The Quality of Diamonds

Diamonds are graded around the world using the so-called four Cs: the carat, the clarity, the color and the cut. An internationally accepted system, called GIA, is used to estimate the quality of diamonds. To make sure you get the best quality and the best look, it is good to know a little about how diamonds are classified.

The Carat

The carat, or “ct”, means simply the diamond’s weight. The largest diamonds are naturally always the most expensive but they are also more difficult to find than smaller ones. One carat is the same as 200 mg, and the weight of the smallest diamonds is given as points: a hundred points means one carat. When buying diamond rings for your toes, a good way to get value for money is to buy a ring with diamonds that fall just below the one-carat limit. This makes the rings cheaper, but generally most people who are not experts are not able to say if the diamond is just under or just over one carat.

The Cut

A good cut gives the diamond its sparkle: a well-cut diamond reflects light and interacts with the light, creating the famous dazzling effect. A shallow cut can create a diamond that looks dull, and a cut that is too deep makes the surfaces of the diamond look uneven and make some parts seem darker than others are. The cut has to do with the diamond’s proportions, how deep and how wide it is, and how the various facets are in proportion to each other.

The Clarity

The clarity of a gemstone means how flawless it is. The best quality diamonds are either flawless (Fl in the GIA scale) or Internally Flawless (IF) – that means that there can be some flaws on the stone’s surface.

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The Color

The last C for grading a diamond is the color. While 100% pure diamonds are colorless there is a surprising variety of different colors on the diamond market. Pink and blue are the most valuable and the rarest colors, and yellow and brownish diamonds are much more common.

Diamonds look especially good in gold toe rings, although for a slightly more affordable option you can try silver or white gold. Personal preferences matter the most when purchasing diamond toe rings.

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In the West toe rings are pure fashion statement, rather than having any kind of religious connection, and so it is common to see them made from all sorts of metals, although sterling silver ones are extremely popular. Gold is another metal that is used in the West for making toe rings, but in India this would not be allowed under the Hindu religion, since gold is a high status metal and should never be worn on the feet.

Talking of feet, and unleashing them for the summer months, it is a really good idea to give them some love and attention after a winter hidden in warm woollies and boots. So just as a diamond tiara would look out of place on a hobo, it would be such a shame to wear a stunning toe ring on piggies that have been largely neglected; a pedicure is the answer, to beautify and reinvigorate your feet ready for that gorgeous ring. Then you will feel great and be completely comfortable showing your feet to the world when you are out around town. Toe rings can be the perfect accessory when you’re wearing open toe shoes or flip flops, but it is, of course, best to remove them if you change into normal shoes as they can easily bend or get squashed, and generally cause painful pinching otherwise.

Aside from the almost infinite number of cute designs available, toe rings come in two main types: the “split” or “divided” ones, and the fitted or “full circle” ones. It’s entirely a matter of personal choice which type you opt for, or since toe rings are very cheap pieces of jewelry, why not have a selection of different ones from both categories! Each type has its own benefits and disadvantages.

Firstly, the split toe rings. These are easy to put on and take off as they just press together to make a snug fit. This feature also means they can be worn on whichever toe you like (except the big toe!) The problem with split toe rings though, is that you might find they pinch sometimes, which can be very painful; or that they turn over so that the design ends up under you foot. This can be irritating, having to constantly adjust them. Worst of all, just as they can pinch and squeeze your toes, they are also apt to simply fall off and disappear forever, generally without you ever noticing. That might leave you wondering how many of your toe rings go AWOL every summer!

So, what about the fitted toe rings? Are these any better? Well, they are more like the rings you would wear on your finger, being fully circular. This means the designs will be more uniform, so it doesn’t matter if they slip around your toes. Also, the dreaded pinching will never be a problem unless you decide to wear normal shoes with a soft metal ring and deform it – naughty! On the downside, they are slightly harder to remove than split rings, but this is not a huge problem. And since they are fitted and therefore a single size, they are meant to go on just one of your toes perfectly, and may (depending on your toes!) or may not be very comfortable if you want to switch them around.

A couple of other points to consider: first, that many designs are simply shaped metal, whether it be sterling silver celtic knots or gold hearts, but new designs are constantly appearing, and there are even toe rings which incorporate gemstones such a tiny diamonds or colored cubic zirconias.

Secondly, from the health perspective, remember that if you have allergic reactions to nickel in your finger rings or your earrings, you will get exactly the same irritation if you are not careful choosing your toe rings. So if you are sensitive, look out for “nickel-free” or “hypoallergenic” toe rings, and then step out into the summer in style!

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