Proposal ideas : How to make the UNFORGETFUL DAY

Make Her Your Leading Lady

Arrange for a local movie theater to play a video tape of you before the feature, telling her how much she means to you and asking if she’ll marry you. In front of hundreds of adoring fans, present her with the diamond.

The Fortune of a Lifetime

Steam a fortune cookie until it’s malleable. Open the cookie, place the ring inside with a note telling her how she’ll be loved by you forever.

Time Capsule of Love

Make a box of “sort-of-real” mementos of all your best dates. For example, a swizzle stick, a movie stub, etc. At the bottom of the box place the engagement ring.

Summer Lovin’

Take her for a long walk on the beach. With the help of a good friend, have a special area set up with flowers, champagne, a few pieces from a small orchestra and a proposal written in the sand. You can tuck the ring into your swim trunks to keep it a surprise (just don’t go for a dip before you pop the question).

A Real Page Turner

Scan the cover of a romance novel into your computer and superimpose your pictures. Cut out a hole in the book and put the diamond ring in it.

Cosmic Commute

Buy some ad space on signs on her route to work and on each one ask her if she’ll marry you. Be waiting for her in her parking space where she works with flowers, a ring and a good excuse for her to call in sick that day.

Masterpiece of Romance

Ask a local museum if they would put the ring on display with a display card reading that this was the very ring used by you on that particular day to ask her to be your bride.

A Buried Treasure

Take her snorkeling and discover the ring while the two of you are looking at the coral.
It’s All in the CardsBring her to get her tarot cards read. And ask the reader to include seeing a diamond ring in the cards. That would be your cue to present her with the ring.

Propose your sweetheart with the "BLINK"

When I fall in love it will be forever or I'll never fall in love...
In a restless world like this is....
Love is ended before its begun and too many moonlight kisses...
seem to cool in the warmth of the sun...
When I give my heart it will be completely,
Or I'll never give my heart
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you
And the moment I can feel that you feel that way too
Is when I fall in love with you...

-When I fall in Love by Nat King Cole-

This Is Your Moment

The instant two people decide to marry is one of the most intimate moments of their lives. It marks the moment two people become one forever. A diamond is the perfect symbol of that eternal bond. As a representation of everlasting love, diamonds evoke the romance and magic of traditions that have spanned centuries.

The First Diamond
The diamond acquired its unique status as the ultimate gift of love as far back as the fifteenth century. The tradition of giving a diamond engagement ring as a promise for marriage began in 1477 with Archduke Maximillian of Austria and Mary of Burgundy. At that time, diamonds were looked upon as talismans, or charms that could enhance the love between husband and wife. Even Cupid’s arrows were said to be tipped with diamonds, which had a magic that nothing else could equal. From this time forward, the royal tradition of giving a diamond engagement ring began to be embraced by people around the world, eventually becoming as much of a milestone in one’s life as the engagement itself.

The Brilliance of a Diamond
When diamonds first began to be given as engagement rings, settings were elaborate and did not necessarily showcase the diamond in its best light. It actually wasn’t until the discovery of diamond mines on the African continent in 1870 that diamonds became accessible to a wider public, increasing demand and influencing design. Subsequently, diamond jewelry began to be designed to demonstrate the unique beauty and brilliance of diamonds.

The Mysterious Power of a Diamond
Wearing a diamond ring on the fourth finger of the left hand dates far back to ancient Egypt, where it was believed that the vena amoris (the vein of love) ran from that finger directly to the heart. Placing a diamond, with its enduring power, on that finger, was – and still is – seen as the ultimate way to connect love with eternity.

The Diamond Grading Report

First a quick note. GIA has contacted us requesting that we use the term Diamond Grading Report rather than Certificate. Their concern seems to be that a Certificate might imply that the lab is certifying the diamond, which some may view as an endorsement of the item rather than a description. That is an important distinction, one that probably came years after GIA's lab started offering reports. However people in the trade still use the term certificate or cert for short. So we will respect GIA's wishes, but want you to be aware of the issue. Before we dive into the anatomy of an actual Diamond Grading Report, it is important to understand the purpose of the Report. A Diamond Grading Report is a statement, issued by an independent Gemological Laboratory, that at the time of evaluation, the Diamond in question has been examined by experienced Diamond Graders, using various gemological instruments, and determined to contain the characteristics as stated in the Report. As we discuss the various elements contained in the report, we will describe which gemological instruments were used to evaluate the specific property under discussion. The reason it is important to have a Diamond evaluated by an independent Laboratory is that minute, invisible to the naked-eye, characteristics of a Diamond can have a major influence on the price. Therefore, if not for a great deal of scrutiny on the part of the buyer, it is easy to mistakenly purchase a Diamond of lower value, believing it to be of higher value.

