The Band 

A Guide To Buying
An Engagement Ring

Gold 
Don't get Karats confused with carats.  While carats are a measure of a diamond's weight, karats tell you how much of metal is gold.  Pure gold is too soft so it is usually mixed with other metals. One hundred percent gold is called 24 carat.  14 karat gold means that 14 parts out of 24 are gold, while the rest is some other metals.  Gold used in rings is usually 10, 14, or 18 karat.

Platinum 
Platinum resembles white gold and silver but it is more durable than silver.  It is more rare than gold or silver so it is more expensive.

The Setting 
There are three common types of settings, which can be combined on the same ring.  A pavé or cluster setting gather a group of small stones together so that no metal shows between them.  Channel settings mount a series of small stones of the same size in a row.  In a prong setting a set of metal claws, or prongs, hold the gem in place.  If there are six prongs it is called a Tiffany setting.  Other types of prong settings are four-prong, fishtail, and belcher.

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