Engagement Rings 101: A List of All the Terms You Should Know

It’s the most exciting time in your lifetime to pop the question.

Have you thought about how you’re going to do it? You could be extravagant and gather a herd of people that turn into a spontaneous flash mob, centered around you and your soulmate. Or, you might prefer a more simple, yet elegant, route. Head out to a fancy dinner and ask the waiter to top the dessert with the perfect ring. 

No matter how you decide to pop the question, the ultimate goal is to make a memory that will last a lifetime. What better way to do that then with the perfect engagement ring?

But before you go ring shopping, there are a few key terms that you should know. Keep reading this engagement rings 101 so you can start shopping for something as perfect as she is.

Diamonds

What better way to get the game started then with diamond lingo? Let’s take a look at the 4 C’s - color, carat, cut and clarity.

Color

Color is the first of the 4 C’s when referring to diamonds.

You’ve seen millions of clear, colorless diamonds, and you’ve probably even seen a few pale yellow or brown ones. But, what a lot of people don’t know is that diamonds come in other colors as well.

You can find red, blue, pink, and purple diamonds. These are known as fancy color diamonds and are relatively rare. The more saturated the color, the more valuable. You’ll want to look at well-known jewelry stores to find these, such as Pandora, Zales, or Rockher.

Carat (ct)

You’ve heard the buzz from people asking, “what’s the carat?” But the truth is, this is one of the first questions her friends are going to ask her.

When jewelers refer to a carat, it is the standard term used to measure the weight of a diamond. Of course the higher the carat, the more expensive the diamond will be.

Cut

The cut of the diamond refers to the shape of the stone. Examples of cuts include asscher, cushion, emerald, heart, princess, round, and oval.

The term “cut” can be confusing, as some jewelers recognize the cut based on the way the diamond’s facets reflect light.

Clarity

Clarity is another one of the four C’s you should be aware of when looking at diamonds. Clarity refers to any imperfections that you might see in a diamond.

Since diamonds are naturally found and mined, it’s common for them to have many imperfections. This means that the fewer imperfections a diamond has, the rarer it is and higher it’s value.

Imperfections in a diamond are also known as “inclusions”.

Bands

Now that we’ve covered the four C’s of diamonds, let’s take a look at the different bands you can half.

Gold

Gold is the most traditional and common type of band for an engagement ring. You can find gold in three different shades - yellow, rose, and white.

Platinum

platinum is a more expensive option for a band. It looks similar to a white gold band, however, the platinum is much more durable and stronger.

Engagement Rings 101 

Finding the perfect ring doesn’t have to be a complex process. The trick is similar to that of buying a car, never buy from the first lot.

If you loved this engagement rings 101, check out the rest of our blog for more fun lingo and key terms about your favorite subjects.