For most of recorded history, betrothal and marriage have been represented by the wearing of rings. The earliest ones were not precious metal but were usually made of iron. Some betrothal rings were not even of that quality, being made instead of woven grass. Fortunately, engagements were usually quite brief, so they lasted until the marriage, when they were usually replaced with a metal one. Eventually, silver and gold became more commonly used, and the use of gemstones then followed. However, diamonds were almost never included, since they were scarce and extremely expensive, reserved mainly for royalty. Major diamond deposits were found during the 1800s, which increased the supply and lowered the cost, although both were tightly controlled by the mine operators.

The expense and scarcity of diamonds is often reflected in antique engagement rings. Amethysts, rubies, and sapphires were more commonly used. The metal settings, however, could be extremely ornate, and many fine examples of filigree can be found. By definition, an antique only needs to be more than five decades old, but they can also be five centuries old. Therefore, you will find a great range of styles and gems used in antique rings and there is not a simple definition for one.

For modern brides, the diamond’s cut usually has much to do with her selection. There are several traditional cuts, and almost all of them are flat on top. The round cut is very popular for a solitaire. The facets along the sides let it catch and reflect light so that even a small stone sparkles well. For princess cut engagement rings, the diamond is cut into a square shape and normally set with the prongs securing it covering each corner. This cut is also used as a solitaire frequently, although it can also be set into the metal of the band.

If the rings do not match, the mountings can scratch or catch on each other. You can avoid this by checking the rings together for fit or by purchasing them as a set. Designers make sure they will fit well, and also offer such designs as interlocking rings.

At some point in your marriage, you might choose to replace your wedding band, engagement ring, or both with an eternity ring. These are bands with diamonds or other gems set flush in the metal. The gems often circle the entire band, although there are also styles that only have stones on half of the band. Diamonds are commonly used, but they are sometimes alternated with other gems, such as the birthstones of the children. These rings are often purchased to mark a milestone in the marriage, which may be a silver anniversary or any other special occasion. If the styles are compatible, all three rings can be worn together.

Proper fit is essential when purchasing a ring, especially one you plan to wear constantly for many years. A metal band can be sized to make sure it will be comfortable. This service is typically included in the purchase price of the ring, but is not expensive if you have heirloom rings you wish to wear. Rings that have gems set all around the band, such as an eternity style, can usually not be sized. Stones would have to be removed for sizing, which can negatively impact the looks of the ring.

When selecting an engagement ring, consider how you plan on wearing it. An elaborate or large ring can be a nuisance over the course of your day. Constant removal can make it easier to forget or lose. These are best reserved for wear on special occasions. If you plan to wear both rings around the clock, you might prefer a smaller setting or stone.

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Judging custom wedding rings is to a large degree, admittedly, a subjective affair. You either like the look or you don’t. But when adding in factors of cost, durability and the like, it’s helpful to be aware of some objective criteria used by the pros. You’ll want your personalized ring choice to be a good one. Fine personalized jewelry is not something you want to buy uninformed.

WEIGHT

It is often misunderstood that, while diamonds are measured in carats, gold is measured in karats. This is an indication of the purity, rather than a measure of the weight or the size. Rings made of 14k gold actually consist of 14/24 pure gold which makes it about 58% pure. The purity of platinum (denoted Plat or Pt) is measured on a scale from roughly 900-950 out of 1,000. That means a 950Pt band is 95% platinum.

Note that the remainder is often comprised of chemically similar though equally valuable metals. Lower numbers are possible, too, but won’t usually be found in quality wedding bands.

A diamond, by contrast, is measured in carats (ct), ranging from near zero and up. 1 carat = 200 mg, a measure of mass. A diamond that is less than one eighth of a carat is considered a chip. Partly, the reason is the difficulty of faceting and polishing such a small stone in order to bring out a diamond’s effects.

Note that technically, a ‘chip’ is any diamond which isn’t fully faceted or properly shaped. They can result from accidents or the crystal structure that makes cutting and polishing nearly impossible. This becomes more difficult the smaller the stone. So, most chips are in the range stated.

The largest single gem-quality diamond ever found is the Cullinan, which tipped the scales at about 3,106 carats. It was cut down into the egg-shaped stone that sits in the scepter of England, itself about 525 carats.

But there are many other factors that influence the cost and look of a fine diamond intended to sit in an engagement ring or wedding band.

CLARITY

A diamond is judged by professionals on how ‘clear’ it is, and the stone is then placed into a category.

FL, IF – Flawless, or Internally Flawless represents the highest grade in this area. Such stones are extremely rare and hence invariably very expensive.

