Finally, after months or years of waiting you found the guts to ask her to marry you. What better way to sweep her of her feet than to give her a diamond band that will surely manifest your undying and indestructible love for her. However, purchasing diamond engagement rings can truly be a nerve-racking experience. With this in mind, it pays to be informed in order to know what type of diamond band to pick for her.

As a general information, diamonds are highly valued because of their exquisiteness and rare ability to retract light to a greater degree than any other types of precious stones. Due to these characteristics, diamond engagement rings have become popular betrothal gifts. However, despite the knowledge we have about these gem stones, many are still unaware of how to properly identify the fake ones from the real ones, or to simply put it, many are still a part of the so called uninformed market. An uninformed market includes people who have an incomplete idea about the nature of diamonds they are purchasing, and they judge the sparkler's qualities not by any set and understood standards but merely through the advertisements they see and the eye-catching features that diamonds boasts; these people are often at the mercy of their retailers.

In order to become an informed buyer, you can start understanding the diamond you are about to buy with the aid of the unbiased evaluation provided by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). GIA, which was founded in 1931, is an international gemological body that set the first internationally accepted diamond grading system. As all diamonds appear aesthetically the same, a GIA report will help determine the differences, flaws and inconsistencies in diamonds. The most widely utilized and trusted means of verifying the quality and identification of a diamond is the GIA diamonds grading report or diamond dossier.

A grading report provided by GIA contains the assessment results of a diamond based from the 4Cs of diamond grading: carat, cut, color and clarity. Other than the 4Cs, the report also has the stone's proportions in graphic representation as well as plotting diagram that presents the gem's inclusions and clarity-related characteristics. Generally, GIA diamonds are tested accordingly to ensure that they are of high quality and value.

It would also be useful if you consult a quality diamond jeweler. His or her competence when it comes to diamonds will surely help you detect whether the diamond band you intend to purchase is a piece of cheap jewelry or a valuable one. However, if you are really after an inexpensive band, rather than choosing a preset diamond band why not settle for loose diamonds instead? Not only will you be able to save money, but more importantly you can have your band customized in accordance to your design preference.

Now that you have an idea about diamond engagement rings, scouting for the right band is easier. With the aid of the aforementioned guidelines, you will be able to pick the band that will illumine how much she means to you. Regardless of the price or type of diamond band you pick, for as long as you are sincere about your proposal, you can expect a positive answer from her. After all, you both have all your lifetime to prove how much you love her; the diamond band you will be giving is just a start of the journey that both of you will share.