Finding the perfect engagement ring comes easy to some, but for others they only know that they’ve found the right ring when it’s on the finger. For those who don’t know the difference between carat and karat, or silver and white gold, we’ve gathered everything you need to know so that you can start speaking 'engagement ring' like a pro.
Diamonds
If you are opting for the classic diamond, it’s important to brush up on your knowledge of 'the four Cs': Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat.
Cut: This refers to the shape of the diamond when viewed from the top. Take a look at the pictures below to get a feel for the variety of choices.
Colour: The amount of yellowness found within a diamond is measured on a scale of 'Colourless' to 'Fancy yellow'.
Clarity: Inclusions are small imperfections inside natural diamonds. The fewer the visual imperfections, the better the clarity rating.
Carat: A Carat doesn’t refer to a diamond’s size, but rather to its weight. 1 Carat is equal to 0.2 grams.
Rings
Believe it or not, there are three factors to consider when selecting the perfect ring to suit your diamond: Karat, Metal and Setting.
Karat: This is how we measure the fineness of gold. Karats are measured in units of 24, so 18k gold is considered to be 18/24 or 75%. 24 Karat gold is 100% gold.
Metal: You’ve got a variety of metals to choose from: Platinum, Silver, White Gold, Yellow Gold and Rose Gold, which are the most popular options. Other choices include Palladium, Steel, Titanium, Ceramic and Tungsten.
Setting: Your ring’s job is to hold the stone securely, and you’ll have four setting options to choose from: Prongs, Bezel, Channel and Pave.
