Engagement Rings

Looking for how to buy an engagement ring? Check out this article for more information on engagement rings buying tips.

If you are planning to join the 75% of British men who buy their "special lady" a diamond engagement ring, you will want to pay close attention to the following advice. This is not something you want to get wrong. Not only are you about to part with a substantial amount of money (all women know the engagement-ring mantra about the fiancé waving goodbye to at least a month's salary), but you are also about to purchase an object that will be a permanent symbol of the most important relationship of your life.

There are universally agreed rules on buying diamonds. Follow them and you should avoid the pitfalls

First, a geology lesson: diamonds are 99.95% pure crystallised carbon and can be extremely old - one to three billion years old, in fact. They are the hardest naturally occurring substance known and are formed beneath the Earth's surface when crystals of diamond occur in volcano feed-pipes. When volcanoes erode down, they release diamonds from their feed-pipes into layers of gravel which are later mined. However, due to the relative rarity of this natural process, diamond mines are found in just a handful of sites around the world. In rough form, diamonds are shipped to the world's cutting centres to be shaped and polished before being set as jewellery. It is the hardness, brilliance and sparkle that emerges during this process that transforms them into a girl's best friend.

Now for a quick history lesson, as you may be curious to know where the fashion began. Legend dictates that in 1477, a lovestruck Austrian, Archduke Maximilian, came up with a gem of an idea: why not give Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring to celebrate their imminent engagement? He placed it on the third finger of her left hand - the finger believed by ancient Egyptians to have a vein that led straight to the heart. It is not known whether the marriage was a success, but you don't need to worry about that.

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