Wedding bands to match
Cushion cut due to the depth and beauty of this cut, a solid metal band in gold, platinum or titanium is advised.
Coloured stones for pink stones, try rose gold to add richness and romance to the setting. Sapphires look best against a white metal, to complement the deep blue of the stone, whereas rubies show best against yellow gold.
Men's engagement rings either select a band that is extremely similar to the engagement ring or go for bold contrast - a white metal engagement ring with a yellow gold or titanium wedding band. Non-traditional men will appreciate this extra flare.
It has been 70 years since diamond behemoth De Beers first launched its 'A Diamond is Forever' campaign, which reversed a downward retail trend for diamonds and created a demand for diamond engagement rings that swept through the United States and then the world.
Today, the demand for diamonds is greater than ever, with the global appetite for bling leading to such extravagances as diamond-encrusted undergarments and Vertu phones, and a scarcity of truly extraordinary stones. Despite the popularity of diamonds, they remain mysterious and complicated to many.
'If you don't know your jewels, you'd better know your jeweller,' says Jonathan Abram of Ronald Abram, a dealer of exceptional jewels, while mass-marketers such as Tiffany & Co take a different approach, producing and distributing a four Cs guidebook that has informed many frightened suitors as they search for the perfect ring for that perfect woman. Cut, colour, clarity and carat weight are the four Cs, and they comprise the yardstick by which all diamonds are measured.