The 3 Marks of Luxury: Will Your Engagement Ring Pass?

• A Fancy Colored Diamond.  Whether it's natural or color enhanced or lab created, I still personally swoon when I look at a fancy colored diamond.  Spectacular sparkle, eye-watering color.  This one is a grand slam. 

 

• A Rare Padparadscha Sapphire.  The hottest colored gemstone on the market for engagement rings is that juicy, passionate seductive peachy pink color. Most rings you'll see, though, are made with a morganite, or other not so rare colored sapphire. The Padparadscha dazzles with the peachy pinks of a sunset in the Caribbean, and the price tag of a TRUE Padparadscha will have you ordering a dry martini instead of a cosmopolitan. Maybe two. Find some amazing Pads in our search tool here.

 

• A Large White Diamond.  Preferably not a round brilliant.  Okay, this might just peg me as a true diamond snob, but I'm over the round brilliant diamond.  I've seriously seen far too many.  That's not to say that if my husband presented me with a three carat round brilliant diamond, I wouldn't blush, however, let's make it an old European cut, an ultimate FireCushion (perfectly cut cushion shaped diamonds), or, stop my heart, a true Asscher cut diamond.  And what I mean by large, for your luxury checkbox, means we're going to have to hit the two carat mark.  IMO.

 

Second Check: Ring Design

Now, as a ring maker myself, I am admittedly partial to an aesthetically artistic and proportionally perfect ring design.  However, there are some points of a ring, Krikawa or not, that push the design into luxury.
 

• Almost Obnoxiously Diamond Enhanced.  Have some sparkle with your sparkle. Some luxury rings don't whisper--they shout. If your ring has diamonds stacked on diamonds, pave on every visible surface, and a total carat weight that's approaching the value of Pi (yes, 3.14...), it qualifies. This is the kind of sparkle that could blind someone across the room--and that's exactly the point.

 

• Sculptural Masterpiece.  But diamonds on diamonds are not the only route to luxury. You don't need a pound of diamonds to cross over into the light.  A ring can be just as extravagant through sheer artistry and labor. If your engagement ring teases the eye like the sculpture of David, congratulations, you've crossed into luxury through craftsmanship alone. In fact, the amount of time your goldsmith spent on the ring could’ve probably built a (very tiny) pyramid.

 

• Simply Platinum.  The mark of luxury can also be subtle, with neither a Pi of diamonds nor the complexity of the sculpture of David. A well made ring in Platinum isn't just a status symbol--it's heavy, enduring, and enough to put a second check on my Luxury box metric. A ring made from Platinum doesn't need to shout. It just is.

 

Third Check: Craftsmanship

Again, my bias is going to hang out here. At Krikawa, we make well-crafted rings, like, REALLY well crafted rings.  It was the first thing I learned to do.  I realized right away I didn't want to be in the repair business, and if these suckers are going to be bashed around on the end of a hand, day in and day out, for like 30 or 50 years, they had BETTER be made well.  

But there are some key metrics of craftsmanship that really have to be met in order for you to call the ring luxury.
 

• Straight Stone Setting.  This may seem self-evident, but it obviously is not, I can tell you from looking at thousands of mass manufactured engagement rings.  Stones shoved in, crooked, metal smeared across the setting.... ew.  It might sparkle, but look at it with a high powered loupe, and yuck.  Also, the stones are way more likely to fall out when they are not in a sturdy setting, but just for quality, I'm looking for straight, on square setting of my stones.

 

• Structural Integrity.  Prong thickness to withstand a lifetime of wear is a must.  In addition, all the integrity of the metal framework should be sound.  That is, sufficient to withstand bending, and strong enough to hold the stones, even when worn on a hand. I know this sounds obvious, yet thousands of brides will contest that it apparently, is not.

 

• Finish.  The ring should be finely finished, so the light rolls off of the surface without rippling, dimpling, or sanding marks.  Inner surfaces should be treated, and not just left raw.

All in all, your luxury engagement ring should present an awesome center stone, proudly ensconced in a veritable sculpture of delight, with the hand of the craftsperson notable even under magnification.

If you want to hit the trifecta of luxury, consider the concierge level service at www.Krikawa.com, where our designers are friendly and knowledgeable, and we can help you make your dream ring a reality.