About Engagement and Wedding Rings
General Information
Wedding rings are one of the most important elements of your wedding. After all, you will be wearing your wedding rings for the rest of your lives. So, do your homework and be prepared. Learn about engagement and wedding rings before you visit Jewelers and begin shopping.
Be educated consumers.
Study about precious metals and precious stones.
Do not confuse Carat and Karat. They are not the same thing. Carat is a measure in which gemstones are weighed. One carat is equal to about 200 milligrams that is a 1/5th of a Gram.
If your eye is on diamonds become familiar with the various cuts, clarity, refraction, carat, and color.
Check the rings for quality!
When you look into the inside of the ring, you must find: the manufacturer’s trademark, a sponsors symbol, the mineral content and finally which metal
– gold, silver or platinum the ring is made of. Make sure it has these markings.
If two or more metals were used in the construction of the ring, there needs to be a quality mark for each of them.
Budget
Jewelers add substantial markups when they price wedding rings and other jewelry. Figure out what you can reasonably spend without going into debt and shop together.
Study the market.
Shop around and compare prices for the same quality rings. It will help you to negotiate the price. If you see the “perfect” wedding ring and find it difficult to afford at the listed price, let the jewelers know and ask what they can do for you in terms of the price. Some may be willing to lower the price; others may offer attractive payment options that will work for you.
It is most important that you try the rings on, to assure that:
you like them on your fingers as much as you liked them on display,
they fit you perfectly
and they are comfortable to wear.
Make a list that includes the following options and choices:
- The metal you wish to have. Silver, Gold, Platinum or Tungsten Carbide.
• Wide or narrow ring for the bride – How wide or how narrow.
• Wide or narrow ring for the groom – How wide or how narrow. Men generally like a wide, often over 5mm.
• Matching or different styles of wedding rings
• Modern or traditional
• Flashy or simple and elegant
• One or two color designs
• Coordinating engagement and wedding ring or an engagement wedding rings set
• A band or a ring without stones
• Diamonds or other precious stones
• Diamond surround by other stones
• A precious stone surround by small diamonds
• No diamonds
If you choose a colored gemstone as the main stone, you may be able to get a larger stone for a fraction of the price of a diamond.
About Diamonds the 4 C’s 
The quality of a diamond is determined by what are known as the 4 C’s:
• Cut – The cut is what allows the diamond to reflect light.
• Color – The less color a diamond has, the higher its quality and the more valuable it is.
• Clarity – the reflection of the diamond’s inclusions (or, flaws).
• Caret – the number of carats indicates the size of the stone.
The basic diamond cuts and shapes:
Cuts:
The depth of the diamond determines the amount of light it reflects. If you want a diamond with maximized brilliance, make sure that the stone it is not too shallow or too deep.
To calculate the depth percentage of a diamond shape, divide the depth by the width, and multiply by 100. Or better yet. Have a trusted jeweler assures that your stone is the perfect depth.
Shapes:
Round, Marquise, Emerald, Princess, Pear-also referred to as a teardrop,
Oval, Heart, Radiant, Trilliant, Asscher and Cushion.
Take this information with you when you go to a jeweler. Check out the cuts and the shapes so you will be able to choose the one you want.
The Shapes of Rings
some of the more popular shapes:
• Court shaped – curved gently on both outside and inside
• D- Shaped – flat on the inside and rounded on the outside
• Flat – flat on both the inside and outside
• Flat Topped Court – flat on the outside with a curved court shape inside
• Concave – This curves in at the center,giving a more contemporary feel.
When buying a wedding ring to fit alongside the engagement ring, look for a wedding ring that best matches the shape and color of, and coordinates well with the engagement ring.
Be sure to wear your engagement ring when you go to the jeweler.
If you choose diamond wedding rings, to go with a diamond engagement ring, match the
diamond shape.
About Precious Metals
Silver 
Jewelry sold in the United States must contain at least 92.5 percent of pure silver. Copper is the metal most commonly used to make up the remaining 7.5 percent content. Copper makes the silver harder but gives it a tendency to tarnish.
Gold 
The classic gold jewelry is available in various karats; 10k, 14k, 18k, 22 and 24k. Take into consideration that the higher the number, the more pure gold and less other metal alloy is in the ring.
The degree of gold purity is considered Karat. For example: 18k is 75% pure gold and therefore has a richer, more yellow color than 10karat but less than 24 karats that is equal to roughly 99.9 percent purity.
Gold has much higher density compared to other metals which are used as alloys, so the higher the purity of gold the heavier the weight of gold jewelry.
Pure 24 karat gold is Yellow in color, when the purity is lowered, by adding different alloys, the color of the gold may change to reflect the color of the alloy.
The addition of alloy has various purposes:
to give the gold hardness,
to make the gold jewelry stronger, as pure gold is very soft,
to change the gold’s color.
Adding copper to alloy results in ROSE GOLD also called pink gold, where the gold would appear reddish pink instead of yellow.
Adding any white metal such as silver and palladium to the alloy results in WHITE GOLD.
When white gold rings are new they are coated with another white metal called Rhodium. The rhodium plating makes the white gold look whiter. White Gold doesn’t have the steely whiteness of platinum.
Platinum
Platinum is a white metal, but unlike gold it is used in jewelry at approximately 95% purity. Platinum is extremely dense, long wearing and very white. It is more durable than gold. However, Platinum is also very expensive.
A true platinum ring costs approximately twice as much as an equally designed 18kt white gold ring.
Tungsten Carbide 
Tungsten is a very dense steel gray metal. Its density, similar to that of gold, allows tungsten to be used in jewelry as an alternative to silver, gold or platinum. Its hardness makes it perfect for rings because it is scratch proof, dent proof, bend proof, wear resistant, and does not need polishing. It is often used in designs with a rushed finish.
Tungsten carbide is the strongest structural material. Tungsten is the only rare and exotic
metal that can be permanently polished, is virtually indestructible, is less expensive than silver, gold or platinum, yet offers the perfect combination of unbelievable strength with style and comfort.
Since it is symbolic of the couple’s commitment to have a strong and comfortable married life, many brides and grooms look for tungsten rings at their jeweler. When they discover the amazing look and durability it offers, many choose it for their wedding bands.
To learn about pearls read the article
