After several months or years of waiting, you've finally come to a decision to ask her to marry you. Now is the right time to ask her out, and the best way to sweep her off her feet is to give her a diamond band that will encompass your undying love for her. For most men however, purchasing diamond engagement rings is never a walk in the park. With this in mind, it pays to be informed in order to know what type of diamond band to pick for her.

Generally, diamonds are highly valued because they are rare and because they retract light at its best. Because of these characteristics, diamond engagement rings are perhaps the most popular betrothal bands around the globe. The sad truth however is that despite myriads of information concerning these stones, many people still fall victims for false diamonds or remains as a part of the 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 avoid becoming a part of the uninformed market, you can start understanding the diamond you are about to purchase through the unbiased evaluation from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Established in 1931, GIA is an international body that set the first internationally accepted grading system for diamonds. Because all diamonds appear the same, a diamond report made by GIA will reveal the differences, flaws and inconsistencies of diamonds. The most widely used and trusted means to verify the quality and positive identification of a diamond is referred as 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. Alongside the 4Cs, the report also contains the stone's graphic proportion representation and plotting diagram that shows the sparkler's inclusions and other clarity-related characteristics. In short, GIA diamonds are tested properly to ensure their qualities.

It would also be useful if you consult a quality diamond jeweler. His or her expertise can definitely help you identify whether the diamond band you intend to purchase is a cheap jewelry or a real valuable one. However, if you are a bit short on budget but would like to have a precious band for your loved one, instead of choosing a preset diamond band try looking for loose diamonds. This way not only would you be able to save money as you don't have to pay for the metal used for the preset diamond band, but more importantly you would be able customize your band according to your design preference.

Now that you are aware of the rules when it comes to diamond engagement rings, you can now search for the right band that would suit your budget and design needs. With the help of the simple guidelines provided above, sure enough, you would be able to pick the band that will symbolize your love for her. Regardless of the diamond band you pick however, your sincerity on your proposal is what truly counts. You have a lifetime ahead of you to prove how much you truly love her; the diamond band you are about to give is just the beginning of the journey you will both share sooner or later.