VVS1, VVS2 – These ratings represent a diamond which is only ‘very very slightly included’. ‘Included’ means, essentially, occluded or cloudy. Inclusions of non-diamond material or structure are responsible for lack of perfect clarity. These stones are acutally of very high quality despite this rather foreboding word. The flaws can only barely be seen under 10x magnification.

VS1, VS2 – Very Slightly Included ratings represent high quality stones. No flaw is visible to the naked eye.

SI1, SI2 – Slightly Included gems contains flaws that are visible under 10x magnification and may just barely be seen by those with very sharp eyes. Beyond having good eyesight, though, one needs to know what to look for. Generally, non-experts won’t notice much of anything.

I1, I2, I3 – These are mediocre quality stones that may still look very nice. But they have visible flaws when one looks closely that will reduce the brilliance of the stone’s appearance.

COLOR

Beyond the degree of clarity, diamonds - though usually thought of as clear or ‘white’ - can come in any of hundreds of colors. Fashions change and in one era what might be considered a flaw will be highly valued by the next generation. Color in a diamond is actually created by the impurities that mix with the diamond’s carbon structure.

A 200-carat blue diamond in the Smithsonian (the Hope Diamond), for example, is valued not only for its unusually large size. Its rare and pure color is also a significant factor.

Blue, pink and yellow are among the most common colors found in ring stones.

D stones are completely colorless and correspondingly rare.

E diamonds are also considered colorless. Any impurities are in trace amounts detectable only by experts with special tools. Still very rare.

F are also graded colorless, but a slight color may be seen by an expert.

G-H are near colorless. Non-experts can detect some shading if they look closely, but these can still be high quality diamonds.

I-J Near colorless diamonds in which the color is slightly detectable. Still a very good value.

K-M are stones in which the color is highly noticeable. Observe, though, that these ratings are for diamonds that are ranked according to how little color they have. As a result, many will find a yellow diamong quite beautiful.

What’s important is to have the color be uniform. Most people still consider even a small spot of color to be a flaw. Of course, that too is simply a matter of taste and some future trendsetter may decide such diamonds are worth even more.

CUT

It is challenging to give a ranking to the quality or price of a diamond based on the cut of the gem. That’s because, to a very large extent, which cut is better is a matter of taste. The different cuts - round, oval, square, princess - are all equally beautiful and choice simply depends on personal preference. Other common shapes are the Marquise (a type of elongated stone), the Pear, Emerald cut, Trilliant (a wedge shape), Radiant, Cushion and Heart shaped.

Diamon experts have much more specific criteria and will evaluate the different angles and the facet numbers. The Radiant, for example, has 70 facets while the Trilliant has 25 on the crown and 19 on the pavilion. But these details need not concern wedding ring buyers.

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Personalized wedding rings provide unique, one-of-a-kind meaning to this very important piece of jewelry. There are so many people who end up with the same bands and engagement rings that they tend to all start to look alike. While some people may not mind this at all, there are many other people who can truly appreciate having custom wedding rings as a way to mark their special day. Showing each other how much you care and love one another can be accomplished through such personalized jewelry.

Having one of a kind rings are also a way of bringing a little bit of the individual personalities to the wedding. What a wonderful way to express your love with words you choose. Maybe it is a special saying that has a unique meaning to the happy couple that can be engraved on the top of the rings or on the inside of the rings. Either way, it is a special way to show affection to one another.

For those who want a special ring but do not have anything off hand that they want to say, there are some simple suggestions that can turn any plain band into something special and personalized. Including the wedding date (especially in Roman numerals) is a very popular choice for personalization. You can have the date written out or have it engraved as elegant Roman numerals.

Adding the names of the happy couple is another great way to put together the personalized wedding rings. It could be a nickname that is used, just a first name, or a first name with the middle name or middle initial. Either way, names are a fantastic and very popular way to express individuality in the custom wedding rings. Those who are going through their second wedding together may want to go a different route though.

If the couple already has children, including their names on their rings can be a very meaningul gesture. Special savings or phrases are another popular way of expressing the undying love the couple has for one another. The words true love, soul mate, forever, and twin souls are just a few words that could be used for personalized wedding rings.

Once you have decided what type of words or sayings you want engraved in the rings, it is time to decide what language you want it in. While English is the most common language chosen, other languages choices can add an air of the exotic. If you want to take heritage into consideration then you may want to have your personalized wedding rings engraved with a language that represents who you are. Chinese symbols are also a great way to express your love for one another and leaving the message secret from other people.

In the end it is all about what the two of you want as a couple. What makes it special for you will be different then what makes it special for someone else. Choose what you love and has meaning to you and you’ll express your personalily.

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