We recommend strongly that you do not buy any diamond without a Grading Report. GIA is the foremost Laboratory in the world, though there are other reputable labs out there. However, not all labs are made alike. GIA created the standards and all respectable labs follow them. They have the best instruments and the most advanced gem lab in the world. That's why all the most important diamonds in the world carry GIA reports. From the Hope Diamond to the Heart of Eternity, the Millennium Star, the Tiffany, the Premier Rose and The Incomparable. If you found a Diamond you like, and it is not certified (i.e. does not carry a grading report) there is nothing wrong with asking your Jeweler to send it to GIA. If your Jeweler has a problem with that, then you should start asking your jeweler and yourself more questions! This request is a standard practice in the Diamond Industry.

Fancy Coloured Diamonds

Coloured diamonds are rare and valuable.Actually most diamonds are slightly coloured.Many people believe that white or colourless diamonds are the best and most valuable. Most diamonds in most jewellery stores are near colourless. When you get to know even a small amount about diamonds, you start to learn that most diamonds are not white, they are faintly yellow or brown. If you want to own a diamond without the slightest trace of colour then you have to pay quite a lot more for it.


Colours are Rarer than White

It is not generally realised by most people that coloured diamonds are actually many times rarer than whitish diamonds, and also more valuable, even though somewhat under-rated. There are numerous reasons for this. De Beers, the people who promote diamonds worldwide through the Diamond Information Service hardly ever promote or publicise coloured diamonds. They don't need to because very few natural fancy coloured diamonds are ever found, perhaps only about one in a million, to actively promote them would be counter-productive because they are already rare and valuable, and they can easily sell all they produce. Besides, if they promote coloured diamonds, it might damage demand for near-white ones!

The Best Colours
We believe there is no single "best colour", it depends on personal taste and preference. Any intensely coloured diamond is rare, attractive and valuable. Some colours are high preference colours, for example ask most people their favourite colour, and the standard replies will include blue, red, green, pink, purple, but probably not include brown or grey, even though grey is often a popular fashion choice for clothing for men and women. It's the same with diamonds. As we have stated, any intense colour is rare and desirable, but in addition, some colours are rare and desirable even if the colouration is only faint. These desirable faint colours would include blue, pink and red.

Fancy Intense Orange
Fancy intense orange is a rare and desirable colour for a diamond. The ring we feature here is made using the last of four fancy coloured stones we purchased some years ago. Here in the UK, most consumers do not yet know about fancy coloured diamonds. We sold one to a customer who had it set as the centre-stone of a seven stone diamond cluster, and two others to a retail jeweller in a more educated part of Britain. We believe that once we have sold this ring, we will receive continual enquiries for orange diamonds. In the past few months,,we have received a number of enquiries for fancy yellow "canary" coloured diamonds. We don't have a canary coloured stone, but we think ours is even more unusual and beautiful.

Practical tips on how not to buy a diamond by Joseph Schlussel President of The Diamond Registry

