Eternity rings are usually purchased by men on the first anniversary of marriage. A second eternity ring is again bought after the third year. But there is no reason why these rings cannot be bought for a loved one for any anniversary. Some buy eternity rings to celebrate a birthday or a significant life event like a baby being born or conceived – it’s your choice. But what would you normally look for in an eternity ring?
Most eternity rings have stones inlaid into the ring structure but the popular three-stone rule is still very common today. The three-stone rule is where an eternity ring has three different types of precious stones: to denote the past, present and future.
There are a lot of important things to look for when buying eternity rings. You will need to know about the cut of the ring, the colour, its clarity and the weight (measured as a carat).
When looking to buy a diamond eternity ring you should understand the shape and cut of the diamond do not determine the shape of the ring itself. Some types of diamond cuts will not sit right on certain ring shapes, so the cut (of the diamond) must respond aesthetically to the shape of the ring.
Certain cuts of diamonds will make them sparkle more. One such cut is the “brilliant” cut where there are several grooves, facets and different surfaces. The cut is so jagged and choppy it can create that super sparkling effect.
The colour of a diamond of your eternity ring can determine its value too. Colour grading begins with the letter D and finishes at Z. The lower the letter, the higher the value and sparkle. Once the colour grading gets past K a diamond looks rather yellowish and bland. But be aware that some rare yellow stones around the Z grading are actually more valuable because of their rarity.
Clarity is a consideration as it is also graded to show its value. Grading begins at F and ends at I3. Diamonds with a lower grading of clarity are usually blemished or have some imperfections encased within the precious stone.
Finally, the carat of a diamond is very important. This determines the weight of the diamond. There are eternity rings where there is more than one stone within the ring structure. The total carat weight of all three stones is then taken and indicated as such.
