Whiteflash Diamond Engagement Ring
Diamond engagement rings have long been a symbol of a man’s declaration of everlasting love since diamonds do indeed last forever. However, styles and trends of engagement rings have altered back and forth over time.
What was the “in” trend for rings last year might not be necessarily popular this year. However, 2009 is a time when the economic crisis is widely felt globally because of this; the trends in engagement ring shopping have now become one that is budget friendly. So if you are planning to propose this 2009, here are the newest recession-friendly trends in diamond engagement rings.
When purchasing engagement rings, it is now a usual practice to choose a diamond separately from the ring setting. More and more people are now creating custom designs their engagement rings rather than buying an already pre-set setting. This trend has become prevalent because customizing rings can give people more freedom in their choice of metals and diamonds shapes and sizes that are going to be used to complete their ring. In this way, people can forfeit the quality of the metal to have a better quality diamond or vice versa. This allows people also to have more influence on the budget that they had set aside for diamond ring purchases.
People nowadays are also aware of the types of metals as well as the four C’s (Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat) of diamonds and are now making more and more educated purchases. They are now using their knowledge of engagement rings to get the most ‘bling’ for their buck. Here are some examples of the shopping trends that are budget-friendly.
White platinum which is the more in style but expensive choice in metal for engagement ring can now be replaced by alternative metals which are a fraction of its cost. White silver, blackened silver or white gold can replace white platinum and are about 40 percent lower in terms of cost. Palladium, which is a metal that is similar to platinum can also be used and is priced about 70% lower than platinum.
Another recession-friendly trend in diamond engagement rings is going back to the classic designs of having a solitaire diamond adorning the ring. People are now choosing the less intricate designs such as the classic tiffany solitaire rings instead of the complicated and expensive designs that have many paves surrounding the band.
With regards to diamonds, people are now choosing the stones based on their diamond education and ability to adapt to the four C’s. People know that the cut of a diamond affects its brilliance. People are now choosing the cuts that will give their diamond engagement ring the best sparkle and brilliance. These cuts are the round brilliant and the princess cut engagement rings.
A number of people are also going for the natural look by choosing rough cut diamonds for their rings. Rough cuts are exactly just that, diamonds which are roughly cut that they are not symmetrically cut or polished. These types of stones are not as radiant but are still as gorgeous as the traditional diamonds.
In terms of diamond color, it is now common for people to prefer diamonds that are a little yellowish. Yellowish diamonds when set on white platinum or white gold can appear paler or more colorless thereby making the engagement ring appear more valuable.
How the diamond is set on the ring is also changing in 2009. More and more people are shying away from the pronged setting and are choosing more engagement rings that have diamonds that are set in a semi-bezel way into the ring band. The semi-bezel setting will give added hold to the diamond to prevent its loss brought about by an active lifestyle. Another recession-friendly trend is the use of the tension setting to hold the diamond in place. Tension settings have been in existence since the mid 1900s but the technique has greatly improved so that it holds the diamond more securely than the traditional pronged setting. Tension setting also allows more light to pass through the diamond making the engagement ring produce more sparkle.
