Before you begin shopping it’s good to know a little bit about diamonds; how they are valued, and what to look for.

Learning about diamonds is really learning about the four C’s of diamonds – cut, clarity, color and carat weight. These are the criteria jewelers use when grading diamonds, and they’re the ones you’ll need to understand to find the right diamond for you.

Cut

Cut is probably the most important, and most challenging, of the four Cs to understand. The brilliance of a diamond depends heavily on its cut. King of Rocks carries only the better grades of diamond cut, to ensure that your jewelery is as beautiful as possible.  It is important to consider the best cut that your budget can afford.

Clarity

Most diamonds contain some inner flaws, or inclusions, that occur during the formation process. The visibility, number and size of these inclusions determine what is called the clarity of a diamond. Diamonds that are clear create more brilliance, and thus are more highly prized, and priced.  It is often a wise decision to go with a diamond that has small inclusions not visible to the naked eye.

Color

Colorless diamonds are the most desirable since they allow the most refraction of light (sparkle). Off-white diamonds absorb light, inhibiting brilliance. To ensure that your King of Rocks jewelery is of the highest quality, we have preselected our diamonds to eliminate those of lesser color grades.

Carat Weight

A carat is the unit of weight by which a diamond is measured. Because large diamonds are found less commonly than small diamonds, the price of a diamond rises exponentially in comparison to its size.

Certificates

The diamond certificate, which is sometimes called a grading report, is a complete evaluation of your diamond that has been performed by a qualified professional with the help of special gemological instruments. Each stone bears its own recognizable, individual characteristics, which is listed on the certificate.  For peace of mind, and insurance purposes, it is vital that you receive a certificate each time you purchase a diamond.

How to Care for your Diamonds

Diamonds are often thought to be un-breakable. Unfortunately, this is not the case.  Here are a few tips to keep your diamond(s) in top shape.

• Diamonds are brittle: If you hit a diamond hard, they WILL crack or chip if mishandled. Don’t wear your diamond when doing rough work.

• Storage: Store diamonds separately. When stored with other jewelry, diamonds may scratch other jewelry (or each other).

• Cleaning: The best method for cleaning is a jeweler’s polishing cloth. Most jewelers will clean your diamond ring for free if you are making another purchase in the store.

How to Find Your Ring Size

Finding your ring size is easy to do with simple materials found in your home.

• Using your finger : Simply wrap something flexible, (a string, piece of paper, etc.), around your ring finger’s large knuckle. Measure the length necessary to go completely around the knuckle, (circumference), and then compare it to the chart below.
• Using a ring you already have : With a ruler, measure the distance across (diameter) a ring you currently wear. Measure at the ring’s widest point.

When in doubt between two sizes, it is always safer to go to the next larger ring size. This ensures your new ring will fit you. Ideally, use millimeters to get the most accurate result.

There are few items more precious to a woman than diamond earrings.  They can be considered a bare minimum piece of jewelery a woman, who loves diamonds, should own.  There is nothing more simple you can purchase for a woman that says, “I love you”, without the commitment of an engagement ring.

We at King of Rocks have never had a client yet disappointed in a decision to go with diamond studs.

How To Purchase Diamond Studs?

When buying any diamond it is important to consider the four c’s of diamonds, being carat, color, clarity and cut.  For diamond earrings or studs the inclusions (clarity) will not be as relevant and color can be high quality without being perfect.  It is more important to focus on size (carat) and cut (sparkle).

For example, a brilliant and stunning (yet reasonably priced) diamond stud could have a color range of G -H (or even I – J), and a clarity of SI1 – SI2 and still look near perfect.  Your budget should focus on the size (carat) and cut of the diamond.  It is often wise when the budget demands it, that size be compromised over cut.   The cut of the diamond will lend to it’s beauty and brilliance.

Often, clients overestimate the carat size required to create a beautiful pair of earrings.  Earrings are not engagement rings.  For younger women (graduating from high school, first communion, etc.) a much smaller size (.15 – .20) is both elegant and age appropriate.  Women with smaller ears can also consider a smaller cut;  usually .25 – .35 of a carat.   All of this to say that at King of Rocks we will work within any budget and provide realistic yet beautiful and timeless options.

Don’t hesitate to contact us for a phone or in-person consultation.

King Of Rocks offers a broad range of Icemark Branded certified Canadian diamonds. Every stone is certified by the government of the Canadian Northwest Territories to have a 100% Canadian pedigree.

Any piece of jewelery purchased from King of Rocks with 0.25 carat or greater diamond can be set with an Icemark Canadian diamond and will be delivered with that diamond’s certificate.

To inquire about buying a piece set with a Canadian diamond, call Larry Ruttner of King of Rocks at 514-878-1065.

Why a Canadian diamond?

Canadian diamonds are desirable because of their great attributes. They come from that exotic and beautiful Canadian north. Canadian diamonds are being mined in accordance with the principles of sustainable development They are mined to the highest environmental standards in the world; they have provided social benefits to the northern communities and have brought about important economic prosperity to their region. Canadian diamonds meet the requirements of the Kimberley Process and many of them can be traced back to the mine of origin. And, for Canadians, they support a new Canadian industry.

