So, big congratulations to you—if you’re reading this, it’s most likely that you’re engaged (or hoping to be soon!) So, pop the champagne and let the wedding planning begin!

For the uninitiated, learning to navigate the world of fine jewellery can seem a little overwhelming at first. You might have heard a thing or two about carats and clarity, but perhaps you’re not really sure about how to make sense of it all.

Well, my dear, have no fear—HOORAY! is here! If it’s white diamonds you seek, you’ve come to the right place to get all the info you’ll need to pick the perfect piece of adornment.

We’ve teamed up with Angelic Diamonds, specialist retailers in halo engagement rings and bespoke wedding rings, to provide you with the definitive need-to-knows when choosing a white diamond ring.

The diamond cut of your wedding ring

The cut of your diamond is the most important feature, by far! This is because the cut has the greatest influence on the diamond’s sparkle (so, the better the cut, the more the diamond will sparkle!).

Your ring deserves to sparkle on your finger, and this all comes down to the cut. Even with the best clarity and colour grade, diamonds can still appear dull—so be sure to choose a killer cut to keep your gem from looking dull.

The perfect ring with an ideal diamond cut will not be too shallow or too deep, and it will allow light to pass through it so that it reflects evenly throughout the diamond.HOORAY_Diamond-Ring-Guide_05

Image: Mania Mania

Wedding rings and their colour

The eye detects sparkle from the diamond cut first, and then detects the colour of the diamond second.

When looking at the colour grade regarding how you want your ring to look, if you’re on a budget, we recommend staying within the G-H section to get the most out of your ring, as generally variances in the colour grade of white diamonds will not be detected by the naked eye.

Colour in white diamonds can appears as a pale yellow, so if this is evident anywhere in the ring you are considering, we would steer clear!HOORAY_Diamond-Ring-Guide_03

Image: Cat Bird NYC

Wedding rings and their clarity

The imperfections of your diamond ring are called ‘inclusions’—and the less inclusions in the stone, the better the clarity, which means your wedding ring will shine bright no matter where you are.

If there are a small amount of inclusions in your diamond ring, it’s highly unlikely that they will be too visible. By purchasing an SI (slightly included) quality diamond, you’re able to buy something visually stunning, without having to pay the cost of a diamond that contains no inclusions and no imperfections.HOORAY_Diamond-Ring-Guide_01

Image: Anna Sheffield

Wedding rings and their carat

The carat refers to the total weight of the stone—and this can often be confusing of the ‘Four Cs’, as many believe that it refers to the diamond’s size, and not its weight. Well, this isn’t the case – so keep this in mind when choosing your ideal piece of adornment.

It all comes down to the cut of the diamond ring, as this can determine how big the carat weight looks. It’s important to get a good balance of both so that your ring sits well on the finger, but also provides you with shine and brilliance.HOORAY_Diamond-Ring-Guide_02

Image: Cat Bird NYC

Extra tips that you might find useful when ring shopping

Some things that you should also keep in mind when it comes to deciding on the perfect wedding ring are:

– If carat weight is important to you, consider a diamond with a good cut, with an SI1-SI2 clarity and an I or J colour grade.

– Keep in mind that based on the size of your finger, the larger the diamond will appear.

– Not all ring fittings will fit all diamond carats and shapes, so it’s important to consider what type of diamond shape you’d like before choosing its design.HOORAY_Diamond-Ring-Guide_04

Image: Mania Mania