Finding the right engagement ring

All diamond rings look bright and sparkling when worn on a woman's hand.
And women love to wear diamonds.
So don't be too concerned if your budget allows only a lower quality diamond. And, let's face it: for the same price, some women would prefer a larger diamond of lower quality over a smaller diamond of higher quality.


While choosing a diamond is a matter of opinion, we have our preferences. For the price, larger is better as long as the diamond does not fall below your expectations for brilliance and beauty, which are determined by the Cut, Symmetry, Polish, Clarity and Color ratings.
The images below show a range of diamond qualities viewed under a 30X microscope.



This is a J color I3 clarity diamond with a "Fair" Cut. It looks opaque because there is very little light reflecting through the table. This is a result of both a shallow Cut and several cloudy flaws inside the stone. Stones like this can look fairly dull.

This is a G color I2 clarity diamond with a "Good" Cut. It has several flaws and it looks a little dark overall, but there is plenty of light reflecting through the table, and it will show flashes of fire and scintillation when it is moved under a light source.

This is a G color I1 clarity diamond with a
"Very Good" Cut and "Excellent" Symmetry. It has a flaw (near the top) that would be visible to the naked eye. However, a diamond like this can be a very good value for the price and the G Color is virtually indistinguishable from the highest color (D) after the diamond is mounted.

This is an F color VS1 clarity diamond with an
"Excellent" Cut and Symmetry. It has no flaws visible to the naked eye. It will display a shower of fire, scintillation and brightness when moved under a source of light. Nearly all of the light entering the diamond is reflected back to the viewer's eye through the table and crown of this diamond. Guidelines for making your diamond selection:For those on a budget, we would recommend a diamond with a Good Cut and Symmetry rating, a Clarity rating of I1, and a Color rating of I-J. The Cut and Symmetry rating have the greatest effect on the brilliance of a diamond. While a Clarity rating of I1 means that the diamond has a flaw visible to the naked eye, it may not detract from the overall beauty, especially if the flaw is near the outer edge of the stone and could perhaps be hidden under a prong. The Color rating does not affect the brilliance of a diamond, so wea?™ve chosen to compromise a little more on this attribute in order to lower the cost.

For those seeking an exceptional diamond, we would recommend an Excellent Cut and Symmetry rating, a Clarity rating of VS1 or better, and a Color rating of G or better. The Excellent Cut and Symmetry will return an extraordinary shower of fire, scintillation and brilliance to the viewera?™s eye. A Clarity rating of SI or better is "eye clean", meaning that no flaws are visible with the naked eye. A Color rating of G or better is nearly impossible to distinguish from the more costly D Color after the diamond is mounted.


Buy the diamond ring you can afford today,
and trade it in for a larger diamond tomorrow.


CR Jewelers guarantees the full trade in value of your diamond purchase toward a larger diamond worth 50% or more than the original price, at any time you wish.

You will receive credit for the price paid for your diamond towards a new diamond purchase. There is no limit on the number of times you can upgrade, and there is no re-stocking fee. Simply call CR Jewelers, reserve your new diamond from the Bridal Ring Builder inventory, and obtain you Return Authorization Number (RA#). The original purchase price of your trade-up will be applied toward the purchase of a new diamond with at least a 50% additional value or greater, providing the following conditions are met:

The original purchase price of your trade-up will be applied toward the purchase of a new diamond item with at least a 50% additional value or greater, providing the following conditions are met:

A. Diamond is not damaged.
B. The original diamond certificate is included. (If you do not return the original diamond certificate, there will be a $150.00 fee).
C. The copy of original purchase receipt showing

The Four C's

How to Compare Diamonds

If you are shopping on a budget, remember that all diamonds sparkle, and the most important attribute of an engagement diamond is the way it makes a woman feel. Diamonds are the ultimate gift of love. Any diamond you choose will make your woman feel cherished.
However, it is important that you do a little homework before you go shopping. The 4C's (Cut, Clarity, Color and Carat Weight) are the basic attributes used to compare diamonds. An understanding of the 4C's will give you a way to compare two diamonds and help you set basic price parameters.

How to compare diamond Color

The finest diamonds are colorless, rare and expensive. On the GIA grading scale below, D-F are considered colorless, G-I near colorless and any grade J or below shows an increasingly yellowish tinge. Beyond the preference for a whiter stone, however, the color of a diamond does not affect its brightness or sparkle.
Fast Fact: Most experts agree that, when mounted, diamonds in the "G-H" range appear colorless and represent a much better value than "D-F"stones which command significantly higher prices.

