You Have Time to Learn
In most traditional jewellery retail stores, employees earn commission based on the volume of sales generated. Therefore, a sales representative is most likely interested in generating a success full sale rather than spending enough time and energy to educate customers about their precious diamond jewellery.

There is so much more to diamond rings, earrings or pendants than just how big the stone is. Yes, the carat weight does give you a rough idea of how large the gem is, but it won’t tell you why the stone sparkles and catches the light as it does. To truly understand the beauty of diamond jewellery you wish to buy, an expert jewellery consultant is required to explain how the 4Cs of a diamonds, cut, clarity, carat weight and colour affect the brilliance and value of a diamond.

Most online diamond jewellers provide a detailed explanation about different aspects of diamonds as well as various jewellery items.  When you buy jewellery online, you can take as much time as you’d like to research these features. Online simulators give you the opportunity to play with different combinations of the 4 C’s and find the best price-to-beauty ratio for you without any high-pressure tactics from a sales employee.

Wide Range of Options
In typical brick and mortar store that carries limited physical stock, a salesclerk might show you five or ten diamond engagement rings. Even if you want to see more, there is a limit to how many diamonds the store has in stock.

On the other hand, the selection of diamond rings online practically never ends. When shopping diamond jewellery online, you can compare prices of different jewellery  items as well as prices from different online jewellers.

If you find a winner right away, there’s no one stopping you from adding it to your cart and checking out. However, if you want to continue your online online diamond jewellery browsing, you can keep comparing one piece after another for as long as you’d like until you find the diamond of your dreams. In fact, if you want to browse jewellery online  all night long, you can.

Furthermore, since most online jewellery start manufacturing jewellery items after an order is placed, they offer full flexibility of customization. In other words, for each design you can choose different metal grades such as 18K gold, 14K gold or even platinum to suit your style or change diamond quality to fit your budget.

You Can Save up to 20-30 %
Since online jewellers do not have to bare huge inventory expenses or other retail expenses, they can offer highly competitive prices compared to traditional retailers.

Overall, online jewellery shopping gives you full control of the buying process from the beginning to end. You can take your time to learn as much as you would like about diamonds and use online visualization tools to know exactly how the diamond jewellery would look in real life. You can browse thousands of designs, and compare as many pieces as you want. And finally, you can buy your dream ring, whether from home or office and save up to 20-30%.

Step 1: Pick a stone
To diamond or not to diamond? Well, diamond rings have remained popular for a reason. Diamonds are nature’s hardest yet one of the most beautiful materials. And since engagement rings are typically worn every day, this is an important factor to consider. Recently, however, diamond rings have been losing ground to other gems, such as sapphires and rubies. In order to solve this stone conundrum, consider what type of jewellery your soon-to-be fiancé wears. If they are partial to diamond earrings, diamond pendants, or other diamond jewellery then chances are diamonds are now your new best friend.

Step 2: Create a budget
The old adage is you need to spend two months’ salary on a rings. Can we please put this one to rest? If you are not too sure about the type of rings you want, try looking at examples of engagement rings online, figure out a rough estimate of how much similar rings typically cost, and then spend what you are comfortable spending. After all, this is a symbol of love, not some status symbol to impress other people.

Step 3: Time to go shopping
In days of yore our only option to get an engagement rings was to either inherit one or buy one at a brick-and-mortar store. Luckily because we now live in a world where there are a myriad of options to buy jewellery online, shopping for an engagement rings has never been easier (or even the matching diamond earrings and diamond pendants, hint hint). When it comes to buy diamond jewellery online, the benefits of convenience, selection, and most of all price can’t be ignored. Low overhead means low prices and more selection of jewellery  designs for you. Just remember, when browsing for jewellery online, be sure to stick with reputable online diamond jewellery brands that use conflict free diamonds and can offer certification  from a trustworthy grading lab, such as the Gemological Institute of America.

Step 4: Get ready for the memory of a lifetime
Different people use different rules. This is your engagement and there are no right or wrong answer. Sure it’s traditional to pop the question on one knee, but what if that’s not your style? Don’t let others dictate what you can and can’t do. Take some time to really think about what speaks to you as a couple. If that means a quiet dinner in a candlelit garden, then you go right ahead. Or if that means writing your proposal in the sky for the whole world to witness, then don’t let anyone stop you. Love is such a personal treasure that too often gets blurred by what we’re told to expect. At the end of the day, it’s important to remember to listen to your heart and not your brain.

