Most often it is the classy, stylish woman of today is who is drawn to this unique and unusual design. Today’s woman likes to do her homework. A little of its history might be in order. Looking for a new, innovative design, the master craftsman, Friedrich Becker of Germany, struggled with a design that would eliminate the numerous prongs necessary to protect an expensive diamond while still ensuring the protection and security of the stone.

Struggling with how to make sure the stone would not be easily lost, he also wanted to find a setting that would lift it up and unencumbered, much like the Tiffany setting that has been so popular. Tiffany still relies on the use of prongs for safety. He wanted to make something that would surpass it in popularity because of the cleanliness of its design.

Becker created a thick metal band that attached itself to the diamond at only two points which were the ends of the band itself. At that point, with safety grooves applied to the stone, pressure was then applied with a hardened spring. It took from 65 to 95pounds of pressure to safely achieve his ideal.

However, tension engagement rings are expensive. Most are one-of-a-kind because the gem and the pressure go hand in hand. Therefore, all rings come with the diamond picked at the manufacturer. Loose stones would be incredibly costly to work with. They are also often out of the range of most people’s budgets, because the use of the thick band of platinum is the preferred choice of metal by manufacturers due to its strength.

Some designers chose to maintain the basic tension style, but they changed how it was set into the ring. They cut tiny grooves in the back and ran a tiny band around the back to hold it firmly in place because the popular perception was that the stone would be lost. In truth, properly done, the setting should hold for as much as a hundred years. But, the link allowed for a reduction in the amount of platinum used which reduced the cost.

The sheer loveliness of this creation is the fact that it does allow the diamond, which is the gem of choice due to its hardness, to sit virtually alone. Also called a floating diamond, you can achieve an increase of up to two color grades, thus reducing the cost. However, you cannot easily resize it due to the pressure applied. You cannot cut into the shank as is done with normal styles.

Pros and cons considered, it is very difficult to walk away from the sensual, alluring appeal of tension engagement rings.

Pamela Kazmierczak runs an engagement ring site called the Most Expensive Engagement Ring Visit her site to learn more about Tension Engagement Rings Today – See engagement ring photos, get info and shop online today

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Most recently the oh, so romantic, highly publicized engagement in England of the charming Prince William to Kate Middleton, these designs are flying from the inventories of jubilant jewelers all over the world. Presenting her with a half a million dollar ring that had been worn for years by his mother, Princess Diana, the enchanted public felt the joy of their young spirits. Stating that it was his way of making sure his mother attended the wedding, he warmed hearts all over.

We became spellbound with the lovely romance, and the ring became highly significant just as it was when Prince Charles first presented it to his lovely, young wife. With a large six carat, $300,000 oval sapphire as the center stone, it is surrounded by diamonds and is a glorious sight to see. Who wouldn’t think of buying from among the sapphire and diamond rings on the market?

But, perhaps you want to be different and design your own. Learning about the various settings and gems from which to pick would be an excellent idea before you venture out. Never forget to have that inflexible budget in mind. It would be hard not to get carried away unless you have firm control on what you can and cannot afford.

Take the time to learn about the differences in both gems. You need to know the qualities that would make either a good choice. Of course you have the four “C’s”, but the to the two stones that does not have the same meaning. What do I mean? You not only need to understand the cut, clarity, color and carat of the clear, brilliant gem, but you also need to learn about the differences in the mines from which they and their fellow blue stones come.

What is the best color blue? It is universally understood that the cornflower blue is the best color. It is a shade often associated with the color of Princess Diana’s eyes. It is a light, gentle blue that allows more light to enter the gem that most. The mines in of the Sri Lanka, India and Myanmar mines produce the majority. However, the Montana mines in the U.S. is now producing stunning stones and is competing very well in price and quality.

These designs are often set with white gold or platinum because the metal reflects the light back through the beautiful creations. Whether your choice is an eternity band with alternating colors, or the unforgettable half million dollar ring discussed here, there is one thing you can be sure of. You will have style and elegance in your life. Rest assured, your determination to select your very own engagement ring from the sapphire and diamond possibilities available, is to be applauded.

Pamela Kazmierczak runs an engagement ring site called the Most Expensive Engagement Ring Visit her site to learn more about Diamond and Sapphire Engagement Rings Today – See engagement ring photos, get info and shop online today.

What is a princess cut?

This cut is a beautiful shape of diamond that makes a bold statement. It is rectangular or square in shape, which offers a sharp contrast in appearance from other styles. Most princess cuts are square. This cut is a popular choice for Solitaire engagement rings, which rely on a single diamond to make a statement rather than the use of accentuating stones. This looks best on women with longer fingers. It is also a favorite choice because of its brilliant, sharp look. It is sometimes called a squarillion or quadrillion cut because of its four-sided shape.

See Details Amazon.com : Princess Cut Sapphire Engagement Ring

What makes it different than other cuts?

This cut is relatively new. Invented in the 1960s, and it is becoming more popular among those looking for a bright, unique, customizable ring design. In a round cut, the diamond’s corners are cut off and rounded to create the common shape of diamond found in many rings today. This cut retains these sides for a distinct, classy look.

Why is princess cut a good choice for an engagement ring?

