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%.

The Colour
To untrained eyes, the colour of a diamond may not be too visible, especially in the colourless and near-colourless range, as the colour difference in this range is very subtle. However, the price goes up exponentially as the colour of a diamond goes from near colourless to colourless range. The GIA colour grading scale goes from D to Z. A diamond classified as a D is rare, expensive and colourless. Diamonds in the D-F or colourless range have almost no other impurity elements other than carbon atoms. An engagement ring made with a D colour diamond sparkles the brightest compared to other colours. As the scale goes farther towards the Z classification the rarity of the individual stone decreases and so does its price. When purchasing any solitaire diamonds or diamond jewellery online, fully understanding the colour grading system is critical.

The Clarity
Clarity is the second ‘C’ that determines the value of a diamond. The clarity of a diamond is graded based on the flaws or imperfections present inside or on the surface of the diamond. A flawless diamond is the most expensive diamond due to its rarity as majority of natural diamonds contain one or another form of impieties introduced during their grown process underneath the surface of the earth. GIA clarity grading system includes FL (Flawless), IF (Internally Flawless), VVS (Very Very Slightly Included), VS (Very Slightly Included) and I (Included). As we move from FL to I, the visibility of the inclusion becomes more and more obvious to the naked eye when seen from the table of a diamond. VS and SI clarity diamonds yield best value for the money.

Diamond jewellery made from VVS diamonds cost significantly high compared to VS or SI. However, to the untrained eye, both the VVS and VS clarity diamonds look almost indistinguishable. One key factor to consider when buying a diamond with SI or I clarity diamond is to make sure that the diamond does not contain a flaw in the centre of the diamond when seen from the table of the diamond. A reputable online jeweller online jeweller will transparently disclose the clarity of the diamond jewellery you purchase.

The Carat Weight
To many customers, Carat Weight is one of the most important factors as it is directly related to the size of the diamond. An interesting fact to note is that the Carat is actually the measure of the weight of a diamond and not its size. Due to their rarity, heavier or higher carat weight diamonds have higher price tags. A skilled diamond cutter can retain higher carat weight in a polished diamond by manipulating cutting parameters of a rough diamond. Therefore, it is important to consider the cut of a diamond when buying a higher carat weight diamonds. In many cases, if a diamond is not cut properly, a smaller but better cut diamond may shine more brilliantly that a bigger but poorly cut diamond.

The Cut
The Cut of a diamond is the only factor that can be influenced by a diamond cutter and polisher. All the other three C’s of a diamonds are pre-determined by Mother Nature. Cutting a diamond is intricate work and must be done precisely to reveal the maximum beauty of the diamond. A ray of light should bounce perfectly from one facet of the stone to the next to form a beautiful array of sparkling light. If a diamond is not cut properly, the light will enter form the table and will leak out form the pavilion causing the diamond to appear dull or greyish.

Online Diamond Shopping
Beautiful diamond jewellery can be purchased online at an excellent price. You simply need to understand the four C’s before making your selection. There are numerous reputable online jewellers that offer incredible designs. You can simply browse or buy amazing diamond rings, pendants or earrings that may take your breath away. There is no better time than right now to gift yourself or your loved ones a timeless piece of diamond jewellery.

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.

Every piece of jewelry that is studded with diamonds or gemstones, whether it’s hand-made or crafted using advanced CNC machines, requires immense attention to detail when it comes to the Setting. The Setting not only determines the aesthetic appearance of the jewelry, but it also ensures that the studded stones do not fall off.

Interesting Trivia: The widely used prong setting has been modified into many other interesting variations including the Tiffany Setting, which is a trademark style of the jewelry powerhouse – Tiffany. The Tiffany setting consists of six prongs uniquely designed to hold a diamond securely in the center which enhances its overall brilliance and shine.

In order to fully understand and appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the making of studded jewelry, it is definitely necessary to understand the different kinds of settings that are used to set the stones into the metal. At the same time, knowledge of the setting also allows buyers to better assess the value of their jewelry piece.

Prong Setting: This classic and time tested technique is also the most commonly used setting style for embedding diamonds and gemstones. It consists of tiny metal claws – anywhere from three to six – to hold the diamond or gemstone firmly in place. The upper edges of the claws sit just on top of the crown of the diamond or stone and ensure that it does not loosen or fall off. There are also different types of claws or prongs – round, V-shaped, flat, sharp edged. Depending on the shape of the diamond or stone being used and the overall style of the jewelry, the type of prong setting is chosen.

Tension Setting: Another setting that has been around for a while is the tension setting. In this style, there are no prongs; instead the stone or diamond is held in place through the pressure created by the two open ends of metal band. This is a setting style that is best suited for rings and is quite popular in solitaire rings. 

Bezel Setting: An elegant and stylish setting that is extremely popular in rings is the bezel setting. Unlike prong or tension, the bezel setting works by completely encasing the diamond or stone in a thin metal bezel. This makes it one of the strongest and most stable settings, just ideal for daily or regular wear rings and jewelry.

Channel Setting: This is widely considered to be the best and safe setting for smaller diamonds. A metal channel is created in which the stones or diamonds are set closely and tightly against each other. This gives them unparalleled security. The setting is ideal for stones or diamonds that are to be set into the shank of a ring.

Halo Setting: As the name suggests, there is a central gemstone or diamond in the halo setting around which other stones are set. The halo can be either a round or a square. The purpose of the halo setting is to create the impression of a bigger center stone by comparing it to the smaller stones around it.

These are just five of the many settings that are used to embed diamonds and stones into jewelry. In my next blog, I will go over many other setting styles that are prevalent today.