Bracelets were first made using nothing more than a few stones, shells and bones tied together with a string around the wrist. Over the centuries, bracelets have come a long way. While the original styles still exist in one form or another, newer styles, newer metals, stones and designs have come up to take center stage.

Interesting Trivia: More than any other jewelry item, bracelets have been adopted by major jewelry brands as brand emblems. Metal, leather, as well as many other modern man-made materials feature in bracelets worn by men and women across the globe.

1. Women’s Bracelets: In most cases, women’s bracelets are modified forms of bangles. However, while bangles are worn on both wrists, bracelets are meant to be worn on just one. Like men’s bracelets, women’s bracelets also come in a number of different styles and designs. These are far more delicate and stylish than men’s bracelets and can often be studded with diamonds and gemstones.

2. Men’s Bracelets: Compared to women’s bracelets, men’s bracelets tend to be slightly heavier, but simpler in design. They may or may not be studded with diamonds and are often made with silver, gold or platinum. Attractive designs and high quality finishing are hallmarks of men’s bracelets. 

3. Designer Bracelets: These modern day versions of bracelets are quite chic and stylish. They are not necessarily made of metal, but come in a combination of leather, rubber, metal and even diamonds. These bracelets are often customized to represent key theme of individual brands.

4. Fitness Bands: Undoubtedly the latest trend in health and fitness, these bands help health enthusiasts track their daily calorie intake and outtake, the steps they have walked and many other fitness related data. Due to advanced technology used to make these bracelets, they are typically made with combination of plastic, rubber or metals and often come in simple less intricate design.

5. Magnetic or Health Bracelets: Different from fitness bands, health bracelets are usually magnetic bracelets worn around the wrists. It is believed that the magnetism of the bracelet helps keep illnesses away. Similar to fitness bands, magnetic bracelets are not made for style and generally come in a single format that does not cost too much.

There are of course, many other styles and manners in which bracelets are made and worn.

Hard Fact: Bracelets are perhaps the second most popular jewelry item for men after rings. This makes them different from other jewelry items, which are largely thought about and designed mainly for women.

The popularity of pendants is because of their flexibility to match any ensemble and occasion. Additionally, they come in many shapes and sizes, from extra light and affordable to ultra-heavy and extremely expensive. Furthermore, there is a whole range of pendants that come with matching earrings, and in many cases, matching rings as well. In other words, a full “Pendant Set” is the complete jewelry package!

Hard Fact: While most pendants are worn on chains, there are also necklace-pendants that are parts of intricate necklaces. These pendants are as elaborate as the necklace they are part of, yet they stand apart from the necklace as they hang below the main body of the necklace.

Even among pendants, there are many different styles. And depending on your mood, choice and pocket depth, you can select any of the following types.

1. Casual Pendants: Worn around the neck on a simple chain, light casual pendants are the most popular and widely sold of all pendants. Plain metal or studded with diamonds and colored stones, casual pendants come in all shapes, but are usually small to medium in size. Owning them is not too costly either.

2. Pearl Pendants: These pendants can be something as simple as a single large pearl suspended below a metal cap, or as elaborate as a vibrant array of various sized pearls in metal. Either way, pearl pendants are considered the epitome of style and beauty. They mix with most ensembles, be it a chic party or a formal work place.

3. Initials / Name Pendants: Initials and name pendants can be quite romantic when gifted by one partner to the other. Many couples love wearing pendants with each other’s initials. Simple metal alphabets, or studded with diamonds make excellent choices for every day wear pendants.

4. Gemstone Pendants: These pendants are quite popular in India and many other countries around the globe, where people follow moon signs instead of sun signs as gem stones carry astrological connections. Of course, these pendants also look very stylish when worn as a fashion statement. A large gemstone set in the center surrounded by beautiful, sparkling diamonds makes for an eye-catching pendant.

5. Religious or Ethnic Pendants: Many cultures and religions around the world have been expressing their faith though artistic pendants. These pendants are often believed to carry the blessings of God. The most common religious pendants are “Cross” pendants.

