Diamonds, or course, are a girl's best friend, but there is a bewildering choice of metals and stones from gold, silver, platinum and a wide variety of semi-precious stones from which to choose. You can either try one of the large high street jewellers or a smaller, manufacturing jeweller who may make a ring to your unique design.
When buying diamonds remember the four Cs –, clarity, colour, carat and cut.
Clarity - Each diamond is unique, containing tiny, natural birthmarks called "inclusions." The fewer and smaller the inclusions, the less likely they will interfere with the passage of light through the stone. The fewer the inclusions the greater will be its value. A diamond with virtually no inclusions is described as "flawless".
Colour- Contrary to popular belief, diamonds come in a range of colours from colourless through to yellow, brown, pinks, blues and greens. The most desirable colour is colourless as this allows the light to pass through the stone easily. Diamonds with no hint of colour are very rare and most stones carry a slight tint that is only discernable by an expert when viewed under special lights.
Carat - A diamond's weight is the simplest of its characteristics to measure, and from the earliest times has been used to calculate one aspect of the value of a diamond. The word "carat" originates from the seeds of the carob tree that were used by early gem traders to weigh their diamonds. Today one carat is fixed at one-fifth of a gram, or 1/142 of standard ounce. Remember that carat is a fairly crude measure of value and has no bearing on the colour, clarity or cut of a diamond.
Cut - The way a diamond is cut and polished is the only element of a finished diamond that requires human skill and is arguably the most important of the four Cs. Only a skilled cutter can release the brilliance that makes diamonds uniquely beautiful. When a diamond is cut to precise proportions, light enters the stone through the table facet, reflects within and refracts outward through the crown (top), thereby dispersing the light. If the cut of the diamond is too deep, some light escapes through the opposite side of the gemstone. If the cut is too shallow, light again escapes before it could be reflected. Only skilled cutting can successfully unleash a diamond's rare fire.
Gold - Gold has been treasured since ancient times. Gold from the mines of Nubia was fashioned into jewellery by Egyptian craftsmen as early as 3500 BC. Pure gold is so highly valued because in its pure form it will not tarnish, but it is considered too soft for many uses and is often used with other alloy metals such as copper or silver to make it harder and more durable. Gold quality is measured in units called carats, which refers to the fractional parts of pure gold in the total alloy. Pure gold is 24K, so a piece of jewellery fashioned in 12K gold contains 50 per cent pure gold, and an 18K gold alloy contains 75 per cent pure gold. The normal colour is yellow but you can buy white gold which has a thin coat of rhodium plated on the gold.
Platinum - The ancient Egyptians first documented Platinum in around 1500 BC but in the modern era it reached its first peak of popularity in the Art Deco period of the 1920s. The metal has seen a huge revival in the last ten years as a 'white wave' has swept the world, making it a hugely popular choice for engagement and wedding jewellery. Roughly 10 tonnes of ore are mined to extract a single ounce (about 30g) of platinum and approximately 160 tonnes are produced a year, compared with 3,000 tonnes of gold. The platinum most often used in jewellery is 95 per cent pure and it is heavier and more durable than other precious metals. It neither fades nor changes its colour and is kind to the skin.
Silver - Silver is considered one of the precious metals along with gold and platinum. It is a brilliant white metal that has been used in jewellery for thousands of years. In its purest form it is often known as 5-nines silver that refers to its 99.999 per cent purity. Alloy metals need to be added to make this fine silver more durable. Sterling silver, the best-known alloy of silver, is 92.5 per cent fine silver and 7.5 per cent copper. Sterling silver is used widely for jewellery and other decorative ware. Because of the copper added to make sterling silver, the metal will slowly tarnish when exposed to air and moisture.
Base Metals - Inexpensive base metals such as steel, brass or copper can be given the appearance of precious metals by way of electroplating. A thin coating of gold or silver is applied to the base metal using an electric current in a tank of solution. The resulting layer is not very thick, but it looks like the real thing. A cheap alternative and you might get away with it as long as she doesn't think to look at the hallmark!
