So you are now faced with the first decision of your new life, it is clear that making a proposal is far more important than anything material, your marriage proposal is going to be remembered for a long time, and will be told over and over again to all of the closest and dearest people in your life. A marriage proposal is something to consider and reflect about.

While most people know that the intention of inviting someone to share your life with forever is the most precious thing a men can offer, many disregard the importance of symbolism in the act itself and the gift that comes with it. An engagement ring is a sign that a promise has been made and that a time of significant change will arrive in the life of the person wearing it. Do not forget that most woman keep their engagement ring on their hands long after the marriage, sometimes on the same finger as the wedding ring.

Most people choose a diamond ring as an engagement ring, this means that you need to learn a thing or two about diamonds before actually going to the shop to choose one. Understanding diamonds requires knowledge of the basic four elements, the color, cut, clarity and carat.

Color is the result of the composition of a diamond and it can not be changed, meaning that a diamond does not change or can not be changed into any other color . When a jeweler is describing the color of a diamond they are referring to the presence or absence of color in white diamonds. Because a diamond with no color allows maximum light to pass through, colorless diamonds are preferred for their sparkle.

The common thing to think about when thinking of a diamond, is the way they shine and the different facets they have (turning a diamond in light produces this affect which indicates the cut), the cut refers to a diamonds reflective quality. This is very important when shopping for an engagement ring.

Most diamonds are cut with 58 facets. The brilliance of diamonds is heavily dependent on the cut. The different angles and the finish of a diamond determine its ability to reflect light and cause its brilliance and fire. The cut of a diamond is very important, in engagement rings especially, because some woman have only one diamond ring ? the engagement ring, you should pay close attention to the cut of it, sometimes a cutting fault can produce very evident flaws in the quality of the light passing through the ring, it is easy to notice, but important to know. The cut has an importance on the durability of the diamond, if you are looking for an engagement ring that promises stability you should probably make sure that the engagement ring you buy has been dealt with professionally.

Carat is the diamond industry standard, it is a unit of weight to measure diamonds. When speaking of one carat you are in fact speaking of 200 milligrams of weight. The carat itself is made of one hundred particular parts called points. These points in the carat are the ones you refer to when talking about points, for example 150 points in would be one and a half carats.

The clarity of the diamond is a clear indication of its worth, the clearer the better and more expensive. A ideal diamond ring should be flawless, from the outside and the inside, but that would cost a lot of money. The clarity is the factor of the inner quality of the diamond, since during the formation process some inclusions occur in most diamonds you will have to compromise for some kind of decreased clarity .Engagement rings are not expected to be perfect rings, with perfect diamonds, it is normal that a diamond on a engagement ring would not be flawless. To be considered flawless, a diamond must have no surface or internal imperfections visible upon being viewed by a skilled diamond grader using 10 power magnifications.

Carat is the unit of weight by which diamonds are measured. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams. A carat is divided into 100 segments called points. 150 points would equal one and a half carats.

Now that you know the basics of diamonds you can start shopping for the engagement ring, traditional engagement rings have a huge rock (?look at the size of this rock!?) on them, it is not necessarily the best way to go, try to think of the woman you are buying it for, what is her favorite color, does she have any sensitivity to any kind of metal, what is her opinion of diamonds and how flashy would she like her hand to be.

Do not be afraid to ask the jeweler questions, it is not every day that you will be shopping for an engagement ring, and speak your mind.

Good luck buying your engagement ring, and I wish you a life full of happiness and glitter, just like a brilliant diamond engagement rings has?