Interesting Trivia: The church officially banned piercing of ears and wearing earrings in the 13th century as they believed that the human body was the image of God and it shall not be altered from its natural God given shape. However, those outside the law, continued to pierce their ears and wear earrings.

In certain European societies, the only son in the family wore an earring in the right ear. The sons of a single mother, on the other hand, wore a single earring in the left ear. And if by any chance, a man wore earrings in both ears, he would get extra protection as the earrings would signify that he was the last man in his family line.

While the trend of men wearing earrings continues even today, it has reduced quite drastically. Today, earrings have become fashion and style statements mainly for women. Many different styles of earrings have been developed over the years, ranging from the simple gold bead studs, to solitaire diamond studs and long, designer dangling earrings.

Studs: One of the earliest forms of earrings, studs can be either a metal ball, or a stone encrusted design. Either way, the earring would remain flush against the skin of the ear lobe and remain there unmoving. Solitaire earrings and small cluster earrings mainly fall into this category of earrings.

Tear Drops: This earring style draws its name from the shape of a tear drop. They can also be described as dew drop earrings. These earrings can be made of plain metal or feature a pearl or precious and semiprecious stones. The tear drop would usually hang just below the lower edge of the ear lobe and would swing freely.

Hoops: Most probably the first earrings ever crafted, hoops are basically large rings that are threaded through the pierced hole in the ear lobe. Most hoops are plain metal strips or extremely thin tubes. However, certain modern hoops also have a single string of diamonds studded on their outer circumference.

Ear Huggies: Another form of hoops but of much smaller size, ear huggies are earrings that usually sit on the ear lobe through a clamp or clip. These can also be plain metal or diamond studded on the frontal visible circumference.

Danglers: Amongst the most elaborate earrings around, danglers are big earrings that can be made of one or more parts. These earrings dangle well below the ear lobe and have intricate designs and patterns made of metal and diamonds. Danglers are among the most worn and in demand earrings, especially among the celebrities and style icons.

Cluster Earrings: These earrings are similar to studs, yet slightly different. Cluster earrings stay flush against the skin of the ear lobe, but their size is larger and they are made of intricate designs that extend beyond the lower edge of the ear. Cluster earrings are extremely chic, stylish and perfect option for cocktail parties.

In my last two blogs about the 4C’s of Diamonds, I talked about how diamonds are graded based on their “Color” and “Clarity”. In this blog, I will be going over the third “C” of the diamond, The Cut. Both the Color and Clarity of a diamond are controlled by Mother Nature, but men have full control over how to cut a diamond.

A rough diamond goes through a series of planning and preparation stages prior to being cut and polished. Determining the shape or the Cut of a diamond depends on many factors. Some diamond cutters may choose to retain maximum weight and cut a diamond based on the geometric shape of a natural rough diamond. Some may desire a number of smaller diamonds with high clarity diamonds instead of a single big diamond containing many dark impurities inside. However, most diamond cutters choose a Diamond Cut that would balance both the weight retention and clarity characteristic and most importantly yield highest value.

The Cut of a diamond describes two features of a polished diamond. The first one refers to its outer shape and cutting parameters used to cut the diamond. And the second one refers to how smoothly and symmetrically the outer surface of the diamond is polished. Both the features are equally important to bring the rough diamond to life and to yield a polished diamond with highest brilliance, fire and scintillation.

Interesting Trivia: While there exist 10 different major shapes into which diamonds are cut and polished, the number of diamonds cut into round brilliant shape is more than double of all the other shapes put together. Nearly 75% of all diamonds produced are Round Brilliant cuts.

Diamonds can be cut into infinite number of shapes and sizes. Here is a brief list of ten of the most popular diamond cuts.

1. Round Brilliant Cut: The most widely sold and demanded shape, the Round Brilliant cut is also one of the oldest known cuts. It is the only shape that is considered as a standard shape for diamonds – all other cuts are commonly described as “fancy” cuts. Typically, big round brilliant cut diamonds are considered ideal for solitaire rings.

2. Princess Cut: The runners up in popularity category after Round Brilliant, the Princess cut is as square shaped cut. It creates an extremely beautiful array of light performance whether it’s set in rings, earrings or necklaces. A perfectly crafted Princess Cut diamond is bound to make heads turn.