In each issue of Jewel, I will share with you some insider information that can be useful to everyone interested in diamonds and other gemstones. This is a fascinating but complex subject, requiring careful observation in order to stay on top of the ever-changing fluctuations in the market.
The diamond market, like the gem itself, has many facets. Shifts in national economics and in international politics are reflected as rapidly in the market as a ray of light is reflected in a perfectly cut stone. Yet, through the ages the diamond remains this planet’s most precious and prestigious substance.
It is important to remember, however, the price of diamonds is determined by demand, and the consumer has the final word. Because the average American diamond buyer is often young and frequently uninformed about the mysteries of precious stones, I want to share with you, in this first article of the series, some practical tips on how not to buy a diamond.
Never buy a diamond because it seems inexpensive. If it’s cheap, there’s a reason. Advertisements, for example, frequently promote diamond earrings for $9.95, indicating they weigh .25 points (there are 100 points to a carat) Remember that what you are being offered in such an advertisement are not stones weighing 25 points or ¼ carat. These are stones weighing ¼ of one point, which is 1/400 of a carat and worth about $2. You can get your money’s worth in both expensive and inexpensive diamonds, but they are all precious and none are cheap.
Never buy a diamond because it is advertised as 50 percent off. Many advertisements attempt to sell diamonds for 50 or even 80 percent "off". My response if to ask "50 percent off what?"
Never buy a diamond just because it has a certificate. A certificate is a useful tool, but it takes a professional to read and understand it properly. The certificate may well indicate that the diamond is of poor quality, and yet the stone ( to the general public) may seem to be more important simply because it has a certificate. Remember that the certificate is only a report: "It is not a guarantee, valuation or appraisal ..." A certificate has 14 variables and dozens of possible comments, and there are literally millions of possibilities to be considered in the shape, size, location and color of inclusions (flaws), each of which affects the value of the stone.
Never by a diamond because it is priced lower than published prices. There are about half a dozen lists giving current diamond prices, but none of them can be completely accurate, including the list I publish. My list for example, quotes the price of a flawless, one-carat stone at $15,000 to $17,000, but this is far from accurate, I have one flawless stone of the best color for sale at $10,000 and another for $20,000. Some other lists try to report prices to the nearest $100, but they are arbitrary at best.
Never buy a diamond to because your loved one has fallen in love with it. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the value of a diamond in not determined by sentiment alone, nor in terms of feelings for the giver.
Never buy a diamond to help the poor miners in South Africa or in Australia. And never buy a diamond to help the 500,000 diamond cutters in India, Malaysia, Israel or Brazil. Buying a diamond is a straight business transaction. Send charity contributions to charitable organizations. Remember that the origin of a diamond cannot be determined even by the experts.
Never buy a diamond based only on the famous 4-C’s (cut, color, clarity and carat weight). You may have seen advertisements or read articles about the 4-C’s, and of course , they are very important. But they are only four of the dozens of variables that determine the value of a diamond. There are also many important commercial considerations, such as the changing fashion in certain cuts and rarity of certain sizes and colors, that must be considered when buying a diamond. So never judge a diamond on the 4-C’s alone.
Never buy a diamond over the telephone from a company that has not been around at least ten years. As strange as it may seem, some people do just this! You should buy diamonds only form firms or dealers who have reputations for honesty and fair dealings.
Never buy a diamond as a short-term investment. A diamond is like a house—it should be purchased and enjoyed. Of course, when the time comes to sell it, you expect to receive more than the original investment, plus the dividend of having enjoyed it over the years. Unlike cars and furs, diamonds do not depreciate. Remember not to buy a diamond for a quick profit; after all, you must give the seller and the buyer a legitimate profit before you take your appreciation.

GIA Study Finds Many Paths to "Ideal"

The Gemological Institute of America has announced the completion of its mathematical study on the effect of cut on the appearance of diamonds. The study appearing in the upcoming issue of Gems & Gemology. The controversial finding in the article is that many types of cut and varying combinations of proportions within the cut can give equal brilliance to the so-called "ideal" cut theorized by Tolkowski some eighty years ago.
The GIA study acknowledges many other factors in achieving an extraordinary appearance in round diamonds, among them scintillation and brilliance. The GIA will utilize the mathematical three-dimensional model to examine, with the most modern technology, the various appearance factors.
The DRB contacted the American Gem Society (AGS) in order to obtain a response to the GIA study and was told that AGS had not yet seen it. The AGS response to this study will be interesting to watch: Will AGS, the most muscular proponent of the "ideal" cut, change it’s standard in the face of a new scientific findings or will it continue to maintain that there is only one "ideal" ? Will it change the AGS parameter of the zero cut?
To understand what makes a diamond beautiful, the terms must first be defined. "Beauty", in diamond terms, encompasses brilliancy (intensity of internal and external reflections of white light to the eye from a diamond in the face-up position) and scintillation (alternating display of reflection from the polished facets of a gem seen by the observer as movement occurs or a lashing or twinkling of light). One of the results of the study has been, at least for GIA, to specify even more clearly the definitions of what is commonly termed the "brightness" of a diamond.
Within the study, "brightness" became a calculated numerical factor known as Weighted Light Return (WLR). According to GIA, values for WLR were determined for more than 20,000 combinations of proportions in diamond cuts. It is interesting to note that in one of the accompanying photos in the article, three stones were shown. Of the three, the "ideal" cut gem was less brilliant than those with larger tables.
Whether the GIA study will revolutionize the diamond business remains to yet to be seen. One wonders, though whether such an all encompassing change as this will be fought on the scientific front or as a showdown of the publicists. Certainly, jewelers and consumers alike should read the articles and consider the issues, but in the final analysis beauty is always defined by the eyes of the individual customer.

