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2 ct diamond engagement rings make the ideal statement of a betrothal gift. It is a piece of jewelry your loved one will cherish forever, which is why it has to be just perfect. Procuring a 2 ct engagement ring may seem like a challenge for someone not familiar with diamond jewelry, but you can make good decisions quickly by doing a little research and educating yourself about engagement rings, diamonds and settings.
You can segregate the process of selecting a lovely ring into five steps. First you need to decide on a budget. This means you will have to pick the 4Cs for the desired diamond. By 4Cs, we mean the Carat, Cut, Color, and Clarity. Since we are talking about an engagement ring and women love nothing more than a big rock on their ring finger, talking about Carat is vital. Carat is the measure of a diamond’s weight. It may not reflect the diamond’s size as any set diamond is viewed from the top. It is best to judge the carat in conjunction with the diameter in millimeters across the top of the diamond, and the stone’s cut grade.
The second step involves thinking about a style, shape, look of the ring, metal type, setting, etc. Third, choose a diamond shape for the ring. This can be round, princess, emerald, asscher, marquise, radiant, oval, pear, heart, or cushion. It is crucial to know that while all diamonds are cut to emanate sparkle and brilliance, some cuts hide minor inclusions while others may need a higher clarity grade.
Step four is to select the metal type. This can be yellow or white gold, or platinum. Yellow gold is the more conventional of metals and seen as a symbol of warmth; also its color brings out the sparkle and beauty of any diamond. White gold is more contemporary and trendy. White gold and platinum are also well-liked for their colors, which go well with any attire. Platinum is considered a little expensive compared to white or yellow gold, but it is a reliable option for those who suffer from skin allergies.
And lastly, consider all the popular as well as unconventional setting options and choose the one that most suits your loved one’s style and personality. 2ct diamond engagement rings look superb in a solitaire setting, in white gold. If you want something to fit your budget while you stick to a 2 carat ring, choose a good cut, SI1-SI2 clarity, and an I or J color grade.
While the atrocious conflict in Sierra Leone in the 1990s was the reason the world took notice of conflict diamonds, since then various governments, the UN, the diamond industry, and a number of eminent NGOs have taken far-reaching measures to ensure that such diamonds do not enter the legitimate diamond supply chain, ultimately resulting in the total eradication of blood diamonds from the world’s diamond trade. One of the major roles in achieving this goal is played by the Kimberley Process and the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). The Kimberley Process is one in which rough diamonds are sealed in tamper-resistant containers having a forgery resistant conflict free certificate with unique serial numbers each time they cross over an international border, helping ring-fence conflict diamonds and in the process averting them from funding any rebel groups or illegal activities. The United States’ Clean Diamond Trade Act (CDTA) helped enforce KPCS in the US, which is the largest consumer of the world’s diamonds.
Today, thanks to KPCS with a membership of over 74 countries and supplementary allied actions, diamonds are driving economic opulence and growth for diamond-rich countries. Starting from appropriate healthcare, free education in countries like Botswana, the awareness and spotlight on the improvements seen in these countries are persuading charity organizations to pitch in, and diamond manufacturers to improve working
conditions and build schools, play areas, and hospitals in the areas where mining and manufacturing of diamonds takes place.
As a consumer you can be sure that the diamonds you are procuring are conflict free diamonds, by purchasing the stones from a well-reputed source, and asking for a statement of origin, or System of Warranties for assurance. The System of Warranties is printed on the invoice presented to you saying, “The diamonds herein invoiced have been purchased from legitimate sources not involved in funding conflict and in compliance with United Nations resolutions. The seller hereby guarantees that these diamonds are conflict free, based on personal knowledge and/or written guarantees provided by the supplier of these diamonds.”
There are plenty of reputed manufacturers that are involved in loose diamonds sale at near wholesale prices. Having a wide range to choose from, buying loose diamonds is gaining popularity for some definite benefits that more and more people are getting aware of. The benefit that loose diamonds give is the liberty in crafting and designing the piece of jewelry of your choice. This also gives the buyer a sense of flexibility that one does not have in case of investing in a readymade piece of jewelry. This flexibility comes from the freedom you have in selecting the diamonds according to your predilections in cut, color, clarity, and carat to create your own exclusive item for your collection. Some jewelry designs highlight the color of the stones and may not need a high clarity grade, while some designs need high clarity grade and may settle for a good cut.
Even though reading about how to buy diamonds may help to a certain extent, nothing is more effective in choosing an ideal stone than so called ‘hands on’ guidance. Looking for a company that works closely with diamond cutters is wise. Such companies have their showrooms that you can visit by setting up an appointment, where you can be assisted and educated in the differences in color, clarity and cut in a proper diamond buying environment as opposed to a jewelry counter.
While clarity and color may be subjective, deciding on the cut is crucial, and while, many may confuse the cut to be the shape of a diamond, it refers to the proportioning, symmetry, and polish of the stone. Most popular cuts are the brilliant cut, the princess cut, the emerald cut, the marquise cut, the radiant cut, the trillion cut, and the step cut. It may be noticed that some shapes and cuts may make the diamonds look larger or brighter than other cuts of the same carat weight. For example, a diamond cut with a bigger table can make it appear larger. Some cuts hide minor inclusions, while some bring out the luster of a diamond, hence all these characteristics should be taken into consideration.
When buying stones from a loose diamonds sale, pay special attention to proportions of the diamonds that you choose. Symmetry and proportions are as important as the 4 C’s of the diamonds. Even if your diamond carries the best grades and certificates, but lacks very good symmetry or ideal proportions, the beauty cannot shine through as desired. Buying your diamonds from a well-reputed source is the best bet.
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