You may think that princess diamond rings are rings that are made only to be worn by a princess. But the term Princess is referring to the cut and shape of the diamond in the setting, not to the wearer of the ring. Although, if you’re considering buying a princess diamond ring, then it’s probably because you want to treat your lady like a princess!

Before you rush right out to look at princess diamond rings, however, there are a few things you should know about shopping for princess cut diamonds, and diamonds in general. Here are 3 tips to help you with your search.

Decide On Your Budget – Of course, most jewelers will tell you that the rule of thumb is that you should spend the equivalent of 2 to 3 months salary on an engagement ring. The more you spend, the higher their commission. You need to decide what YOU want to spend and only you will know what your budget can handle.

Get Educated – Do some research on the Internet before you go shopping and learn about the 4 Cs of diamonds: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat. Each of these characteristics will have an effect on the price of your diamond and if you know what you’re looking for before hand, you can buy a better diamond, and get more for your money, no matter what shape you’re looking for.

Shop Around – Princess diamond rings may be a bit more expensive then a regular round cut diamond. A princess cut diamond requires more skill to cut and creates a more fragile diamond. Be prepared to spend extra for this specialized cut. By shopping around online, though, you may be quite surprised at the lower prices you’ll find. Online retailers don’t have the major overhead expenses of those fancy jewelry stores and you should be able to find princess diamond rings at very affordable prices.

Black and white diamond engagement rings offer a dramatic, stunning contrast to your look. Black diamonds were once considered “imperfect” and therefore worthless, but that has changed in the last 20 years. Now, black diamonds are seen as highly unique. Unlike other colored diamonds, black diamonds aren’t their color because of impurities that grew within the crystal as it formed. Instead, they contain minerals, usually hematite, magnetite, or sulfide. This knowledge lends them an aura of power and “magnetism”.

Black and white diamonds together look amazing, like classic black and white photography, especially when they are set in rings of precious metals like silver, white gold, platinum, or palladium. Whiter precious metals are usually seen as better for black and white diamond ring jewelry, for they offset the dramatic contrast that much better than yellow gold. And, since some white precious metals aren’t as expensive as yellow ones, black and white diamond rings come in a wide range of prices that makes them affordable to most people no matter what their budget is.

Tiny black and white diamonds are at times pave set into a ring, while other rings will feature a row of black and white diamonds which have been set into a claw setting to evoke even more drama. And then, there are channel set b&w diamond rings that allow the black and the white of the different stones to shine emphatically. So which ring you choose comes down to personal taste, not some haughty “standard”.

Likewise, there is an array of different diamond cuts. The vast majority of black diamonds are brilliant cut and, as you may guess, this makes them go perfectly with brilliant cut white diamonds. However, other mixtures that people find attractive include baguette- or emerald-cut white diamonds featuring small brilliant cut black diamonds all around them.

Black and white diamond engagement rings are found in almost every jewelry store these days. Also, it really isn’t difficult to customize your own b&w diamond ring. One thing you can consider along those lines is finding a diamond-and-gemstone ring, and then having a jeweler some or all of the gemstones with black diamonds–for a totally stunning and one-of-a-kind ring.

It’s best, if you can, to see a black diamond and b&w diamond ring in person, for black diamonds by their nature are very hard to accurately capture the fullness of in photographs.

But if you insist on shopping on the Internet for this type of engagement ring, some of the most reputable places to check out for this style are the websites for My Solitaire, Tirings, and Alpha Imports.

So, with a black and white diamond engagement ring, you can bring together the “unique” and the “perfect” in a dramatic way. If all the world’s a stage, why not go for some drama in your relationship anyway?

What do you do if you want to are interested in finding unusual diamond ring ideas? It is so easy to jump in the car and drive to your local jeweler’s shop. That takes no creativity at all. However, if you are someone who is interested in dancing to a different tune, perhaps a jewelry designer is the way to go.

Most cities have designers that create specialty pieces. They are probably in the yellow pages. Ask you local jeweler if he does specialty pieces. If not, visit the ones he recommends and find out what kind of work they produce. See if their ideas match what you have in mind. You can be wonderfully creative with your choice of gems while adding sapphires, rubies or perhaps, pearls.

Steer away from the designers that only do gold or silver necklaces. They may not have an inventory of gems for you to choose from and you would be having to work with two jewelers. It is better to work with one that can produce your vision.

If you are unsuccessful with local designers, boot up the Internet. You can find unusual diamond ring ideas everywhere. It is literally a playground of inviting choices. There are thousands of artists displaying their work, and the images they have of both vintage and modern designs. This is a wonderful way to get ideas of what you are attracted to as well as what you want to make sure you don’t invest good money in.

Email some of the creators. They usually have a “contact us” button somewhere. If you like some but they aren’t “just right”, you can still print out the designs that attract you. Understand some of these designs are on-of-a-kind and it would be inappropriate to have someone other than the original designer replicate them. Respect their hard work and creativity.

However, if you find someone who dances to the same tune you do, tell them what you want. Have them estimate hind out how expensive it will be to make. Understand from the get-go that having a piece made for you is going to be costly. Determine how costly before the work begins. If everything is a go, be patient.

It takes time to create an individual diamond ring setting. Have them keep you informed and perhaps send you photos of the work as it is being done. That would be fun, wouldn’t it? Watching something come together so similar to what you had in your mind would be incredible.

It’s done. You head over to the jeweler’s shop and you wait for the finished ring. When he puts it on your finger, you will know you have fought the battle of how to find unusual diamond ring ideas, and won!