The "Ideal Cut" for Diamond

At the DDC marketing week in New York, William Boyajien told a packed audience of diamond cutters and dealers that after spending seven years researching the subject, the GIA's conclusion is that there is no such thing as the best or ideal cut diamond.
There are many variations of the original Tolkowsky cut that was introduced in 1919. But there are many cuts that may have more brilliance than the original small table version promoted as the "ideal cut."
The GIA has for many years been conducting high-tech research to measure the brilliance, fire and scintillation of a diamond. So far, the computer simulations and optical measurements have not found any particular set of numbers that produce the ultimate cut.
The so-called "ideal cut" produces a beautiful diamond, but not necessarily the highest brilliance. And it makes the diamond appear a bit smaller than comparable stones with over 60% tables.
One large New York cutter uses a picture of two round diamonds in his advertising. The stones are equal in weight, but one looks larger because of the cut. This larger looking stone is preferred by many, especially in Europe. But the AGS considers the Tolkowsky cut, such as produced by LKI, as the top grade, and some jewelers can get a premium for this cut.
The seven years of sophisticated tests by GIA, in collaboration with the California Institute of Technology, measured, among other things: how light bounces and disperses through diamonds and the different rays of color as well as secondary rays and the amount of polarization and leakage as the light waves vibrate in relation to the light source.
We wonder if such intensive scientific analysis is really the best way to determine the beauty of a diamond. Perhaps there is no need to dissect a rose to find the ultimate mystique of its beauty __ which is the eyes of the beholder.
We humbly suggest that a jury of eleven women and men with 20-20 vision and romantic inclinations decide the issue. And if they can't reach a verdict, perhaps the customer should be asked: which diamond lights your heart?

What is Diamond?

Diamond

Diamond has been prized for century as a gemstone of exceptional brilliance and lustre. But to a scientist diamond is interesting for its range of exceptional and extreme properties. When compared to almost any other material, diamond almost always comes out on top. As well as being the hardest known material, it is also the least compressible, and the stiffest material, the best thermal conductor with an extremely low thermal expansion, chemically inert to most acids and alkalis, transparent from the deep uv through the visible to the far infrared, and is one of the few materials known with a negative electron affinity (or work function).

Diamond and Graphites

Diamond is composed of the single element carbon, and it is the arrangement of the C atoms in the lattice that give diamond its amazing properties. Compare the structure of diamond and graphite, both composed of just carbon. In diamond we have the hardest known material, in graphite we have one of the softest, simply by rearranging the way the atoms are bonded together.
The relationship between diamond and graphite is a thermodynamic and kinetic one, as can be seen in the phase diagram for carbon. At normal temperatures and pressures, graphite is only a few eV more stable than diamond, and the fact that diamond exists at all is due to the very large activation barrier for conversion between the two. There is no easy mechanism to convert between the two and so interconversion requires almost as much energy as destroying the entire lattice and rebuilding it. Once diamond is formed, therefore, it cannot reconvert back to graphite because the barrier is too high. So diamond is said to be metastable, since it is kinetically stable, not thermodynamically stable. Diamond is created deep underground under conditions of extreme pressure and temperature. Under these conditions diamond is actually the more stable of the two forms of carbon, and so over a period of millions of years carbonaceous deposits slowly crystallise into single crystal diamond gemstones.

Natural diamonds

Natural diamonds are classified by the type and level of impurities found within them.
Type Ia diamond - Most natural diamonds are of this type, which contain up to 0.3% nitrogen.
Type Ib diamond - Very rare (~0.1%) in nature, but almost all synthetic (industrial) diamonds are of this type. They contain nitrogen at concentrations of up to 500 ppm.
Type IIa diamond - Very rare in nature, these diamonds contain so little nitrogen that it can't be easily detected by the usual IR or UV absorption measurements.
Type IIb diamond - Extremely rare in nature. These have such a low concentration of nitrogen (even lower than type IIa) that the crystal is a p-type semiconductor (due to uncompensated B acceptor impurities).

