It is based on the color of the fancy colored diamond, and its intensity that its price varies. They are usually found in various colors like red, pink and black. Though different in color, these fancy colored diamonds have the same properties as the usual white diamonds, and thus is the right choice to make for use in your engagement ring.

These special diamond stones also found in other popular colors like yellow, black, pink, yellow, purple, orange, red, grey, blue, green, violet and gray. In addition to this, these stones are available in various browns, which are popularly referred to as cognacs.

Of the lot, the green diamond, along with the red diamond are considered the rarest natural colored diamond stones. Between a pink and yellow diamond, the pink stone is more expensive option. However they are not as expensive as blue, green and orange stones. Couples who want to exchange better valued, special diamonds with some color in it should consider buying black and brown fancy colored diamonds. This is because they are not as expensive as natural white stones.

There are various ways with which these natural colored stones get their colors. It is the radiation the stones are exposed to while under the earth’s crust that gives the green color to some diamonds while carbon and nitrogen in the crust leads to natural orange diamonds. Blue diamonds form in an atmosphere which has boron, but no nitrogen.

The Argyle diamond mine of Australia is where you mostly find diamonds in pink and brown colors while there are mines of colored diamonds in South Africa, Venezuela and Brazil.

No matter which color your diamond stone is, its pricing is based on the same grading system. The cheapest of the lot are stones with the faintest colors which gradually lead to lightly dark to fancy deep, vivid and intense stones.

Mariah Carey is one of the celebrities who has rings with colored diamond stones where hers is pink in color. Heidi Klum is famous for her yellow diamond engagement rings that is also called Canary while Carmen Electra has a black diamond ring.

In a nutshell, you can say that these colored diamond stones are a great means of merging beautiful colors with other characteristics of diamonds. Today, yellow colored diamond stones are very popular. No matter what color you may like, unlike yesterday where there were only white diamond engagement rings, you can today wear diamond rings of the same color.

Claddagh, celtic and emerald engagement rings often symbolize eternal love, whilst having an everlasting connection to the Emerald Isle. Irish engagement rings therefore, are ideal for those wishing for a loving union steeped in cultural heritage.

Heirlooms often make for great unique engagement rings. Vintage rings that have been passed down the generations often offer a piece of jewelry that is intricate in its design, while being an object of upmost beauty at the same time. For people not lucky enough to have such an heirloom in the family for such special occasions, many shops nowadays sell replica vintage rings.

Instead of going for the colorless diamonds that most women of today wear, why not opt for a colored diamond engagement ring? Some really wonderful natural colors can include the stones on yellow diamond engagement rings as well as the more pricey pink colored diamond rings.

Most people differ in their ideas of how the stones on their ring should be set out. Some may prefer one large center stone, while others may want side stones. Others still may prefer gemstones such as sapphires with their diamonds.

Some ladies prefer the minimalist diamond engagement rings as they are not the type of person to go flashing their stones around in public. This doesn’t mean these rings are any less classy than all the others.

So what is the best way to choose the finest quality diamond for your money? Well, as a benchmark you should always follow the four “C’s” – carat, color, clarity and cut. A combination of all these factors also determines the actual value of the diamond as well as assisting people to obtain the best stone their budget can afford. But what exactly are these four “C’s” all about? Well, read on and we shall try to explain.

Carat

All diamonds are weighed in terms of carats, and this is basically a unit of measurement derived from an ancient process of balancing scales. Putting these into contemporary terms, then one carat would be the equivalent of two hundred milligrams, or one ounce would equal 142 carats. The more carats in a diamond, the heftier the price!

Color

Diamonds can come in a variety of colors and there is nothing more fetching than yellow diamond engagement rings, or even diamond engagement rings in pink or even black. In saying this though, white has always, and will probably always, be the most preferred of all the diamond colors. And when we say white, we do obviously refer to the colorless diamonds we all know so well. True whites are very rare and as such diamonds are color graded by how far off true white it is. In terms of buying, try to purchase a diamond that is as white as possible with no yellow tinge.

Clarity

Clarity is one of the most endearing aspects of a diamond. While clarity is very often dictated by external elements, it is not unusual to see diamonds with internal imperfections. These internal imperfections can include bubbles, spots or small lines known as inclusions, all of which can drop the quality of the stone. This is why when purchasing diamond of any description it is first prudent to check for imperfections very carefully.

Cut

Most diamonds are cut in accordance to a pre-determined mathematical formula. A radiant cut diamond, which incidentally is one of the most cherished diamond cuts to own, has 64 to 70 facets, while the more common round cut diamonds have 58 facets. A facet is a tiny, flat, polished surface of the diamond which is designed to reflect light, giving the diamond its sparkling appearance.

At the end of the day, while the four “C’s” are imperative in choosing the perfect diamond, what is equally (or more) important is your fiancées preference. Here preferred design will also determine the type of diamond you ultimately purchase.

When choosing a diamond engagement ring, you should select carefully so that it will become a treasured piece of jewellery which will last a lifetime.  There is no reason why a beautiful diamond ring cannot be passed from generation to generation.  It is a good idea when choosing an engagement ring to make sure that you choose one that will have matching wedding rings.

You should make sure you know what taste in jewellery your intended fiancée has before buying her engagement ring.  There are many styles to choose from such as modern or traditional.  There are also a number of different cuts available such as round cuts, oval cuts, pear shaped or heart shaped.  One of the most popular choices are round cuts but some of the other cuts offer a more unique style of ring.  Some diamond engagement rings consist of clusters of diamonds instead of the usual solitaire diamond.  In considering the size and cut of a diamond, you should think about the size of her hands as you should not choose something too big for her if she has small hands as this will only swamp her hand.

There are different colours of diamonds to choose from when purchasing an engagement ring.  There are also different colours of band which she may prefer.  The most popular colour choice in diamonds is the clear white diamond.  You should note the colour of jewellery that she normally wears whether that be yellow or white gold, silver or platinum.  It is also a good idea to find out if she is allergic to any of these metals.

The size of ring is very important too.  A friend or relative could help you to borrow one of her other rings in order to get an idea of finger size.  You should also make sure not to choose a ring that cannot be worn everyday.  A ring that is too big can get in the way of some peoples everyday activities and would not be practical.

Make sure to look around before choosing a diamond engagement ring so you can compare choices and prices.  There are thousands of places from which to purchase the perfect engagement ring including many online stores so make sure to choose the best one.  This ring will hopefully last a lifetime.

Many styles of engagement ring are clearly dominated by a solitaire diamond set in a ring of white or yellow gold, platinum or sterling silver.  There are many cuts of diamonds to choose from also such as Cartier cut, Teardrop cut, Princess cut, Round cut or Tiffany cut.  There are styles of engagement rings which favour more than one diamond including the Trilogy ring with three diamonds representing past, present and future.

Although the preference of colour for diamond engagement rings is usually clear or white, diamonds can come in other colours such as pink, blue or yellow.  Coloured diamonds can be quite expensive due to their uniqueness.

For those on a smaller budget there is an option to purchase certain man made diamonds such as cubic zirconium and moissanite stones.  These are made in a laboratory in much the same way as a natural diamond is made but in a much shorter time.  They are considered to be fakes but are made from carbon in the same way as a ‘real’ diamond.  They are white in colour and have a brilliant shine which never dims.  The added advantage of these types of diamonds is that they cost a fraction of a natural ‘diamond’.

Fortunately for the diamond industry, there is much store placed on the cost and size of a real diamond in an engagement ring so it does not seem as though these ‘fake’ diamonds will become the stone of choice when purchasing a diamond engagement ring.