This cut offers a sophisticated, classy look that fits perfectly on the hand of a woman with long fingers. Princess cut diamond rings are only made possible from high quality diamonds, offering a level of status and style that is unique. While not always the case, this cut often cost a little less per karat than round cut ones. This occurs because diamond cutters can often produce two cut diamonds from the same stone, while that same stone could only provide one round cut of similar weight. Since less of the stone is wasted, the cut is less expensive.

How do you get the best value for your money?

Shopping for a princess cut diamond engagement ring can be tricky. With so many options available, at so many locations, it’s hard to know how to find a beautiful one that tells the woman you love exactly what’s in your heart. Complicating things is the need to fit such a purchase within your budget. Instead of visiting the nearest jewelry store and paying more money than you ought to, consider shopping for your diamond engagement ring at a penny auction site online. Penny auction sites often provide amazing deals on breathtaking princess cut engagement rings at as much as 99% off the price you’ll find anywhere else.

Want to know more about Princess Cut Engagement Rings? Get amazing deals on princess cut ring here! Don’t miss out!

In the 1980′s, Princess Diana sparked a massive trend for sapphire engagement rings after Prince Charles went down on bended knee and proposed to her with a sapphire ring. However, their popularity gradually waned and the diamond solitaires retained their position. During this recent credit crunch period though as budgets have become tighter, couples have strived to find other options and diamond and sapphire white gold rings have provided an answer. This is such an important, once-in-a-lifetime purchase that even if a prospective buyer has to tighten their purse strings, they still want a gorgeous ring that captures the romance and majesty of the moment.

Fortunately, white gold sapphire and diamond rings can offer it all. With the sapphire’s undeniable beauty and as the most durable gemstone after the diamond, this gemstone provides fantastic value for money. Not only do they create rings that look spectacular but that will withstand a lifetime of wear. While white gold offers the splendour of platinum but costs less.

One of the other main factors for their burgeoning popularity has to do with women becoming increasingly more involved in the selection process. It is now more common these days for women to choose the ring for herself and a sapphire diamond ring may more accurately reflect her personality and style then a simple solitaire. As it is a ring that will be worn continually it is essential that it truly reflects who she is and is a ring she can be proud of for life.

If you like sapphires, you’re not alone. Sapphires continue to be the best selling gem in the U.S. When people think about sapphires, they usually think of blue sapphires. However, natural sapphire comes in a variety of colors. Sapphires that are not blue are referred to collectively as fancy sapphires. Purple sapphires as well as other colored sapphires can be found in Madagascar, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Australia to name a few regions. Heating sapphires may add to their value by enhancing color and clarity. It is estimated that over 90-95% of the sapphires in the market today are heat-treated.

Purple sapphires are a good choice for engagement rings because sapphires as a whole, are extremely durable gems. In fact, sapphires are the hardest gemstone except for diamonds. Thus, your ring can withstand all the elements and rigors of daily wearing, without you having to think twice.

In addition, purple sapphires are a good deal, often costing less than blue sapphires. As with diamonds, sapphires increase disproportionately in cost as their carat weight increases. i.e. A three carat sapphire might cost a lot more than three separate sapphires adding up to three carats in weight. This is due in part to the fact that large carat sapphires are relatively rare. The kind of sapphire cut also impacts cost, with round sapphires costing slightly more than marquis or pear cuts.

Blue sapphire engagement rings have been known to be preferred by royalty because the blue sapphire stone is even more rare than a diamond and is almost as hard. This is a nice factoid to share with your number one queen as you slip a blue sapphire engagement ring on her ring finger.

Blue sapphires come in a range of shades from a light to deep blue. The blue color is due to the level of titanium in the stone: the more titanium, the richer the color. However, too much color can actually create a dull black effect, reducing the price of the stone.

Most blue sapphires are found in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Madagascar. Burmese sapphires tend to cost more than those from Sri Lanka and Madagascar due to their brilliant color. Kashmir blue sapphires are the most rare and expensive of all as the supply found in a remote region of India was exhausted around a 100 years ago, thus escalating price and demand. Prices for blue sapphires depend on whether or not they’ve been treated (with untreated costing much more) as well as color, cut, tone (lightness or darkness of stone), saturation (degree to which hue is hidden by other shades), and clarity. One carat blue sapphires can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.

Rainbow sapphire engagement rings seem to be increasing in popularity these days. There are a number of websites devoted soley to selling rainbow sapphire jewelry. Quite a few websites also offer rainbow sapphire wedding lines. Check out these websites offering a variety of rainbow sapphire engagement rings

www.rainbowsapphire.com

This website is pretty awesome if you love rainbow sapphire jewelry! It has two separate collections for rainbow sapphires with intense hues and those with medium color saturation. Unfortunately, they don’t sell directly to customers. However, you can send them an email to find out where an authorized retailer is located nearby to you

www.titanium-jewelry.com

This website offers several really cool looking syles for rainbow sapphire rings. The rings are solid titanium with rainbow sapphire chips. Very stylish and unique without looking gawdy.

www.amazon.com

Go to this power-house and type in “rainbow sapphire rings” and a bevy of colorful results will appear.

The author just celebrated her one year anniversary and sports a beautiful ascher cut ring. She and her husband put together the website: http://www.ultimate-engagement-ring-guide.com to help you find the perfect ring.