Traditionally, “An engagement ring is a gift from a man to a woman for her hand in marriage.” So now we can safely say, an engagement ring is a gift from one person to another for their hand in marriage! Are you considering purchasing an engagement ring? The first, most important step in selecting a ring, is deciding on what shape center stone you or your fiancee will love the most. Below are your various choices:

Various Diamond Shapes
Diamonds come in a variety of shapes. Do not confuse cut with shape, cut is what determines how well-cut your diamond is, where as diamond shape is the shape it was cut into.
	Round Brilliant - Round brilliant diamonds generally provide the most sparkle. They have the best faceting in terms of reflecting light. Other elements like clarity and cut also have an impact on how a diamond sparkles, however, generally, Round Brilliant cut Diamonds reflect the most brilliant light.
	Oval – Oval diamonds too, reflect a lot of light.  Also feminine and graceful, they are gorgeous set horizontally, vertically or in triplicate as a three stone, oval ring.
	Princess – Princess cuts are completely square. They have clean cut square edges and were created to offer diamond refractive properties close to a round brilliant cut. They have a modern and clean square shape with many facets, reflecting light.
	Emerald – Emerald Cuts are a classic traditional shape, and are known for their linier step down faceting.  This cut offers clean, modern lines, however less brilliance than other diamond cuts.  Corners are trimmed at an angle, so although they look and are considered rectangular, they are technically Octagonal, (which is more obvious in the larger carat weights).
	Radiant – Radiant cuts are certified under the name Cut- Cornered Rectangular Modified Brilliant Cuts. Radiant cuts are “the jewelers cut” and were created for the client who wants a rectangular or square stone that offers a lot of brilliance. Radiants have cut corners, similar to Emerald Cuts, yet their shape is primarily rectangular or square.
	Heart – Heart Shape diamonds are an enchanting shape and unfortunately, not very common.  They offer a lot of Brilliance and have always been a favorite of Marisa Perry herself.  They are magnificent in larger carat weights.
	Marquise – Marquise Shape stones taper to a point on both ends.  They are interesting set horizontally or vertically and are generally more appreciated and more current when they are wider through the center.
	Pear – Pear shapes are gorgeous and classic as a center stone and as side stones.  Again, they are feminine and graceful and faceted well to refract light.
	Asscher – Asscher cuts are actually square emerald cuts. They are known for their step-down faceting and offer clean modern lines. Like all emerald cuts, they do offer less brilliance than other diamond cuts, but they are beautiful and popular.
	Cushion – Cushion cuts come both rectangular and square. They have rounded sides, which bow out like a cushion (pillow). They are faceted more like a round diamond for maximum brilliance. This cut is very feminine and graceful.

At Marisa Perry, we understand that, unless you are a gemologist, selecting the right diamond can be a challanging.  Aside from the stats on a GIA Certificate, you are simply buying a blind item. Now you can put your fears to rest, because we will explain everything to you, in person, by appointment, at no charge. Look, you can read up on the Four Cs and become somewhat more empowered.  However, there is no substitute to seeing the diamond, in front of you, out of the mounting, and under a diamond light.  At Marisa Perry, designer and Graduate Gemologist, Douglas Elliott, or I, Marisa Perry, will sit with you, show you loose stones and their differences in color, clarity and cut.  And trust us, you will see just how much difference there is and isn’t.  After one visit with us, you will have enough visual knowledge to know that you are making the right decision.  I have seen five 1.5 ct. cushion cuts on a diamond card, all G color and VS2 Clarity.  One stone had so much fire and brilliance and the other four were dead.  There is no replacement for seeing a selection of stones in front of you.  This way you can compare, and I promise, one will speak to you and say “Take me, I’m the one!“

Carat weight  is a measure of weight, not size. I compare it to a woman.  You can have woman who is 5’9 and 110 pounds and is very slender and another who is 4’10 and 110. lbs and has a rounder figure.  Although, Diamonds yield more of an average weight to size ratio, some diamonds carry more weight on the top surface, and some have more weight in the depth, underneath.  Both of these proportions have their own value.  More weight and surface space on the top, gives you a larger looking stone.  Often, weight underneath, contributes to more sparkle.  And it is recommended to get a stone with good proportions and a good finish, (cut).  You may also wish to know that, a diamond will yield more surface space (on top) naturally on rectangular or oval cut than on a round or square stone per carat.
Technically speaking: The weight of “one carat” is divided into 100 "points".  So, for example, in our micro-pave settings, the tiny stones around the diamond are often 1 point stones, which translates to one one hundredth of a carat.  If you have diamond studs that are 30 points each, they would be considered approximately a third of a carat.  A 90 point stone, is 90% of a carat. Diamonds are priced by carat weight, as well as color clarity and cut. Diamond size is measured in millimeters.  The average one carat round stone is approximately 6.5 mm. and the average square stone is often 5.5 mm. from Girdle to Girdle.
 

