Jewellery

Your wedding ring will be a symbol of your love and will also come to represent the union between you and your partner for the rest of your lives. It’s important that you select rings that reflect your personality and style. The most popular gemstone for an engagement ring or wedding ring is the timeless diamond.

When shopping around for a diamond wedding ring, it is important that the 4Cs of diamonds be assessed: Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat.

Cut – diamonds are cut after the shape has been decided on. There are many shapes to choose from: round, marquise, oval, pear, emerald, radiant, heart, trillion and princess, just to name a few. Facets are cut into the diamond to reflect and direct light, giving the diamond that illustrious sparkle

Colour – when deciding on a diamond, choose one that is as close to colourless as possible. The more colourless the diamond, the more the light passes through to make it glisten. Thus the more colourless the diamond, the more valuable it is

Clarity – Most diamonds will have some inclusions –traces of non-crystallised carbon which make it difficult for light to pass through the stone. They aren’t visible to the naked eye but finding a diamond with no inclusions – a flawless diamond, in other words – is very rare and therefore these are priced higher

Carat – Diamonds are weighed according to carats. One carat is approximately 200 milligrams. The heavier the diamond, the higher in carats and thus the higher the value of the diamond

When shopping around for diamonds, it’s recommended that you select a jeweller with experience and trustworthiness. If possible, get your diamonds valued and looked at by an independent valuer. Also, diamonds that have yet to be mounted are easier to value, and can be weighed more accurately.

There are no rules as to what gems should be used in your wedding ring. Using birthstones in place of diamonds is becoming a popular trend, adding extra significance to your ring. Below is a list of months, their birthstones and their meanings.

• January - Garnet (Constancy)
• February - Amethyst (Sincerity)
• March - Bloodstone/Aquamarine (Courage)
• April - Diamond (Innocent)
• May - Emerald (Love/Success)
• June - Pearl (Health / Longevity)
• July - Ruby (Contentment)
• August - Peridot (Happiness in Marriage)
• September - Sapphire (Clear Thinking)
• October - Tourmaline/Opal (Hope)
• November - Citrine/Topaz (Fidelity)
• December - Turquoise (Properity)

Some factors that you will also need to consider when choosing an engagement ring are:

• Will the engagement ring and the wedding ring compliment each other?
• Are the rings suitable for everyday wear? Are they comfortable?

Wedding rings represent love and an eternal bond between two people. Good luck in your search for the right ring for you and your partner!

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