Whether you are buying a diamond to give to your special someone as a symbol of your love and devotion, or simply buying one for yourself because you work hard and you deserve it, the perfect diamond needs a perfect setting.

Back in the 1870's, when loose diamonds were first becoming available to the public, setting styles were limited and often did not display the diamond in the most appropriate manner in terms of brilliance. Diamonds were left to look dull and dark due to a lack of light entry. Fortunately today, there is a wide variety styles available to suit every personality, every personal preference, and most importantly, every shape of diamond that you are looking to accent.

First - pick a metal that best compliments your diamond. The most popular settings today are made from Gold or Platinum.

Gold

Gold in its purest form is a soft and pliable metal. The malleability, ductility, and softness of pure gold make it virtually useless for wearable jewelry. Jewelry made of pure gold would easily bend and distort in the course of normal wear. To solve this, jewelers began to use an alloyed form known as karat gold. Alloying increases gold's hardness and provides a variety of colors. White gold contains about 10 - 20 % nickel, plus zinc, copper, platinum, and palladium. These alloys make white gold a harder metal than yellow gold. Gold content is specified by the codes 10K, 14K, 18K, etc. The "K" number specifies how many parts, by weight, of pure gold is contained in 24 parts of the alloy. For example:

10k = 10/24 = 41.67% pure gold
14k = 14/24 = 58.33% pure gold
18k = 18/24 = 75.00% pure gold

24k means 100% pure (or fine) gold. Gold itself is impervious to tarnishing and requires strong chemicals for it to dissolve.

Platinum

Platinum is regarded as the preeminent metal for fine jewelry. It is more rare and more expensive than gold. It is generally 95% pure and one of the only metals that is hypoallergenic (ideal for those with sensitive skin). It is a strong, dense metal and is just about twice the weight of gold. This weight is one of platinum's strongest selling points. In addition to its strength and density, platinum has another remarkable quality - pliability. Just one gram of the metal can be drawn to produce a fine wire over one mile (almost 2 km) long. This quality has enabled jewelers to create beautifully unique engagement rings. Platinum has rapidly grown in popularity in recent years, becoming the new choice for all types of jewelry.

Platinum in jewelry is actually an alloyed group of six heavy metals, including platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium. These other metals are so similar to platinum in weight and chemistry that most were not even distinguished from each other until early in the nineteenth century. Today it is often alloyed with copper and titanium. Platinum jewelry is marked 900Pt, 950 Plat, or Plat.

Both gold and platinum are durable, sturdy and dependable metals. Either would make an ideal setting for your precious diamond jewelry. But no matter which metal you choose, always remember to keep your ring as clean and safe as possible.

Second - Pick a style of setting. You can start by asking yourself the following questions:

• Am I looking for something vintage, contemporary, modern, or classic?
• Am I looking for a solitaire (single center stone) or would I prefer side stones as well?
• Am I interested in additional diamonds on the side, or other precious gemstones?
• Would I prefer to design something myself?

Third - Choose how the diamond should be set.

The most popular way to set a diamond that is to be used in an engagement ring is to set it into Prongs or "Claws". However, there are a variety of ways that the side stones can be set. Here are the most popular ways of setting a diamond:

Prong Set

This is the recommended way to set an engagement ring diamond for a variety of reasons. The setting consists of four or six prongs that cradle the diamond, so it allows the maximum amount of light to enter a stone from all angles. This often helps the diamond look more brilliant and even appear larger. Some of the fancier shapes diamonds like the Heart or the Pear will have settings that consist of five prongs.

Bezel Set

With a Bezel setting, a rim of metal holds the girdle of the diamond and completely surrounds it. Bezels can have straight edges, scalloped edges, or can be molded into any shape to accommodate the stone. The backs can be opened or closed. This is also a common way to set diamonds into earrings, necklaces and bracelets. It is also a popular setting for active adults that want their diamond to sit low on their hand.

Channel Set

This setting style is most frequently used for wedding and anniversary bands. A Channel setting will set the stones right next to each other with no metal separating them. The outer ridge of metal is then worked over the edges of the stones. This protects the girdle of the diamonds and provides a smooth exterior surface.

Invisible Set

Invisible setting is a relatively new concept. Calibrated stones (mostly Princess Cut) with slits are placed into a frame with ridges to hold them in place. No metal appears between any stones.

Pave Set

The word actually comes from the French word meaning "to pave" because of its paved appearance. The round stones are patterned very closely together and the only metal visible is what is actually used to hold the stones in place. You will often hear the term "Bead Set" in regard to this style.

Fourth - Try to get a finger size.

This is where it gets a little tricky! If the ring is for you, you can have your finger measured at any local department store that sells jewelry. If you are buying it for your loved one, then you may want to use one of these suggestions:

Make an Impression
If she's in the habit of leaving any of her rings lying about, make an impression of one. A bar of soap, a piece of clay or even a piece of bread can be used to take a reliable measurement.

Trace the inside
You could even trace the inside of the ring on a piece of paper, which can be used to determine an accurate measurement. As long as you can get the diameter, we can convert that to a finger size…or at least close!

Try it on for Size
Simpler still, just put one of her rings on your own fingers. Push it down as far as it will go and then mark the spot with a pen, or try to remember how far down it went. Then quickly go get that part of your finger sized!

Talk to her friends
A friend of your loved one can be of great assistance in this particular endeavor. It's not uncommon for one friend to ask another for their ring size as a matter of curiosity. But remember to pick the "secret-keeping" friend.

These will all be helpful tools that will send you on your way to the finding that PERFECT RING!