How to Judge Wedding Ring Quality

Your wedding rings are very important purchases. These are pieces of jewelry you plan to wear every single day for the rest of your life. So, you need to truly love your wedding rings, whether they're simple wedding bands or matching sets. That means that you want to get the highest quality possible within your new budget as a couple. If you're on a very strict budget, there are others areas where you can make sacrifices to ensure great quality. One idea is to purchase an inexpensive, simple ring setting. Then, invest the bulk of your ring budget on the diamond clarity, color and cut you desire most. Upgrading to a more elaborate setting later will make for an amazing anniversary gift.

The 5 C's of Ring Quality

Familiarize yourself with what experts call the "The 5 C's of Jewelry" before you go shopping for your wedding rings. The 5 C's are:

1. Diamond Cut - This is the ability of the diamond to reflect light, which results in sparkling brilliance.
2. Diamond Color - Colorless diamonds are so rare, making them very expensive. Therefore, a rule of thumb is, the less color, the better.
3. Diamond Clarity - This refers to any blemishes or inclusions within the diamond. The diamond's grade is directly related to the degrees of inclusions.
4. Diamond Carat - Simply put, the carat of a diamond refers to the diamond's actual weight.
5. Ring Cost - Researching wedding rings before making a purchase will ensure you get the best quality possible for the amount you spend.

Choosing Ring Metals

The metal you choose for your wedding ring setting also effects the overall quality of your ring. Your metal choice should also be a reflection of what you like personally. Some people prefer gold, while others like a more silver color to their rings. Here are the four most common metals used for wedding rings:

1. Gold - Gold is considered a more timeless, classic option for wedding rings, bands and sets. When gold is in its purest form, which is 24-karats, its much too soft and delicate to use in rings and other jewelry. In most cases, it's usually alloyed with zinc, nickel, silver, copper and other metals to give it more durability and strength. The ratio of the amount of actual gold content to alloy determines the purity of karat weight of the gold. Typically, gold comes in the following choices:

• 18 Karat Gold
• 14 Karat Gold
• Yellow Gold
• White Gold

1. Platinum - Platinum is considered to be the most rare and precious of all jewelry metals. It's extremely tarnish resistant and durable. These qualities help to make platinum a worry-free metal choice for those who work with their hands. Platinum is hypoallergenic and 95%, making it the perfect choice for brides and grooms with sensitive skin. The market value of platinum is greatly enhanced because of the metals rarity. Because of this, platinum ring setting can run 2-4 times as much gold ring settings. But, platinum wedding band owners boast that their ring quality can't be beat.

This article was created by Derek Mason and Wilson Diamonds. Shopping for quality diamonds and precious metals for your wedding rings? Visit Wilson Diamonds on Facebook or check out their site for quality Wedding and Engagement Rings Provo couples wear proudly. More Info