Bezel: The bezel setting is one of the most protective styles. For this style, a thin metal strip is pushed or hammered all around the diamond to hold it in place. This means that the diamond cannot be viewed from the side, but it also means that there are no prongs that can snag on gloves (helpful for nurses) and that any corners are well-protected. It is an excellent choice for diamonds with sharp points that are more likely to chip, such as princess cut and marquise cut diamonds.
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Side stones are a dazzling way to dress up an engagement ring and make it look bigger. Popular choices include making the ring a three-stone ring, adding a halo, including channel, pavé or bead set diamonds along the shank of the ring, and adding colored gems or birthstones. If you want diamond side stones, choose those with 4Cs grades similar to that of the center stone. Having a similar color grade is especially important if you want the stones to match.
Halo Setting: Adding melee diamonds around your center stone and on the shank can make the center stone look larger and add more sparkle to your engagement ring. Most rings have a single or double halo but there’s no limit to the number of halos you can add!
This ring features a 0.42 carat marquise-cut pink diamond center stone set in a triple-halo of pink and white round brilliant diamonds. The triple-halo makes the ring look a lot larger and so does the split shoulder band set with melee diamonds. Courtesy: Yael Designs
Cluster Setting: Cluster settings are a great way to maximize sparkle at a relatively affordable price. Smaller diamonds cost less than large ones and can be set in a way to create the illusion of a single larger diamond. Small diamonds also be arranged in unique designs.
This cluster-style ring has a small diamond in the center surrounded by a halo with more small diamonds set in a flower motif. The additional diamonds dramatically increase the size of this ring and add sparkle throughout. Courtesy: Kat Florence Atelier
Vintage and Modern Vintage: Vintage styles are making a comeback, or perhaps they’ve simply never gone out of style! For an Edwardian style engagement ring, go for vintage motifs such as scrollwork, millgraining, and engraving. Many setting styles are rich with meaning. The toi et moi ring, French for “you and me,” has been popular for centuries. It features a ring with two gemstones representing the couple coming together. This motif was made famous by Napoleon who gifted his future-empress Josephine with a sapphire and diamond toi et moi ring.
This modern toi et moi ring features a 4.06 carat pear-shaped Fancy brownish yellow diamond and a 3.02 carat pear-shaped colorless diamond. Notice that the yellow diamond is set in yellow gold while the colorless diamonds are set in white gold. Courtesy: 1stdibs.com
Heart Rings: Heart motifs have been popular since medieval times and have never gone out of style since. Not only do they symbolize love, heart shaped diamonds are typically more affordable than round brilliants. It is a unique option that will definitely make a ring stand out.
Stacked Engagement and Wedding Rings: Will your diamond engagement ring be worn alongside a wedding ring? Make sure that their silhouettes match and that the two rings fit together. A popular trend now is stacking multiple rings together with the engagement ring to complement it in design.
Once you’ve picked out a diamond and chosen a style for the ring, the next step is to measure the wearer’s ring size. The best way to do this is with a ring sizer, which is a series of plastic or metal rings in different sizes that you try on. Your jeweler will have a ring sizer and can help you find the perfect fit. If you want the ring-making process to be a surprise, try guessing ring size by borrowing a ring your fiancée or fiancé already owns. Trace the inner circle on a piece of paper. Or slide it down one of your own fingers and draw a line where it stops. A jeweler can help you to estimate the approximate ring size. Note that ring size varies from finger to finger, so using this method will only give you an approximation.
The good news is that most rings can easily be resized up or down by a size or two. Resizing more than that may be more difficult depending on the style of the ring. Solitaire rings are easy to resize, while rings with pavé or bead-set diamonds or other details on the band will require more work.
Since an engagement ring is a significant investment, you’ll want to buy it from a jeweler you can trust. Your jeweler should be armed with expert training, be open to questions and be able to explain how to buy a diamond in clear, simple language. Tip – start by looking for a jeweler who has earned a credential from a highly recognized and internationally accredited program, such as the GIA Graduate Gemologist (GG) or Applied Jewelry Professional (AJP) diploma programs. As your personal diamond-buying guide, an educated jeweler will not only explain the 4Cs of Diamond Quality, but will also be able to demonstrate the differences between apparently similar diamonds. They will encourage you to compare a number of diamonds that fall within your budget. The GIA Retailer Look Up can help you find local jewelers who carry GIA-graded diamonds or have GIA-trained staff.
A diamond grading report from an independent, scientific laboratory such as GIA is more than a document containing important information. Purchasing a diamond with a GIA report ensures that you know the identity and quality of your diamond. It tells you whether your diamond is natural and whether it has received any treatments. GIA Diamond Grading Reports are also used by appraisers to determine a diamond’s value if you want to insure your diamond engagement ring.
At GIA, we know diamonds. We created the 4Cs of diamond quality and the GIA International Diamond Grading System™ used worldwide for grading diamonds. Top museums and auction houses trust us to evaluate their finest treasures, and our reports are recognized internationally. We apply the same passion and precision we use in grading these world-famous diamonds to grading every diamond—including yours. Our expertise is reflected in a variety of diamond reports, ranging from the GIA Diamond Dossier to the GIA Diamond Origin Report. Learn what each report can tell you about your diamond and insist on one when you are ready to make your purchase.