What should I ask for if I want to buy a Canadian diamond?

A polished diamond certificate/report and an invoice which contains the following information:

■ the polished diamond description

■ a unique Diamond Identification Number (DIN);

■ a statement of certification that the polished diamond(s) is of Canadian origin and address of the issuer of the certificate/report;

■ the retailer’s return policy;

■ the date of purchase; and

■ the name and address of the retailer.

How can I request the authentication of the Canadian diamond I purchased?

Contact the Canadian Diamond Code Office at 1-866-399-1118 or 1-416-363-2968 or by e-mail at info@canadiandiamondcodeofconduct.ca. You will be asked to provide the information described above and a payment of $25.00 + GST for up to two diamonds per piece of Jewellery or $50.00 + GST for three or more diamonds per piece of jewellery. Upon receiving the required information and payment of the administration fee, the Code Office will confirm whether or not the necessary steps were taken by all levels of the trade to meet the minimum requirements outlined in the Code.

Do Canadian diamonds cost more?

Mining diamonds at the highest environmental and social standards is expensive. The efforts required to meet the minimum standards of the Code also add a cost to the handling of Canadian diamonds because they need to be tracked in a manner that can be audited from the mine to the consumer. Some retailers prefer not to mark-up their Canadian diamonds knowing that they sell faster than others. Some retailers add a premium to their Canadian diamonds to cover their costs. That premium will vary from one retailer to another.

This post is to address the age old myth of having to spend two months salary on an engagement ring.

We are not sure where this apparent fact started but we are fairly confident it came from the diamond industry itself.  No one benefits more from your hard earned two months salary than the diamond companies.

That being said:  How much should you spend on an engagement ring?

This is of course, entirely up to you (and ideally, your future wife!).  While your money may be separate right now, assuming after marriage they will be joint assets – would your new wife want or expect you to go into debt to cover her engagement ring?  We’re hoping not.

Of course, an engagement ring is most likely (we hope) forever, and has tremendous meaning.

It is very important you purchase the best you can afford.

…and on that note.  It doesn’t always have to be a diamond.  Emeralds and other precious stones are becoming exceptionally popular for engagement ring options.   A large stone does not have to be compromised by budget as these precious stones can cost considerably less than the ever expensive diamond.

Keep in mind that here at King of Rocks, we have diamonds of every shape and size. We can help you design the simplest or the most extravagent of engagement rings.  We will work within your budget and offer countless suggestions on how to build the ring of her dreams at a price you can live with.

And you have our rock solid King Of Rocks guarantee.

Don’t hesitate to contact Larry Ruttner for a phone or personal meeting to discuss your exciting new plans to build her an engagement ring!

Once you have chosen your engagement ring and have set your date, it’s time to think about wedding rings.

While at King of Rocks, we can create any design inclusive of diamonds and/or other precious stones, it can still very elegant and classic to have simple wedding rings.

At King of Rocks, simple does not compromise quality.  We will create your wedding bands with the highest quality platinum, 14K gold, 18K gold, or any combination.  We offer white, yellow or rose gold and/or any mix.

We can add engraving, small diamonds, patterns – whatever you choose, just ask.

Essentially there is no wedding band we cannot create for you.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any questions or advice you might need regarding wedding rings or any jewelery creation.

This crash course in diamond buying will help you understand how diamonds are valued and priced — and help you decide what’s most important to you in a diamond. The easiest way to explain diamonds is using the four Cs of diamonds: cut, color, clarity, and carat.

Cut

Of all the 4 Cs, cut has the greatest effect on a diamond’s beauty.  In determining the quality of the cut, the grader evaluates the cutter’s skill in the fashioning of the diamond; technology assesses the diamond’s light performance. The more precise the cut, the more captivating the diamond is to the eye.

Color

Gem-quality diamonds occur in many hues.  In the range from colorless to light yellow or light brown, diamonds are compared to Master Color-Comparison Diamonds under controlled conditions.  Colorless diamonds are the rarest.  Other natural colors are known as fancy – their color grading is unique.

Clarity

Diamonds can have internal characteristics known as inclusions or external characteristics known as blemishes.  When grading clarity, the grader uses magnification and specific lighting and considers the effect these characteristics have on the diamonds appearance and/or durability.  Diamonds without inclusions or blemishes are rare; however, most characteristics can only be seen with magnification.

Carat

The carat is the diamond’s physical weight measured in metric carats.  One carat equals 1/5 gram and is subdivided into 100 points.  Carat weight is the most objective of the 4 Cs.  It involves no estimates, comparisons or judgments.

Why Purchase From King of Rocks?

We will make sure that you understand exactly what you are purchasing.  We will take you through the four C’s of diamonds and explain all of your options.

We stand behind every piece of jewelery created by KoR for our valuable clients.

Don’t hesitate to contact us today.