10 Questions You Should Ask Before Buying An Engagement Ring

1. Can I compare multiple diamonds before selecting the best one?

• Our Answer: OF COURSE! We are experts when it comes to diamonds, so rest assured, we’ll help you select an amazing diamond. We will hand select a variety of beautiful diamonds within your budget that meet the criteria you are looking for. From here, you can decide which one speaks to you. This makes the diamond that much more special!

2. Can you explain the 4C’s, and how these diamonds fall within these categories?

• Our Answer: The 4C’s is a diamond grading system created by GIA that has set the standard globally for all diamonds. The 4C’s are comprised of Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat. These categories are the standard for assessing the quality of any diamond across the board. We know this is not only a significant investment, but also a significant step to take as well – Vanessa will patiently guide you with expertise to help you choose the perfect diamond.

3. What is a diamond-grading certificate, and what is the importance behind it?

• Our Answer: Simply put, a diamond certificate is almost like a birth certificate for your diamond. With a Round diamond, it will list every single detail about your diamond, leaving nothing up to opinions. But this is only true for Round diamonds. Fancy shapes don’t have a “Cut” grade, which means there is nothing that determines how sparkly & beautiful it is. The cut can be chunky with large facets, or crushed ice, or bow tied, etc. Only seeing it in person or on video will allow you to know how nice it looks. (This is where a trusted advisor–like Vanessa Nicole– can be extremely helpful)

A diamond’s certification process is when a grading company determines the color, cut, clarity, carat weight & measurements using modern measuring techniques. This is an unbiased, accurate, and consistent classification of the diamond. This in turn means that you can rest assured that the diamonds value is tangible and accurate.

It is important to not focus SOLELY on the certificate because there are other factors that determine how beautiful a diamond is, which are not listed. Plus, is not a machine grading the diamonds, it is a human where perception errors can occur. You can send the same diamond to GIA twice and get a slightly different grade.

Your fiancé will not be wearing the certificate on her finger, she will be wearing the diamond, so the diamond is what you need to focus on when making your selection.

4. What institution is the grading certificate from, and what is the difference between the different grading institutions?

• Our Answer: GIA is the strictest with grading, which makes sense since they invented the system now used globally! With that said, EGL has an additional clarity grade (SI3) and has a few extra cut grades such as Ideal Cut or Premium Cut. The trick about finding the best EGL diamond is to grade it against a GIA diamond and when we find the one that matches, we have a winner. GIA graded diamonds are often more expensive than EGL graded diamonds, so if a client is trying to achieve a certain size within a strict budget, we look at beautiful EGL diamonds.

5. What metal is the ring setting made from?

• Our Answer: Vanessa Nicole Jewels can create your custom engagement ring in your choice of Platinum, 14 Karat, or 18 Karat White Gold, Yellow Gold, or Rose Gold. For more information on choosing the best metal check out our blog HERE.

6. What are the benefits with creating a custom ring?

• Our Answer: Let’s face it … there’s a big difference between having engagement rings custom made and buying a mass-produced ring from a giant franchise jewelry store:

There’s no other ring like it.

There’s no one else like her, so why should she have a ring that’s worn by hundreds of other women? A custom engagement ring is truly one of a kind – unlike the mass-produced rings in big jewelry stores, which can have thousands of duplicates all over the world.

It shows you went the extra mile.

You’re about to express your lifelong commitment to the woman you love. Now is not the time to cut corners! Having an engagement ring custom made shows extra effort, devotion and a willingness to go the extra mile. It shows you put more thought into the ring and wanted it to be perfect – just like her.

The quality is exceptional.

Standard rings found in most U.S. jewelry stores are made overseas on assembly lines staffed by low-wage workers. The quality doesn’t even come close to engagement rings custom made by skilled designers. With a custom ring, you get a truly beautiful, valuable heirloom quality piece that is made with care and attention.

It will be made to your wishes (or hers).

You have complete control in the style of the ring, the details, the size of the diamond, the type of band and more. You can work directly with the designer to make sure the ring turns out just as you envisioned, or even more beautiful!

It costs less than you think.

If you’ve been shopping around at other jewelry shops, then you know custom ring prices are comparable to traditional rings – except you get so much more with a custom-made piece: premium quality, unparalleled craftsmanship, individual attention from a professional ring designer, and of course, a truly one-of-a-kind ring.

7. What warranties do you offer?

• Our Answer: We build all of our rings to last, instead of using the thinnest metal possible such as mass-manufactured jewelry companies. While thinner metal helps to keep the cost down, it makes the ring structurally weaker and we want to keep your ring wearable for your lifetime and beyond. Should a small diamond fall out of your custom ring (.03ctw or less), we will replace it up to a stone value of $200.00 USD at No Charge for one full year from your pickup date. After one year, it is considered more of a maintenance repair so we would simply charge for the stone & labor.

8. What are the benefits of purchasing an engagement ring from you?

• Our Answer: We are VERY different from other stores. It is quite rare to have the opportunity to work directly with the artist who will be creating your ring. There will be zero miscommunication because nothing goes through a “salesperson.” You work-one-on-one with the designer of your ring for the entire creation process.

We put a tremendous amount of time and energy into creating each ring and this is why we have a perfect 100% rating of happy clients (we’ve literally never had a client dislike their ring… EVER).

Plus, we offer the ‘Making of Your Ring’ DVD service, which is the only one of its kind in the world (we’ve checked). This DVD documents the creation of her engagement ring. We briefly interview you saying wonderful things about your girlfriend and then layer that voiceover onto the footage of creating her one-of-a-kind ring, exclusively for her. Women LOVE it. Our whole purpose as a jeweler is to make the moment where you present her with the engagement ring the most amazing memory ever. Based on how women react to the film, it really makes each piece a cherished work of art. This film will make you look VERY romantic. It’s not a requirement to do the film as a client of VNJ, but it’s a service that is offered if you’re interested.

9. How can I protect my investment?

• Our Answer: It is important that your ring is insured under an insurance policy since the maximum liability we can accept is $200.00. We do not guarantee against gemstones breaking or chipping. All Gemstones can crack, break or chip – Even diamonds! You should add all fine jewelry to an insurance policy, which typically protects against loss, damage or theft. We can recommend an insurance company with great rates & a solid reputation in the jewelry industry.

10. Is there a matching wedding band?

• Our Answer: Another benefit to creating a custom engagement ring is that your wedding band can be custom made as well! We will use the original CAD model of the engagement ring to build a matching wedding band to ensure everything lines up perfectly.

You can choose to have a straight band that sits flush against your engagement ring, or one that is sculpted to follow any curves the engagement ring may have. The possibilities are endless, but we can guarantee we will help you create one that perfectly complements your engagement ring.