How to compare diamond Clarity

Diamonds with fewer flaws are rare and therefore more highly prized. In many cases, these flaws (or inclusions) don't detract from the beauty of the diamond because they are invisible to the naked eye. The GIA grading scale below shows clarity ranges from "Internally Flawless" (IF) to "Very Very Slight" Inclusions (VVS), to "Very Slight" Inclusions (VS), to "Slightly Included" (SI), to "Included" (I).
Fast Fact: Any grade "SI2" or above has inclusions that are "eye clean", not visible to the naked eye. An "I1" grade can be an excellent value, particularly if the inclusion is on the outer edge. "I2" grades can still exhibit a fair degree of fire and light. "I3" grade diamonds are noticeably more opaque or dark to the naked eye.
How to compare diamond Cut, Symmetry and Polish:
More than any other attribute, it is the Cut that makes a diamond brilliant and beautiful. A diamond that is well cut reflects light internally and displays a dazzling shower of light back through the top of the stone. A poorly cut diamond will leak light out of the bottom and sides, as illustrated below. Symmetry is another important factor in the brilliance and beauty of a diamond. A diamond is like a small house of mirrors. If the facets are lined up properly, the diamond returns more light to the viewer??™s eye. Finally, a diamond that is well Polished will reflect more light and sparkle from the surface to the viewer??™s eye. Cut, Symmetry and Polish are rated on your diamond certificate from Poor to Excellent.
Excellent Cut:Light enters and returns to the viewer's eye
Poor Cut:Light enters and leaks out the bottom

Fast Fact: The measurements listed on your diamond grading report also give an indication of how brilliant your diamond will be. The formula for cutting a diamond of ideal proportions was written in 1919 by Marcel Tolkowsky. Although it is rather complex, you can find the information by searching his name from within any popular internet search site.

Our New Online Ring Builder

CR Jewelers is extremely excited to announce its new Bridal Ring Builder website with thousands of certified diamonds to choose from. CR Jewelers is able to provide this opportunity to the CR Jewelers Family at not only a guaranteed exceptional level of quality, but also at outstanding prices. The Bridal Ring Builder site allows you to custom design your own ring by first choosing a diamond that fits your personal needs, and then putting the right diamond in the perfect setting to showcase its brilliance. As a CR Jewelers customer you will have access to thousands of certified diamonds 24 hours a day. Additionally, a diamond education is provided for you in order for you to make an informed decision. This eases the purchasing process and lets you feel confident with your selection. The Bridal Ring Builder diamonds have been graded by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the EGL (European Gemological Laboratory), or the AGS (American Gem Society Laboratories) which are the top laboratories in the industry. Availability of the particular diamond chosen is guaranteed on a first come, first served basis. If the selected diamond has been sold prior to receipt of your order, you will be alerted to comparable alternative selections. CR Jewelers provides exceptional customer service, and will gladly help you with your choice. We at CR Jewelers want to share in this momentous purchasing decision, a purchase symbolizing your love and commitment to each other. We are also very committed to making the process of selecting the right diamond with the right setting as effortless and enjoyable as possible. We all look forward to helping you during this significant time of your life, and wish only the best for your future.

