Diamonds are the most popular gemstone for engagement rings today. You should start your selection by looking at loose diamonds first.

To begin shopping for diamond engagement rings, you need to understand the four Cs of diamond grading: cut, clarity, color, and carat weight. Learning the tradeoffs will be invaluable in guiding you to winnowing out different loose diamonds. For more information, see diamond grading.

Once you have you select the perfect diamond that matches your budget and preferences in terms of the four Cs, you next select the jewelry ring setting to mount your diamond. Solitaire ring settings are very popular. For more information on different diamond ring settings, see jewelry settings.