Loose Diamonds vs. Mounted Diamonds For Engagement Rings

Planning to pop the question soon? Before you get down on one knee, let’s talk about something that is all too often overlooked: loose diamonds vs. mounted diamonds. Truth is, there are pros and cons to each option, but knowing more about both will ultimately assist you in making this very important decision.

Let’s get right down to it. Here are the pros and cons of buying loose diamonds vs. mounted diamonds.

Mounted Diamonds

A mounted diamond has already been set into an engagement ring. This means that you get to buy whichever engagement ring you want, but you won’t get to choose the diamond. However, enegagement rings with mounted diamonds are widely available, making your ambitious quest for the perfect ring a little more easy. By far, the main selling point of buying mounted diamonds is...

Mounted Diamonds Are Easier to Buy

You know the scene: you head to a jeweler to browse engagement rings, you find the perfect match and boom, you can make your purchase and be on your way. The hard work is done! That’s why most people choose to buy mounted diamonds; it’s easy, quick and extremely convenient. However, this advantage is also a major drawback because...

Mounted Diamonds Are More Difficult to Evaluate

Just because you found the perfect engagement ring doesn’t mean you found the perfect diamond. Confused? Well, you’ve hand-picked your ring, but you haven’t hand picked your diamond if it’s already mounted. That’s why the chief drawback of buying mounted diamonds is that you can’t actually assess the diamond itself. Generally, diamonds are evaluated for brilliance, the 4Cs (Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat), inclusions, proportion, symmetry and polish.

Buying a mounted diamond eliminates the freedom to evaluate the stone before purchasing it. Furthermore, if you choose a bezel or halo setting, there could be hidden flaws within the diamond that aren’t visible. Essentially, buying mounted diamonds may result in compromising the diamond’s quality.

Lastly, the color of the ring setting has a large influence on the color of the diamond. For example, a yellow ring will illuminate yellow hues of the diamond. Alternatively, white gold will enhance the white coloring of the diamond and make it appear more brilliant than it actually is. Ultimately, the color of the ring setting can affect the brilliance of the stone and lead to misleading price points. This is why more and more people are choosing to buy loose diamonds.

So, now that we’ve highlighted the major pros and cons of mounted diamonds, let’s have a look at loose diamonds.

Loose Diamonds Pros and Cons

Loose diamonds are sold seperately from ring settings, giving you the option to purchase your diamond of choice. But this freedom is not without its workload. Simply put, if you choose to go down the route of buying loose diamonds you’ve got your work cut out for you. But there is nothing you wouldn’t do for your betrothed, right? Plus, all that research and investigating will result in you buying the perfect diamond. By far the greatest appeal of buying loose diamonds is that they...

Allow You To Fully Inspect A Diamond

Basically, you can get intimate with the inspection process when buying loose diamonds. You have the freedom and luxury to examine the stone for inclusions and flaws. Additionally, the reason why we love diamonds so much, you’re able to accurately witness how brightly the diamond shines and sparkles. With loose diamonds, you are able to assess the way light interacts with the stone, which ultimately influences the diamond’s brilliance and sparkle.

You Get to Choose Your Diamond

The great thing about loose diamonds is that there are so many choices. Once you make the commitment to buy a loose diamond, you can literally explore hundreds of diamonds until you find the perfect one. Additionally, you can tailor your search to fit within your budget.

Picking Your Loose Diamond

The following factors are important to consider when buying loose diamonds:

Ensure the Diamond is Certified

The first and foremost step when buying a loose diamond is to check for certification, which is most often from GIA (Gemological Institute of America). However, there are additional diamond certifications including AGS (American Gemological Society), EGL (European Gemological Laboratory) and IGI (International Gemological Institute). These certifications verify that the details about the gemstone meet the laboratory’s quality standards.

Look for the Laser Inscription

While not all diamonds are laser inscribed, it’s still a good idea to look for it in a loose diamond. Laser inscriptions are a way of identifying that the diamond you are inspecting actually matches the certification. Laser inscription adds a layer of buyer protection to ensure you get what you paid for.

Examine the 4 Cs

Diamonds are graded for quality on a system called the 4Cs (Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat). Any time you shop for diamonds you will encounter these characteristics because they are the industry standard for evaluating a diamond.

In addition to these factors, if you choose to buy loose diamonds online, always request a grading report. The grading report will contain all of the pertinent details about your diamond, while also proving that the diamond you purchased meets the exact characteristics as advertised by the retailer.

Loose Diamonds Vs. Mounted Diamonds: How To Choose

After exploring the pros and cons of both loose diamonds and mounted diamonds, you now have an important decision to make. So, which will you choose? Although it might seem like a difficult undertaking, it ultimately depends on what your preferences and circumstances are. If your time and budget allows for you to research loose diamonds, you’ll be able to find one that checks all the boxes on your wishlist. However, if you’re short on time or have already found the perfect engagement ring with a mounted diamond, you may want to choose the path of least resistance and buy a mounted diamond.

Bottom line: Whether you choose to buy a loose or mounted diamond, it’s a good idea to thoroughly do your research and always buy from reputable vendors. Because after all, a diamond is forever.

Browse our collection of high quality loose diamonds.

SHOP FOR DIAMONDS

Colored Diamonds