About CR Jewelers

As many companies experience the recession, and the business problems related to it, there are some success stories here in South Florida. A case in point is the continued expansion and success of Chain Reaction Jewelers now named CR Jewelers.
Twin brothers Lawrence and Donald Weinberg came to Miami from New York in 1980. With college degrees in hand they saw an opportunity to sell jewelry in a Flea Market setting. A year passed, business was good, and they expanded to three locations in two different Flea Markets. The first regular retail store was born in September 1981, in downtown Miami....across from the legendary Miami Jewelry Seybold building instead of inside it! They wanted everyone to know they existed and were here to stay! Years passed with the boys making it into some major regional Florida malls, including Westland, Miami International, Cutler Ridge and Sawgrass Mills to name a few. Now in the end of a post 9-11 economy and the middle of the Real Estate downturn, they have opened their 16th major mall store after more than 27 years in business.
Twin brothers Lawrence and Donald have the distinction of having the highest rating (#1) by the Jewelers Board of Trade and one of the highest $ per square foot earned in a Regional Mall. The secret to their success lies partly to their strange but effective advertising. During the 1980's when the "Miami Is For Me" campaign was the tourists boards slogan, the brothers decided to contribute a penny for every inch of 14kt gold chain they sold.
After a year of promoting the "Miami Is For Me" campaign, they delivered by armored car almost $3,000 in pennies!! That's 300,000 pennies or 6,000 rolls! "The funniest part about the whole thing" Donald said, was the thank you letter we received the next day. A courier came with a 10 page note saying "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 3,000 times!
Another promotion they were involved in is "Win a Wedding at McDonalds". Larry likes to refer to it as the "FamousMcWedding". "I wonder if we can trademark McWedding" he wonders out loud. The promotion involves Chain Reaction Jewelers and Merv Griffin's Paradise Island. Some lucky person will win a "Mc Honeymoon" to Paradise Island, gold and diamond rings and a fully catered reception compliments of McDonalds!! With advertising like that how can one lose They say with big smiles.
Valentine's Day in the mid 90’s at Facade nightclub in Ft. Lauderdale was more than exciting. Radio commercials on 3 radio stations exclaimed. 5,000 half carat cubic zirconia’s and 5 half carat diamonds were to be given out. The catch was no one knew if they got a real diamond worth over $3,000 or a Cubic Zirconia worth $2.00. "Is it a Diamond or a CZ, only CR Jewelers knows for sure" was what the card said that had the stone attached to it.
Needless to say, the club Valentines eve was standing room only! All the CR Jewelers stores that entire week was a mad house with people wondering if they were one of the lucky 5 to win a diamond.
Another advertising scheme involves a 747 airplane with the Chain Reaction logo emblazoned on the fuselage. The brothers say the air plane is used to import Diamonds from Belgium and 14kt gold from Italy so they don’t have to pay a middleman. Another one of their well thought-out schemes or possibly a real 747 I guess we will never know!
Donald admits "After all is said and all is done the success of the company lies solely on the people that work with us. All the advertising gimmicks and schemes in the world would not work if the customers come into the store and are faced with ineptitude." "The people that work with us are most knowledgeable, fast and efficient", Donald says. "Our staff is the true secret of our success," echoes Larry.
Success does not come easily, both brothers work 60 to 70 hours per week, but will make themselves available for further discussion. If you are interested in knowing more about the CR Jewelers companies success and their significant contribution to the South Florida economy. Currently we own and operate 16 locations in 10 different states. We are planning to open our newest store in New Jersey in the 4th quarter. Our most aggressive store build out to date.
The current business climate forced us to become a more inventory driven company rather than a marketing one. We now cater primarily to the Diamond market. Importing most of our Diamond jewelry from companies that own Diamond Mines, gives the customer a better quality diamond at a much lower price.
The diamond market has changed dramatically in the last year or so. Larger companies like our selves are now buying directly from the mines cutting out the middlemen and the wholesalers. We pass the savings directly to our customers. “We like to refer to our customers as ‘clients’ Donald adds, “we try to have long term relationships with anyone who enters our stores” We have been in Miami International Mall and Westland Mall Hialeah, Florida for more than 15 years! In Sawgrass Mills Mall Florida, One of the largest Malls in the United States we were the first jewelry store to sign a lease back in 1995. “Longevity is why our relationships with our clients make a strong bond”
An example of the dedication we have to our clients was clearly shown when a custom made Diamond Wedding Band was late being finished. The wedding was in Key Largo. The ring was finished the day of the wedding, with no time to send it, our manager drove 2 hours down to the Keys to hand deliver the ring. Just in time! Oh yeah, she was hastily invited to the wedding and reported back it was a beautiful ceremony and affair, on the beach, bare-foot and all !
We clearly understand we are in the midst of an Internet boom and are fully leveraging the technologies available to us. We are now operating a Diamond Ring Building website at www.crjewelers.com where you are able to pick from over 7,000 diamonds. You can then have the diamond set in the ring of your choice and it will be delivered directly to your house.
If you would like to see the diamond you picked in our store, be my guest. We can have the diamond delivered to the store for you to take a look at.CR Jewelers, with the help of their Customers and Associates will be celebrating their 29th Anniversary in September. We thank you both for making our success! For without you, there would be no US. ;-)