Engagement Rings
Out of context: Reply #19
- Started
- Last post
- 41 Responses
- NegativeSpace0
You don't need diamonds exclusively but that will probably be what the majority of people are looking for. Its good to have options though.
Most sites these days seem to have a scale where you can set your price range along with other criteria in order to find a stone. Most sites start the search with the stone, and then you try to pair it with a setting.
Personally I found this to be a bit backwards. Although the stone is the meat and potatoes when it comes to the overall value/cost of the ring, it's really the setting that often gives the ring its unique personality. I knew what style of ring my gf (now fiance) wanted, and it was the setting that kind of defined the cut that I wanted to get.
Biggest thing I could see being helpful in a site is having lots of information to educate the consumer. Go above and beyond the 4 C's. You can get much bigger bang for your buck if you go down the scale in color (H, I, J), and the differences are negligible. Ultimately the thought of getting a perfect diamond is nice, but to the naked eye, color and clarity (VS1 and above) really goes noticed for the most part. Once I learned all of that stuff, it made my search much easier.
Cut is probably the most important thing to understand. Things like the girdle thickness, angles, and symmetry all play a huge role in reflecting back light. A lot of people don't get this and get caught up in table size and carats. Unfortunately diamonds with lesser cuts end up looking dull.
One thing I'd recommend if this guy wants to get his site scoring high marks in the engagement ring market, is to look into ASET (preferred) and DiamXray imagery. It helps visualize the light return of the diamond. A lot of online retailers don't take the time to do this, but I think it is well worth it. When you can't see the stone with your own eyes, this is the next best thing. It will give you an idea of much light the stone will throw back and its a simple way of comparing two stones in a fairly standardized environment without being able to see them side-by-side.
Hope this helps. I did my e-ring search completely virtual and worked with a Jewler I was comfortable with in NYC, all through his website.
We ended up with a nice cushion cut stone in a halo pave setting:
