Guest WD blogger Sharon McMeel has been very busy investigating engagements for us this week! She caught up with ring designer, Donal Carey to give us everything we need to know about choosing an engagement ring…
Donal Carey is the founder of a new service which aims to help people design their own bespoke wedding or engagement rings using state of the art technology. I sat down with Donal recently to get some tips for all those couples getting engaged in the next few months.
What services do you provide to your clients?
Firstly we provide help, education and guidance to all our clients about diamonds and how to get the best one for their budget. We then help them to design their own wedding or engagement rings using sophisticated computer aided design software so that they get the perfect one of a kind ring that they are looking for. We also then manufacture the ring(s) for them and once their ready we hand deliver them to each and every client.
How can people make sure that the diamonds they purchase are real?
This is something that we get asked quite a lot about and it is an area where people need to be very cautious. All of the diamonds that we sell are independently verified by one of three diamond laboratories around the world. Always make sure that the diamond you are buying comes with a certificate from one of the following three labs:
- Gemmological Institute of America – www.gia.edu
- International Gemmological Institute – www.igiworldwide.com
- Diamond High Council – www.hrd.be
All of the diamonds we sell are checked and tested in one of these three laboratories and will come with a certificate stating that the diamond is natural and not man-made together with its carat weight, colour grade, clarity grade and a description of its cut.
I cannot overstate the importance of having one of these certs accompany a diamond when you purchase it as without one you will be relying solely on the sellers word for what you are buying.
How do you make sure all your diamonds are conflict free?
In order to eradicate diamonds that are sold to finance armed groups the industry set up a system called the “Kimberley Process” in the early years of the 21st century to track all diamonds circulating between countries to ensure no illegally mined diamonds get into the system. We make sure that all diamonds we purchase are accompanied by a Kimberley certificate and it is something which we take very seriously.
Can you give our couples some tips for buying diamonds?
Some good general rules to follow would be:
- Look for diamonds that are just under some of the more popular carat weights as these will be visually indistinguishable from the larger size but can be cheaper. E.g. a 0.90 point diamond will cost less than a 1 carat diamond but visually will appear the same size as a 1 carat diamond.
- The visible difference between diamonds of one colour grade and the next, e.g. G to H or I to J is so minor it is difficult to detect with the naked eye. The difference in price however can be large.
- A good compromise in terms of clarity and value is the VS1/VS2 range which appear flawless to the naked eye and is still affordable.
- Diamonds with a cut grade of ‘Good’ or ‘Very Good’ are an excellent combination of beauty and value.
Should you be thinking about the wedding ring when buying the engagement ring?
Yes, definitely, many of the couples we help opt for designing the two bands together or if you are thinking about the engagement and wedding ring together then you can design them so that they complement each other.
What’s the best way for our couples to get in touch with you?
At the moment I can be reached by my direct number of 085-7225600. Early in the New Year we will be launching our brand new website so stay tuned for that!
Image via tarale
