Engagement rings can be incredibly beautiful works of art, as well as an amazingly important part of your life. However, there are plenty of rings to choose from, and you'll probably run into a lot of confusing terms. That can make it hard to know what to pick without the right information.

There are three main components to any engagement ring - stone, metal, and design. The stone is usually a diamond, and the metal is traditionally gold, but there are also other options.

Picking The Stone One thing to be aware of is the system for grading diamonds. The four components are Cut, Carat, Color and Clarity.

Pay close attention to the quality of your diamond when you buy, but don't necessarily insist on the best. Buying a somewhat lower quality diamond can save you money, even though the stone looks the same to the naked eye.

Choosing Metals Most engagement rings have bands and settings in either gold or platinum. You can get gold in levels of quality from ten to twenty-four karats, and in many colors, ranging from yellow to white to rose.

Eighteen karat gold is the most popular choice for many people, though some choose lower grades like ten or fourteen for their higher durability. These less pure types of gold are less likely to dent or scratch.

Platinum is an intriguing, though more expensive, alternative to gold. It looks similar to white gold, but it's much harder, and if you learn to look, you can tell the difference between the two metals.

Design and Your Engagement Ring Your engagement ring design is a choice that's very personal, whether you go with a pre-existing ring or have a custom one made. Semi-custom options are also available, and allow you to choose band width, stone, and other elements to create your own special ring.

Remember that there are four basic elements to a good engagement ring design. These are practicality and comfort, strength, and appearance. Without these four elements, your ring just won't live up to its potential.

An attractive, durable, comfortable ring depends on the way you live and work. A higher setting looks pretty, but is prone to catch on things, making it a hazard in some conditions.

That means that if you're a mechanic, you'll be putting your engagement ring through a lot more than you would if you worked in an office. Think about how and where your ring will be worn when you pick out the design. This is the reason that some people pick a less pure alloy when they decide on gold for their rings. This is a stronger material. Sturdier ring designs and the choice of platinum for the metal can also help.

There's also a design factor - four prong settings are the least secure, six prong settings are stronger, and bezel settings are the strongest. Low, heavy settings take more abuse than high, light ones.

The diamond is a precious gemstone known all over the world for its value. You might be surprised to learn that although the diamond is the most coveted stone in the world, making more in sales than all other precious stones combined, it is simply made up of simple carbon.

Before diamonds are known to the public eye, they undergo a process of mining, grading, cutting, and polishing, transforming from a rough diamond into a sparkling precious gemstone. But it just doesn't stop there. What makes the diamond arrive in its final perfect form is the setting of the stone, completing the jewelry.

Diamond settings are the platform or the foundation in which the diamond sits. There are different settings available for different types of jewelry, whether you're looking into buying a ring, necklace, or earrings. When jewelers acquire loose diamonds, it's best to consider their shape and cut before placing the stone or stones in its setting. Certain settings enhance the beauty of the diamond shape better than others.

For example, the pear shape diamond is more commonly used in pendants and drop earrings, while the princess cut diamond is more used in engagement rings as a solitaire.

Here are just some of the questions or decisions to ask:

1. Do you like yellow gold, white gold or platinum?

2. Would you like your diamond to be a solitaire or adorned with smaller stones? You can either choose smaller diamonds or another type of stone, like sapphires or emeralds.

3. Try wearing different settings before deciding. What you like and what looks good on you might be two different things altogether. 4. Know your taste, whether it is vintage, modern, romantic or floral.

5. Ask help from a reputable diamond jeweler on what style and setting would be best for your diamond and you. Although it's a matter your personal taste, it won't hurt to ask for an opinion from an expert.

Daniel Joines is the owner Polished Diamonds. For High Quality Diamond Rings at 1/2 retail shop available at: Polished Diamonds.co.nz - The Diamond Ring Specialist in New Zealand

While buying diamond jewelry, you'll probably see some specimens being offered at unbelievable prices. There's a good chance that at least a few of them aren't real, though. There's nothing wrong with fake diamonds, and some couples like them better, but you should never pay real diamond prices for fakes.