Synthetic Industrial Diamond

These have been made since the early 1950's, by a process called High Pressure High Temperature synthesis (HPHT). This is an attempt to mimic the conditions under which natural diamond forms deep in the earth. Graphite is put into a huge hydraulic press at high temperatures and pressures, and with the addition of a metallic catalyst, converts to diamond over a period of a few hours. The diamond crystals that are produced by this method are typically a few mm in size, which are too flawed for use as gemstones, but are extremely useful as hard-wearing edges on cutting tools and drill-bits.

Thin Film Diamond

This is a relatively recent development (past 10 years or so), which allows thin films (µm to mm) of polycrystalline diamond to be deposited onto a range of materials, using a technique called Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD). This is creating a great deal of excitement in the academic community, since for the first time we have access to all the superlative properties of diamond in a form that is useful for engineering applications. We can imagine hard-wearing diamond coatings on machine parts, diamond windows, diamond electronics, diamond displays, diamond fibre reinforcements, and a whole host of other applications. A review of the recent developments in this area can be found here.

Value the Diamond with 4Cs

The question often asked by the public these days is not what are the 4Cs? De Beers has done quite a good job in educating consumers to the basics about the 4Cs.
But a pertinent question raised by one astute viewer on a CNBC program we participated in was "Which of the ‘C’s is the most important?" As the short time allotted on the program was insufficient to answer the question adequately, we will try to elaborate herewith.
An easy way out would be to say all are important. But the reality is that most consumers cannot afford a 10 carat "D" flawless — they have to compromise on some of the Cs to stay within budget. In this case, which standard of measure should be compromised? Lets look at each "C" one by one in terms of benefits and value and recognition to the layman.

Carats

A larger diamond, indicated by carat size, is rarer and therefore more valuable. Carat size is also the most viable of the 4Cs. You don’t need any gemological education to see the difference between a one carat and .50ct. As a result, carat size is also the measure that friends and future mothers-in-law spot first. To be safe, it is always advisable to buy a diamond at least as big as the average in the social circle of the women wearing it. So compromising on size is sometimes impossible.

Color

The diamond’s color ranks second in easy visibility. The difference between a colorless diamond and Cape are quite obvious especially when put next to each other. Even the difference between a D and an H can be observed when compared side by side. Another factor is how the lighting affects the color. Some special bulbs used by unethical sellers make all diamonds look "blue-white" Still, with a little guidance, color can be seen with the naked eye — without a loupe or microscope. But close grades are often confused, even to the point that a color "re-check" is commonly performed by the Gemological Institute of America. In today’s market, most American consumers insist on a color of "I" or better even if it means a smaller stone.

Clarity

A stone’s clarity affects the beauty of a diamond more than size and color it also makes it rarer since only one in millions of diamonds has little or no flaws or foreign materials. Still, most polished diamond are "eye-clean." The fine points dividing VVS VS SI diamonds are only seen by the customer once in his lifetime during the purchase when the honest sellers points them out on a microscope or loupe. But the knowledge of "purity" of a diamond is almost mystical. "I want her to know that she is almost perfect and worth it," explained one romantic young man as selected a diamond for his fiancee.

Cut

Recently, there has been an increased emphasis on the significance of a diamond’s cut. But while any experienced diamond dealer will immediately spot a poorly made stone, the fact remains, that there is far from universal agreement on the objective definition of a fine cut diamond. Indeed, the vast majority of diamond dealers in the world have never taken a GIA course and would find it hard to tell which diamond has a 57% table and which a 60% table. Most would also find it insulting to define a diamond by numbers much as a woman would not want to be defined by measurements. So why has "cut" gained such prominence of late? For one thing, simple, accessible technology now exists that can easily "map" a diamond’s cut and provide fuller information to the consumer. Jewelers are increasingly employing this technology to distinguish stones and justify premium prices. Still, in our view, the 4Cs rank according to the ability of the consumer to recognize a stone’s beauty or shortcomings. But as consumers learn more about "cut," this criterion my move up in the ranks of its importance to the consumer.