Color		Clarity
		Flawless Internally Flawless
Colorless
		VVS1	Very, Very Slightly Included
Near Colorless
		VVS2	Very , Very Slightly Included
		VS1	Very Slightly Included
Faint Color		VS2	Very Slightly Included
		SI1	Slightly Included
		SI2	Slightly Included
Very Light		I1	Included
		I2	Included
		I3	Included
Noticable Color

Diamond Cut

Diamond cut ratings are based on how well the diamond had been cut and faceted.  A quality cut is really important because it is a major contributing factor to how much light will reflect out of the top of the stone.  In other words, well cut stones are more sparkly than poorly cut stones of equal color and clarity.  Diamond cutting is an art and requires a tremendous amount of talent, skill and experience.   It is a contributing factor to the price of a diamond as well, and should not be overlooked when purchasing a stone.

A properly cut diamond will both a nice amount of surface space and brilliance. For example, with a 2.00ct round diamond, a poorly cut diamond that is bottom heavy may less of a diameter, than an average 2ct. So not only are you losing size, but you get a diamond that was not cut to it’s full potential and thus does not sparkle like it should.

1. When a diamond is cut proportionately well, light is reflected from one facet to another and then dispersed through the top of the stone.

2. If the cut of the diamond is too deep, some light escapes through the opposite side of the pavilion.

3. If the cut is too shallow, light escapes through the pavilion before it can be reflected.

When buying a stone, don’t feel that you need to become an expert or take a course at GIA.  Come in, and it will be our pleasure to sit an explain everything to you.  It may take an hour, but once we point out what there is to see, it will be easy for you to evaluate how to proceed.  Cut, color and inclusions are not hard to see, when someone shows you what to look for with the proper tools.  And if you can’t come to our shop in New York City, ask your local jeweler to sit with you and go over the details. And we recommend buying certified stones.  GIA and EGL are internationally recognized Laboratories.  A certificate will provide you with documentation on what you are actually purchasing.  Keep the cert in a safe place for the life of the ring.

Once you identify the differences in color and clarity, and once you have a few stones to view side by side, your decision will become easier.  The shapes and sizes will be different as well and the cut and how each stone reflects light.  And depending on your personal priorities, the stone you love the most will become evident.  Another solution for you, is to tell us what you are looking for, and we will sort through many stones and pick the best stone in your given budget.  And again, we have many rings in stock and many ladies come in, try a ring and say, this is the ring I want, and it is the perfect stone for her!

Complementary Custom by Douglas Elliott

“My only desire is to make beautiful jewelry and to make a woman look beautiful.”
        -Douglas Elliott

Have you not been able to find an engagment ring you’re in love with?
Did you inherit a beautiful stone from a family member?
Did you purchase loose stones on and exotic trip to Sri lanka or Thai land?
Is it time to reset your original engagement ring or go for a larger center stone?

Look no further, you now have access to your own personal design team, Douglas Elliott and Marisa Perry, and the design service is complementary.  Custom work often comes with a higher pricetag.  But at Marisa Perry, the metal, stones and labor in the individual piece determine the price. “My only desire is to make beautiful jewelry and to make a woman look beautiful.” Says Douglas Elliott, with 32 years experience in designing and creating exquisite jewelry pieces.  Douglas enjoys nothing more, then to design a piece, exclusively for you that you love, and which your family and loved ones constantly admire.

We are also delighted provide you with any shape, size, color and clarity of diamond you wish, and an unlimited variety of colored stones.  We will sit with you and explain everything you need to know regarding the stones, and the setting and composing the ring, bracelet, earrings or necklace. Don’t know what to do?  No worries, we do.  And we will make you the most beautiful piece imaginable with your stone, or with one that you select from us.  Making beautiful jewelry is what we do.  And nobody can do it better……

Requirements for setting your stone.

Setting your stone is easy. The only thing we need, and that you need, is a copy of your GIA or EGL Certificate. At Marisa Perry, our reputation is everything.  Trust is a major factor when you are turning your stone over for some else to set and design a ring around it.  When you bring a photo copy, (not the original), of your certificate of your stone, we will check in your stone (weigh, measure and evaluate color and clarity),  Then we will design the setting of your dreams.  When we return your ring, you may go back to GIA or the original certifier, and verify that the stone we have returned to you, is, indeed, your stone. We, at Marisa Perry, have never had a customer who did not think their stone looked larger and more beautiful in our setting, then when they originally gave it to us.  However, we protect you, the customer and ourselves with verifying that the original stone you gave us, matches your original certification, and that when you receive your ring back, your certifier will confirm that you have received back your original stone.  Many stones have great sentimental value.  We are here to preserve the sentiment, and to accentuate it in a gorgeous, lush setting.  As we have stated, that our only goal, is to make you the most beautiful setting that is a true reflection of who you are. We want to be your trusted source, forever.  And we will make sure that your stones are insured, and returned to you, in an improved manner.  It’s all about trust, and we are a firm, and a proud family that you can fully trust.