Bridal Jewelry FAQ
Design Your Dream Ring at Zak's Jewelry
Your dream ring is just a few clicks away! Whether you're designing the perfect ring for yourself or creating something special for a loved one, Zak's Jewelry makes it easy to turn your vision into reality. Our **Dream Ring Design Form** allows you to choose everything from the metal type to the gemstones, and even the style that matches your personality or occasion.
Personalize Your Dream Ring
Select from a range of materials, including white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, platinum, or something unique. Choose from dazzling diamonds, sapphires, rubies, or other precious stones to make your ring truly yours. With options to customize the shape and design, your dream ring will be a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
For You or Someone Special
Design your ring for yourself or use the form to create a heartfelt gift for someone special. Simply fill out the form with your preferences, and we'll take care of the rest. Whether it's an engagement, anniversary, or a meaningful celebration, Zak's Jewelry will craft the perfect ring for any occasion.
Get Started Today
Ready to create your dream ring? Fill out the **Dream Ring Design Form** and let Zak's Jewelry bring your vision to life. We'll review your choices and collaborate with you to make sure every detail is perfect. Start designing now and let us help you create a ring you'll cherish forever.
The 4 Cs of Diamond Buying
Color
One factor that determines the value of a diamond is its color. With the exception of fancy-colored diamonds, the most valuable diamonds are those with the least color. Although many people think of gem quality diamonds as colorless, completely colorless diamonds are very rare. The diamond color scale ranges from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow or brown). A diamond’s color is determined by a manual process of comparing the diamond to a master set. Each letter grade represents a range of color and is a measurement of how noticeable a color is. When diamonds are formed with traces of other minerals, rare and beautiful colors can result. These “fancy” colors range from blue and brilliant yellow to red, brown, pale green, pink, and violet. Because of their rarity, colored diamonds are highly desirable and typically more valuable.
Clarity
A diamond’s clarity is measured by the existence or absence of visible flaws. Tiny surface blemishes or internal inclusions, even those seen only under magnification, can alter the brilliance of the diamond and thus affect its value. Clarity levels begin with flawless (FL, IF), followed by very, very slight (VVS1, VVS2), very slight (VS1, VS2), slightly included (SI1, SI2), and included (I1, I2, and I3).
Cut
While cut does include shape, in terms of the 4 Cs it refers to the proportions of the cut.
A diamond’s cut grade is an objective measure of a diamond’s light performance, or the amount of sparkle a diamond has.
A diamond’s overall proportions, as well as the size and position of its facets, make up the cut. The consistency and balance of these can greatly affect how the stone captures light and reflects it back to the eye. When a diamond is cut with the proper proportions, light enters the diamond and is returned through the top of the diamond. If a diamond is too shallow, light will escape from the bottom of the stone. If it is cut too deep, light will escape out the sides.
Studies have been conducted to find the optimum proportions of a diamond’s cut so that it has the greatest amount of sparkle. If its cut falls within these parameters, it is considered an ideal cut. Diamonds with fine proportions, symmetry and polish optimize their interaction with light and have increased brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation.
Carat
Carat refers to a diamond’s weight. One carat, the traditional unit of measurement for diamonds, is approximately 0.2 grams. You may also hear the weight of a diamond referred to in points. One carat is equivalent to 100 points, so a 75-point diamond is equal to 0.75 carats. Because they are rarer, larger diamonds have greater value per carat, so the price of a diamond rises exponentially to its size.
Choosing the right stone shape
Round Brilliant Cut (RBC)The round brilliant is the most popular cut, over 75% of all diamonds sold are RBC’s. This is due, in part to the classic, timeless look and the amazing brilliance that the cut offers the stone. This comes from how the facets are placed on the stone. RBC’s have a total of 57 facets (the flat parts around the diamond); – 53 on the crown (above the middle) and 25 on the pavilion (below the middle). The amount of reflective facets allows the fire and scintillation to really shine. Overall, it’s the classic of all cuts – It looks perfect whether at a quarter-carat, 8-carat or any size in between and beyond. Since a RBC has so many facets and that means so many reflections, it’s easy to not notice as many inclusions because the scintillation will hide some of them. This means you don’t have to find a flawless, colorless diamond to get a great stone out of it. With all the fire going on too, you won’t notice if the color is a few levels below colorless. Saves you some bucks.
Fancy Cuts
Oval
Pear
Marquis
Princess
Cushion
Asscher
Radiant
Emerald
Anatomy of a Ring
Ring Styles
Solitaire
Channel
Bezel
Three-Stone
Pave
Vintage Inspired
Prong
Halo
Split Shank
Set your sights on settings
Prong Gem Setting
Choosing the right number of prongs will call for some self-reflection. Four prongs mean that there is less metal on the diamond, creating better visibility for the center stone. However, they don’t hold the diamond as securely as six prongs, whereas six prongs offer better security for the diamond, giving it greater protection if it’s bumped into. However, the greater number of prongs can easily overshadow small diamonds of half a carat or less. If there is any drawback of the prong setting, it is durability. Prong settings hold the diamond quite high, which makes it easier to bump into things, or get caught on material. If the ring’s wearer has an active lifestyle, or has a career that involves putting on and taking off gloves regularly, and you feel this may be a concern, consider lower-set prongs or an alternative setting.
Prong settings can also loosen over time, causing the diamond to be less secure, so it’s important to have prong set rings inspected and maintained regularly.
Bezel Gem Setting
However, there are also some disadvantages to consider before purchasing an engagement ring with a bezel setting. The downside of having such a secure and low-profile setting is that it can reduce the visibility of your diamond/gemstone. It can also make cleaning more difficult as dirt and debris may accumulate between the metal and stone.