When you want nothing but the best in an engagement ring, the first thing you’ll look for isn’t carats. It’s not cut, color, or even clarity – it’s certificate. Of course, all of those other c’s are what combine to make your particular diamond gorgeous, but the gem lab that grades your diamond is extremely important. One lab’s F color might be another’s I – that’s a huge difference in price, if not to the naked eye. Same goes for cut and clarity grades. The most consistent, the most trustworthy, and the most valuable certificate a diamond can earn is one from GIA. It’s how you know you’re getting a really good diamond. Not to say that certified diamonds or those from other labs can’t be just as beautiful – it’s more like GIA makes things official. And our eye candy this afternoon is officially gorgeous. You want big diamonds? We’ve got you covered. You want fabulous settings? Ditto. Indulge with us!
GIA White Gold 2.04 Carat Princess Cut Engagement Ring
We kick things off with a fabulous princess cut. A smidge over 2 carats, the center stone is an I color and SI1 in clarity. This ring is a perfect example of using a diamond’s color grade to stretch your budget: an I is technically “near colorless”, but even on a bright white background, it still looks bright and white itself. The stone pops against .35ctw of baguettes and round brilliants all set in white gold.
GIA White Gold .99 Ct Diamond Vintage Style Engagement Ring
This ring features a beautiful round brilliant weighing .99 carats (another great way to save money on a diamond – that .01 ct is invisible to the naked eye but makes a huge difference in price from the diamond that’s a perfect 1 carat.) The center stone is bracketed by two baguettes, giving it a vintage feel, while the shank shows off invisibly set princess cuts.
GIA Certified 18k Two Tone 1 Carat Diamond Engagement Ring
This two tone gold stunner is primarily white gold but has yellow gold accents on its gallery. The beautiful, gently tapered setting has round brilliant accent stones on either side that come together to meet this 1 carat, SI2, H colored round brilliant. It’s hard to capture a diamond’s fire and brilliance in a still photograph, but this particular stone can’t help showing off.
GIA Platinum 1 Carat Vintage Style Diamond Engagement Ring
Another round brilliant displays just how versatile the most popular cut is. Unlike the modern, girly feel of the ring before, this one is distinctly vintage. A platinum setting adds that look of time-worn depth to the setting, with intricate carvings on either side of the shank. Two baguettes are inlaid into the metal, while the center stone, a 1 carat G colored VS2 diamond, rises above everything else to sparkle. Magnificent.