This article is for anybody looking to buy a loose diamond (either by itself or with an engagement ring as a “build your own” set) online at one of the many online diamond vendors. You need to juggle the 4 Cs to find the perfect blend of quality and value. For example, we recommend buying a diamond in the H-J color range. The setting style you put your diamond in determines whether you should spend a little extra on an H-color diamond or go for a larger J-color diamond.
Sometimes I forget just how difficult it is for a consumer to juggle all the information when figuring out if something is a good price. My team and I have so much experience selecting diamonds (each of us selects hundreds every month), navigating the minefield becomes second nature for us.
One of our readers was working with Annie recently and asked her about this diamond from James Allen. Her first reaction was that the diamond was stunning. But then she asked what setting it would go in. When the reader responded with this setting, we realized that buying this diamond would have been a terrible mistake.
Here is an example to get us started. If you were to ask me for a 1 carat round brilliant cut diamond to put in a halo engagement ring, it would take me about 30 seconds to find this gorgeous diamond on James Allen for you. Another 20 seconds, and I’d add this great alternative on Blue Nile. But searching on your own can be excruciating and filled with doubt. If you want a little peace of mind, feel free to contact us for some personal advice.
Diamond BraceletIf you’ve been around our site before, you’ll see that we generally recommend buying from Blue Nile or James Allen. For an explanation of why that is, you can read our individual site reviews for James Allen and Blue Nile.
You’ll then compare individual diamonds to see which one offers you the most brilliance and fire. Follow our step-by-step guide below to find a stunning diamond while staying within your budget. Budgets can vary a lot from one person to another, so make sure you’re comfortable with the money you want to spend (for example, if your budget is around 4k, hop in our $4000 diamond engagement ring article after you read this 9 step guide to get inspired).
Because their overhead costs are low and they don’t keep an inventory in-house, you’ll find the best deal with these two retailers. Both James Allen and Blue Nile provide HD and 360° imagery so you can compare diamonds up-close before purchase.
The shape of your diamond is the launching point of your ring’s design. No shape is better than the other—it’s up to your personal preference (or your partner’s). Round brilliants are the most popular diamond shape for engagement rings and give off the most brilliance.
Pro Tip: You may have heard that round diamonds are the most brilliant shape. And that is true (we say it as well). But that is only one aspect when purchasing a diamond. Your own personal style matters most. If you had your heart set on a cushion cut halo, the difference in brilliance between this round stunner from James Allen and this exquisite cushion cut won’t be that noticeable.
Is your fiance-to-be expecting a 1 or 2 carat diamond? Are you looking for a stone that’s noticeable but not over the top? There’s no “perfect” carat weight for a diamond, meaning this part of the process is completely down to your personal preferences.
Carat weight impacts how large a diamond will appear (as does its shape and cut quality). You can learn more typical carat weights and diamond sizing in our guide to average diamond size to help you make an informed buying decision.
The aspect that most greatly impacts a diamond’s beauty is its cut quality. Cut grades aren’t standardized across all retailers, but in general, we recommend only Excellent (if a diamond comes with a GIA certificate) and Ideal cut (if graded by the AGS) diamonds.
Our advice for diamond cut is this: If you are looking for a round brilliant diamond, only search for “Ideal/Excellent” grade diamonds. If you are searching for a fancy shape, however, then it might pay to either include “Premium” or to disregard the cut grade altogether.
This is not to say that cut grade is not important – on the contrary, it’s of utmost importance. It’s simply saying that many jewelers don’t correctly report fancy shape cut grades, so why filter out many results from your search that might be great choices?
The goal with diamond color is to choose a diamond that appears white. But contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to pay for a D color or E color to get a colorless stone. In general, diamonds in the G to I color range appear colorless to the naked eye, but cost far less.
For clarity, you should look for a diamond that’s eye-clean, meaning you can’t see any blemishes or inclusions with the naked eye. Depending on the shape, you can usually find an eye-clean diamond in the VS1-VS2 range. There’s no need to pay for a FL/IF clarity diamond when you can get a lower graded diamond for much less.
With most jewelers, you can see the diamond up close to review its clarity. For example, with James Allen’s “Virtual Loupe” you can evaluate a loose diamond before you buy it. Blue Nile has also begun to offer high quality photography. Look at the diamond closely to see if you notice any blemishes.
In our opinion, a consumer’s goal should be to find the cheapest (in regards to clarity; other factors matter as well) “eye-clean” diamond you can find. We use “eye-clean” to describe diamonds that may have inclusions if you look at them with a magnifying glass (or microscope or loupe), but the typical person can’t see the inclusion with their naked eye.
We have recently developed Ringo, a patented artificial intelligence model, that can examine videos of diamonds and determine if they are eye-clean. Ringo will also filter for other parameters like making sure the diamond is well-cut, doesn’t have fluorescence issues and will match the style setting you choose.
Once you’ve narrowed down your preferred specs for a diamond, compare similar stones to determine which one to buy. You’ll want to consider aspects like how brilliant the diamond is, if it’s eye-clean, and what the price is in comparison to similar diamonds.
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