Remember that this is only one of many factors that determine the quality and price of the diamond!

Recently, Amazon.com launched a Diamond store, offering great deals on rings as well as loose diamonds. You can check it out:

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