3. Oval Cut: A modified form of the Round Brilliant cut, the oval cut almost matches it’s more in-demand sibling in terms of showing off the best features of the diamond. Additionally, most Oval cut diamonds, even if of the same carat weight, would seem larger than Round Brilliant cut stones.

4. Marquise Cut: Yet another modification on the Round Brilliant cut, the Marquise cut is shaped like the ball used to play American Football. If diamonds of the same carat weight in different shapes are compared, Marquise cut diamonds would measure the highest in surface area. Those who like big diamonds in their jewelry would definitely enjoy this particular cut.

5. Pear Cut: “Tear Drop” is another name for this cut, as it closely resembles a falling tear drop. It was created by bringing the Round Brilliant and Marquise cuts together. This shape also has the distinction of being host to the largest known cut and polished diamond in the world – the Cullinan I diamond.

6. Cushion Cut: This two centuries old cut was perhaps the most popular and in demand cut before the Round Brilliant Cut caught the fancy of admirers. It is also a square cut just like the Princess cut, but with rounded edges. Some of the best known diamonds in history – the Hope Diamond and the Regent Diamond have been designed in the Cushion cut.

7. Emerald Cut: Steps on the pavilion coupled with an extra-large table defines the rectangular Emerald cut. Unlike most other cuts, the Emerald cut is not designed to highlight the inner fire of the stone. Rather, it focuses on producing a series-of-mirror effect, which makes the diamond look like a chamber stretching to infinity on the inside.

8. Asscher Cut: Created by two of the most gifted diamond craftsmen of all time from Holland – the Asscher Brothers – has been named after them. The Asscher cut is the precursor to the Emerald cut in that it is a square shaped, step sided cut with a smaller table and a higher crown.

9. Radiant Cut: A crossover between the Princess and the Cushion cuts, the Radiant cut is a special one with its facets aligned similar to the brilliant cut. This unique combination gives the Radiant Cut diamond its excellent fire and sparkle.

10. Heart Cut: The most romantic of all the diamond cuts, the Heart cut is naturally the preferred cut for lovers. It finds maximum use in solitaire rings and pendants. The Heart Cut is one of the most difficult cuts due to meticulous attention to detail required to cut and polish its cleft. It is also slightly more expensive compared to the rest of the fancy cuts with similar carat weight due to significant weight loss during the cutting and polishing process.

Hard Fact: The level of planning, working and re-working required to achieve a perfect cut is so complicated that often, it takes years to fully and satisfactorily process a large diamond. For example, it took almost four and half years for the Cullinan I diamond to reach its final and current shape and size.

Be it simple or be it elaborate, the actual wedding ceremony and more specifically, the exchange of the wedding rings forms the centre of most weddings across cultures worldwide.

Interesting Trivia: The wedding band or ring is a circle to signify a relation without a start or an end – an eternal love. Marriage too is believed to be an eternal relation; in India it is believed that marriage ties a couple together for seven lives. The empty part in the centre also has its own meaning – it is the entry way or gate to each other’s hearts.

So how did this simple piece of jewellery become such an important symbol of love and commitment?

The tradition of rings as a piece of jewellery has been around since times immemorial. The earliest rings were most probably made of simple plant stems or tree bark twisted into a ring to wear on a finger. The credit for presenting a ring at a social event perhaps goes to the Egyptians. The first metal rings were of course made by the Egyptians, but it was the Romans who really turned them into symbolic pieces of jewellery items. A band on the ring finger of the left hand meant the wearer is married.

Initially, only women were required to wear a wedding rings or band. Men started wearing wedding bands only in the last century. It was actually a war, World War II, which got men to start wearing wedding rings. Men’s wedding rings came into existence for the soldiers fighting in a far off continent as a reminder of the love they had left behind.

Interesting Trivia: While the Egyptians, the Romans, and the Western civilizations started the tradition of exchanging wedding bands ages ago, the more traditional eastern countries have also accepted this trend in recent decades.

If you are wondering how a wedding rings differs from an engagement ring, there are some subtle differences that you can look for to tell which one is which. An engagement or a proposal ring is typically a precious metal or diamond studded ring with a solitaire in the centre. The wedding band, on the other hand, is a simple precious metal band. Some brides prefer a matching wedding band with their solitaire engagement ring, a “Bridal Set”.

