As any woman can tell you, a diamond is a girl’s best friend! Every girl wants to see her boyfriend down on one knee with a diamond ring, waiting for an answer of “Yes”! If you are in the market looking for a ring, you have two choices and we’ll walk you through each step of the way to pick your bride a perfect diamond!

When picking out the perfect diamond, you have two choices- a diamond solitaire and a diamond band. First, think about what it looks like. The diamond solitaire is a single diamond on a band of silver or gold and can be any shape. The most popular shape is the round brilliant cut or square princess cut. In the 1960’s, the diamond company of DeBeers which you may have heard of, made the solitaire the most popular for couples who were looking for that special gift of their love. In a diamond ring, a certain number of smaller diamonds are set directly into a silver or gold band. When diamonds are placed in prongs, the claws are barely seen. Round cut diamonds are normally set in to make the viewer think they are a part of the ring. Channel settings keep the diamonds side by side between two strips of silver or gold and when viewing a square, princess or rectangular diamond, the viewer can see no metal between the stones which gives the effect that they are floating in air.

The next question is comfort in wearing the ring. Solitaire diamonds are placed above the band to get that extra sparkle when the light catches the diamond. But, since it is a taller setting, the ring can catch on clothes or get link or threads caught in it. The only solitaire this is not a problem with, is called a bezel set solitaire because the metal envelopes the diamond to provide it with protection and a smooth comfortable setting to wear any day. Diamond rings that are smooth set into the band are easily warn every day and these are ideal for the sports lover, medical professional, parent or anyone who does not want the added concern of getting the ring caught or dirty.

The final and most important thought of every young man’s life, which is the cost of these diamonds, involves how the diamonds are mined. When mining, one in every million diamonds are actually of high quality enough to use for a one carat diamond so you can see why they are so expensive! Only one in every five million diamonds mined are actually high enough quality for a two carat diamond. Rings that have more carats per stone are even rarer and will thus be more expensive. Solitaires must have good clarity, cut and color since it is the first thing the eye sees when looking at a ring, so these can be very expensive. In contrast, the small gemstones which you will often see in a ring band for impact, are often cheaper since they are more common to find. However, a pave setting where the diamond is placed among the ring bands are more expensive because it takes longer for the ring to be created. This being said, it is very difficult to determine of the solitaire or pave setting would be more expensive.

In the end, think about what your future bride would like while still keeping the above mentioned information in mind. She is the one that will be wearing it every day, for the rest of her life so it is important that it portrays her personality and likes/dislikes.