How to Pick Loose Diamonds to Match Precious Metal Settings
Diamonds are said to be a girl’s best friend. That being said, diamonds come in a variety of colours, shapes, sizes, and settings. As a man looking to purchase a special ring for his girlfriend, there are an overwhelming number of options. You can go to a retail jeweller and select a ring already made, or you can choose to select the individual stone of your choice and have it placed in a setting of your choice.
If you have ever listened to a women looking at rings, you will often hear them state that they love that ring, but if only it had a larger diamond. Or they state they love the stone but wish that they could have it in a different setting. Rather than try to mix and match, you can go to a location that sells loose diamonds. This allows you to select exactly what your lady wants in the stone.
Loose diamonds can be purchased in two basic states: the raw state or the cut state. Raw state diamonds are those that have not been cut or polished. These tend to look like a basic ‘rock’. The advantage to raw diamonds is that you can choose exactly how you want it cut and what size you want. If you select a raw state diamond, be prepared to pay more for the custom cutting.
Cut state diamonds are those that have already been cut into the standard shapes often associated with diamonds. This would include round, princess, oval, and marquis shapes. The advantage of these diamonds is that if you have already selected a setting, you can bring it will you to see what looks best in the setting.
Different cuts of loose diamonds look better in different styles of precious metal settings. For example, platinum is a bright, whitish-silver colour that looks especially good with princess cut stones. The raised prong setting of square diamonds look especially sparkly and shiny in a platinum setting. Conversely, the round cut diamond looks quite lovely in a setting of yellow gold. The cut of the diamond allows the clarity to shine through in the setting.
When trying to determine if you want to purchase a loose diamond, it is best to do some research on the four Cs of gemstones: colour, clarity, cut, and carat. Loose diamond merchants usually expect the people who come in to have a little background in the four Cs. It makes their job much easier if you know a little about what you want.