At Viranigems.com, it’s our mission to promote transparency throughout the jewellery purchasing process.

Unlike other e-tailers that mislead customers by showing amplified product images, we want our customers to be absolutely sure of what they would receive, starting from the size of the jewellery to how well it would fit, before ordering their precious diamond jewellery online.

We realized that many of our customers were not able to visualize the exact size of the jewellery from the pictures and videos provided at Viranigems.com alone. Some customers still missed the whole “Touch and Feel” experience of jewellery shopping. Therefore, we introduced our unique “Try on a 3D printed model before you buy” feature.

Using this feature, you can simply request an exact physical 3D printed replica of a Virani jewellery item you love and try it on in the comfort of your home before making an informed purchase.

Requesting a 3D printed model is easy. Simply click on the “Request a 3D Printed Model” right beside the bright red “Add to Cart” button on the product page.

Once you are on the “Request a 3D printed Model” page, you can simply press “Add to Cart” and request your first 3d printed model FOR FREE using the coupon code: Free3D

At Viranigems.com, we aim to enhance the overall jewellery shopping experience by merging art and innovation. Instead of having a multi-million dollar inventory made of diamonds and gold and charging customers for inventory maintenance expenses, we combined 3D printed models with our unique zero inventory-made to order business model to help our customers save up to 20-30% on diamond jewellery compared to traditional retailers.

When you find a particular design you love at Viranigems.com, we have added multiple ways to help you visualize what your beloved Virani jewelry item looks like in real life.

To help you visualize your precious Virani jewellery item, we have provided multiple features. You may view the design you love from multiple angles.

You may even choose a different metal colour from Rose, Yellow or White Gold and view both pictures and 360 degree videos of that particular jewellery item.

To give you a better idea about the exact size and the dimensions of a piece of jewellery, we have added scaled images.

And finally, if you still miss the whole “Touch and Feel” factor before making an informed purchase, you can simply take advanced of our unique “Try on a 3D printed Model Before You Buy” feature from the comfort of your home, and be absolutely sure of what you would get when you place that order of your precious Virani diamond jewellery.

Happy jewellery shopping!

Out of all 4C’s of diamonds, Colour, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight, both the Colour and the Clarity characteristics of a diamond are controlled by Mother Nature. The remaining two “Cs”, namely the Cut and the Carat Weight, on the other hand, are controlled by men.

Similar to its Colour, the Clarity of a diamond is also a significant factor affecting its value. To understand a diamond’s clarity, let us first understand what exactly we mean when we refer to the term “Clarity”. Natural diamonds are formed when carbon molecules undergo extreme temperature and pressure hundreds of kilometres underneath the surface of the earth. The chances of forming a perfect crystal under natural uncontrolled environment, which requires stable growth condition for a long period of time, are extremely rare. Therefore, flawless diamonds are very rare to form and very expensive to buy. Majority of the diamonds carry one or more flaws in the form of other elements or even carbon impurities present in the crystal structure.

When we talk of Diamond Clarity, we refer to the Inclusions or Blemishes present in a diamond.
a. Inclusions – Any flaw that is found underneath the surface of the diamond
b. Blemishes – Any irregularities or scratches present on the surface of the diamond

Inclusions are always natural – air bubbles, cracks, other materials, microscopic dust particles, and the like. Blemishes, on the other hand, can be natural or man-made. Blemishes might be a scratch on the surface, a minor chip, or anything else that mars the surface. Just like the diamond colour, the lesser or insignificant the inclusion, the higher the price of the diamond.

Interesting Trivia: The world’s largest gem-quality cut diamond is a D colour, internally flawless diamond – the Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa diamond, which now adorns the Royal Scepter in the Crown Jewels of the British Empire.