There are lots of different ways to fake a diamond. Many of them are beautiful gems in their own right, but if you want a diamond, don't be taken in by them. If you understand the different types of diamond look alikes, you'll learn how to spot them and when you're looking at the real deal.

Moissanite - This is a very rare mineral that looks like a diamond, but it's chemically and physically quite different. This diamond fake isn't as common as some of the others, as its rarity means that moissanite sold as itself can cost more than natural diamonds.

Cubic Zirconia - This common substitute for natural diamonds looks similar but is heavier and less costly.

Artificially Made Diamonds - These real diamonds are chemically and physically identical to natural stones, but shouldn't be sold as natural diamonds, since they were made in a lab. They're a lot cheaper than good natural diamonds.

Faceted Crystals - Cut glass is sparkly and attractive, but lower in quality and much more fragile than the real thing. These crystal stones could crack or shatter in a ring.

The four characteristics that help guide you in finding out whether a diamond is real and what quality it is are called the four Cs. These are cut, color, carat and clarity, and learning about them will help you keep from being fooled by unscrupulous jewelers.

You should only work with jewelers you trust, and whose reputation is good. They should be able to tell you in detail about your diamond and answer detailed questions.

When examining a diamond for quality, don't forget to look at the setting. These expensive gems won't be placed in a loose, crooked, or badly made setting, and if yours seems low quality, the stone probably isn't real, either.

While you're looking, see if there's damage on the stone. A diamond is a hard gem that doesn't scratch or scuff easily. It reflects light in gray or neutral tones - rainbow sparkles are for fakes.

Is the stone transparent enough? Turn loose diamonds upside down onto a piece of paper with printing on it. If you do this, you shouldn't be able to read text through the light dispersion of a real stone.

Don't be afraid to look at your diamond closely, through a jeweler's loupe or magnifying glass. Real stones are well defined and cut, with fake stones often being asymmetrical or otherwise badly made. The thin girdles of real diamonds are faceted, too, with some designed types bearing numbers in this area to identify them.

Use the fog test on suspected fakes, too. Diamonds disperse heat rapidly, meaning that if you fog the diamond with your breath, it vanishes fast. Imitation stones remain fogged for a while.

Eternity is something long to commit. And the assurance of it will take you forever to express which you might forget sometime in your life as you live it with your special someone.

And so to remind the eternity that you want to offer to your loved one, and to know that the promise will definitely won't break, a priceless gesture of giving her the expensive diamond engagement ring will give her the idea that the eternity you offer is something that you really value, and she should too.

The 5 carat diamond engagement ring might be an expensive idea for a band but it will make a great impact to the one whom you will give it to. Diamonds of this kind are big and you should have the band around it as simple as possible to give emphasis to the stone.

Since the one that you are looking for is very hard to look for and risky as well, it is recommended that you look for your ideal 5 carat diamond engagement ring online so you can see it closely plus it has description to give you an idea of which design you will choose.

And they can also be availed on an installment basis so that is quite a nice deal for those who want to be practical with elegance.

One best buy and is usually the choice of celebrities is the Zirconia diamond engagement ring. Its blackish- colored band will be an object of everyones attention and the woman who wears it will make her feel so special. It is because of the uniqueness of the ring and it is something that you really dont see anywhere everyday.

Among the celebrities who made 5 carat diamond engagement ring such a popular choice was Tom Cruise, who gave an oval shaped diamond with pave setting to Katie Holmes. Kate Hudson also had hers from her rock star husband which was an asscher cut. Madonna also had one from Guy Ritchie. So thats one way to make your fianc feel like a celebrity as well.

In spite of the expensive value of a 5 carat diamond engagement ring, this ring is one ideal and the most elegant idea that you give to your special someone to let her feel how much you are willing to spend and to go to for her. Winning her affection can be done with something glittering, not because of materialism, but the thought that it measures, the weigh of love.