Diamond Engagement Rings from the Los Angeles Jewelry Mart District For Affordable/Cheap | Designer GIA Yellow Diamonds for Sale 1 Carat

So you’re in the market for a diamond engagement ring, bridal set and wedding bands, but perhaps you have no idea where to start. The truth is, the decision you make on the type you get will make a lasting impact. Start by reading our latest article on how The Loose Diamond works that will answer any questions. If you are contemplating buying diamonds indicates that you’re willing to go on a considerably long journey that, wisely spent, will also be fruitful. Find out about the different cuts for yellow diamond engagement rings to invest in. Making a wise decision in regards to diamond purchases is eminently important, so you will need to know all the right information going into your first diamond purchase.

Assessing Your Budget

Whether it’s online or perusing brick and mortar jewelry stores, take a look at some of the average prices out there for, in "A Guide on Carat Sizes" we explain what is best for your setting. Based on what you see in your style, establish a budget based on what you feel comfortable spending.

A good diamond dealer or jeweler will never try to convince you to go drastically over or under your budget. Keep in mind, however, that the Jewelry Mart is actually somewhat rare, as diamonds rarely see depreciation in value. Here's some information to read about The Jewelry Mart and find out what to expect when you are looking for a birthstone. So be wary of jewelers that announce “huge sales,” as this may simply be that the jeweler overpriced the diamonds to begin with.

If you’re willing to spend at least 750 dollars, read the article on "Most Common Reasons for Returning Your Diamond Ring" and you’ll start to see real value in your diamond; if your budget is beneath this price, you may want to consider another cheaper, replacement gems such as rubies, sapphires or emeralds, or diamond rings for sale, if you can find them. This is just a general rule, however, and it is possible to get value out of cheap diamond engagement rings.

Budget will not only be based what you can get out of affordable engagement rings, but also by acquiring some basic knowledge of diamonds, such as the “five Cs,” diamond shapes, ring settings and other features.

By doing your homework, you should have a very good idea on what you’re willing to spend. Read our priceline guide for an engagement ring.

Diamonds 101

In order to shop, first read this, "How to Interpret Diamond Grading Reports for Designer Engagement Rings", then you'll be equipped with a basic knowledge of different diamonds and what makes them valuable. Here's something useful on how to get cheap engagement rings with a budget.

This is where the “5 C’s” come into play (which is usually called the 4 C’s, but we’ll get to that fifth C momentarily). These summarize the typical characteristics of a diamond, and diamonds frequently get graded and evaluated based on these characteristics

The five C’s are:

• Color
• Clarity
• Carat
• Cut
• Certificates

Getting educated on these characteristics will allow you to know which ones are most important to you. You can also save money by foregoing the characteristics that are less important to you; for instance, if diamond cut really matters to you, yet color doesn’t as much, you’ll save money on a diamond at the jewelry district with a really nice cut that lacks in color.

We’ll delve into each of the five C’s here.

1. Color

The most sought after diamonds out there are completely colorless, as they can refract light for more brilliance and sparkle. Meanwhile, diamonds on engagement rings that are off-white will be less brilliant, since light will be refracted less.

Color is graded in alphabetical order, with D being the best and thus the highest form of colorlessness, and X being last. The diamonds in the S through X range will likely take on a light yellow hue, which is not considered desirable or valuable. On the other hand, diamonds under the grades D through F are considered the most valuable. However, you can still find high quality color in diamonds rated G through J.

While most people want their diamonds to be as colorless as possible, some people are attracted to the warm, almost honey-like hue of a lower color grade.

2. Clarity

The clarity of a diamond indicates the construction of the diamond and how many flaws, or what the diamond industry calls inclusions, are within the diamond’s overall inner architecture. Clarity also takes into account blemishes, which refers to any exterior flaws to the diamond.

Clarity grades any diamond gets are determined by diamond graders with 10x loupe magnification technology. The best grade a engagement ring diamond can get is F, for Flawless. The worst grade a diamond can get is I3, which indicates inclusions that are also visible to the naked eye.

3. Carat

Carat indicates the weight measurement of a diamond. For example, one carat is equatable to .2 grams, for 200 milligrams. Because larger diamonds are far rarer in nature than smaller ones, the diamonds with a larger carat will be much more valuable – and therefore much more expensive – than those that weigh one carat or less. Take a look at different carat sizes and see which suits you best, but most importantly, opt for what you’re comfortable paying for.

4. Cut

Cut is often confused with shape, which is a mistake. The cut refers to a diamond’s reflective qualities, whereas shape merely refers to the overall outer shape. Cut is arguably the most important quality of a diamond for wedding ring sets, since its reflective qualities affect its sparkle, brilliance and fire, and thus ultimately how beautiful it will look.

The grades for cuts are verbal, with “Ideal” being perfect, and “very poor” being the worst score a diamond can get.

5. Certificates

The diamond grading report that comes with these certificates plainly reports on all of the above C’s and grades them accordingly. With jewelry, you can be assured that the diamond has been inspected closely for quality.

Ring Settings

A setting refers to how the diamond (or diamonds) are positioned on the precious metal band. The karat of the gold or platinum band will also factor into the end price of your wedding rings sets.

For cheap diamond rings, you may want to invest in a unique setting. Some of the most common settings include the the bezel, melee, and tension diamond engagement ring settings.

Once you have your basic knowledge of diamonds down, you’ll be set to do proper research and design the right engagement ring for you.