The diamond clarity is defined based on the number, size, colour, location, orientation and ultimately the visibility of inclusions present in the diamond.

a. Flawless or F: The rarest of rare diamonds, these super shiners are absolutely, heavenly perfect. There is not a single flaw on the stone, inside or outside.

b. Internally Flawless or IF: Rare, but not as rare as flawless pieces, these beauties are completely flaw-free on the inside. These might have extremely minuscule surface blemishes. However, their rarity ensures that demand and price for these shiners always stay at a peak.

c. Very Very Slightly Included or VVS1 and VVS2: Another highly in demand but not so easy to find gem-quality stones, VVS1 and VVS2 graded diamonds have extremely minuscule inclusions on the inside. Even under standard 10x magnification, only trained gemmologists would be able to detect these inclusions. Quite steeply priced stones, but nowhere in comparison to the first two.

d. Very Slightly Included or VS1 and VS2: Perhaps the most regularly demanded diamonds; VS1 and VS2 grade stones find maximum use in high quality fine jewellery. Diamonds in these grades fetch good prices as they only have very minute inclusions that are quite hard to detect under standard magnification.

e. Slightly Included or SI1 and SI2: The inclusions in this particular grade of diamonds are comparatively larger and may be visible to the naked eye. A vast majority of the diamonds mined would fall into this range and therefore these stones are available at highly competitive price ranges.

f. Included or I1, I2 and I3: The lowest rung in the diamond clarity grading ladder, I1, I2 and I3 diamonds have flaws that are clearly visible even to untrained, laymen eyes. These diamonds are normally used only in the lowest grade jewellery; some of them are also used for industrial purposes.

Hard Fact: 10 X magnifications is the standard magnification used for grading a diamond’s clarity. If inclusions or blemishes present in a diamond cannot be identified under 10 X magnification by a trained gemmologist, they do not count towards deciding the clarity grade of a diamond.

While the exact origin of jewellery is yet to be traced, archaeological finds suggest that humans started wearing adornments much before they started clothing themselves. Almost every ancient civilization that has been discovered so far has had some or the other form jewellery  that has been unique to them. As humans have evolved and developed, so have their jewellery pieces as well as methods and styles of wearing their jewellery.

Interesting Trivia: The forms and types of jewellery have evolved and grown over the thousands of years. Yet, some of the earliest forms of jewellery – shells strung on tree bark rope or twine are still around and popular today as fashion and beach jewellery.

While the earliest forms of jewellery were nothing more than stones, sea-shells or animal bones strung together on plant twine, jewellery from then until now, has been a mark of status, stature and wealth in every culture. It is believed that jewellery was first worn nearly 100,000 years ago. Simple necklaces or charms made of sea-shells strung on bark rope or twine have been found buried with the remains of people from long lost civilizations. These finds have also been a proof that man’s love for jewellery started long before he understood the importance of wearing clothes.

As mankind progressed and civilizations moved inland from the sea coasts, minerals and metals were found. This also led to major changes in the kind and manner in which jewellery adorned the bodies of humans. The range of different ornaments being worn also increased. As men learnt how to work with metal, the simple trinkets and charms made of shells were replaced by varied adornments such as rings, necklaces, earrings, nose rings, bracelets, and other jewellery.

The use of jewellery also went through many changes. In some cultures, it became a form of currency, in others, an expression for artistic talents. When religion was found, specific ornaments became a symbol for certain religions.

The Birth of Modern Jewellery

Egypt and India are both credited with giving birth to modern jewellery. However, the art of metal working was first developed in Egypt. It was also the Egyptians that realized the value of gold, silver and other precious stones and started storing them as a form of wealth. Almost every Egyptian pharaoh that was buried had huge treasure hoards buried with him in the pyramid. Similarly, there have been innumerable stories of unspeakable treasures in the form of gold, silver and other ornaments being found from ancient Indian forts, temples, and palaces.

Once diamonds were discovered around 3000 years ago in India, these shiny rocks soon became major adornments for the wealthy. Over the course of time, the art and styles of jewellery kept undergoing changes. More and more types of jewellery items such as headgears in the form of crowns, bands and bracelets for the upper arms, as well as waist bands, and many other articles were introduced. After the Egyptians, it was the Romans and Greeks that took the jewellery tradition forward by bringing in further intricacy into their ornaments. Both these cultures utilized jewellery as an important form of trade and business.

Then of course came the period when the true value of gemstones, including diamonds, was recognized, and precious jewellery took a permanent turn for the better. Studded diamonds and gem stones jewellery pieces in gold, silver and platinum were created, and are very much in demand and use even today.