The Montare Journal

GIA's New Lab-Grown Diamond Grading: What Changed
MBy The Montare Diamond Desk · Founder-led in Toronto, 30+ years of family craftsmanship. Every diamond is personally reviewed before it ships.Published August 3, 2026 · Updated August 3, 2026 · 11 min read IGI-certified diamonds Triple Excellent standard Lifetime setting upgrades Free, fully insured shipping Made to order in Toronto On October 1, 2025, GIA stopped issuing specific colour and clarity grades for lab-grown diamonds and replaced them with a two-tier label: Premium or Standard. IGI, the laboratory that certifies the large majority of lab-grown diamonds on the market,... Read more...
Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Rings in Ottawa
MBy The Montare Diamond Desk · Founder-led in Toronto, 30+ years of family craftsmanship. Every diamond is personally reviewed before it ships.Published August 2, 2026 · Updated August 3, 2026 · 11 min read IGI-certified diamonds Triple Excellent standard Lifetime setting upgrades Free, fully insured shipping Made to order in Toronto Yes — Montare ships lab-grown diamond engagement rings free and fully insured to Ottawa, and because Ottawa sits in the same province and time zone as our Toronto workshop, the buying experience is functionally identical to buying from Toronto... Read more...
4 Prong vs 6 Prong Engagement Ring: Which to Choose
Six prongs are more secure, four expose more of the stone — and neither changes sparkle. How to choose prong count by diamond shape, carat weight and daily wear. Read more...
Do Lab-Grown Diamonds Get Cloudy Over Time? The Truth
Lab-grown diamonds do not cloud, haze or dull with age — the material cannot degrade. Here is what actually causes a cloudy-looking diamond, and how to buy one that never will. Read more...
Cathedral Engagement Ring: Pros, Cons and Who It Suits
MBy The Montare Diamond Desk · Founder-led in Toronto, 30+ years of family craftsmanship. Every diamond is personally reviewed before it ships.Published July 29, 2026 · Updated July 29, 2026 · 10 min read IGI-certified diamonds Triple Excellent standard Lifetime setting upgrades Free, fully insured shipping Made to order in Toronto Cathedral Engagement Ring: Pros, Cons and Who It Suits A cathedral setting raises your centre diamond above the band on arched shoulders, the way a cathedral ceiling rises above a nave. That height gives the stone more presence and... Read more...
14K vs 18K Gold: Which Is Right for Your Engagement Ring?
14K and 18K gold compared side by side — purity, durability, colour and hypoallergenic properties — so you can choose the right karat for your engagement ring. Read more...
Round vs Oval Diamond Engagement Rings: How to Choose
MBy The Montare Diamond Desk · Founder-led in Toronto, 30+ years of family craftsmanship. Every diamond is personally reviewed before it ships.Published July 25, 2026 · Updated July 26, 2026 · 12 min read IGI-certified diamonds Triple Excellent standard Lifetime setting upgrades Free, fully insured shipping Made to order in Toronto A round diamond gives you the maximum brilliance a cut can deliver and the widest resale market; an oval gives you 10–15% more visible size for the same carat weight, a softer silhouette, and a lower price per carat.... Read more...
Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Rings in Calgary
MBy The Montare Diamond Desk · Founder-led in Toronto, 30+ years of family craftsmanship. Every diamond is personally reviewed before it ships.Published July 22, 2026 · Updated July 22, 2026 · 10 min read IGI-certified diamonds Triple Excellent standard Lifetime setting upgrades Free, fully insured shipping Made to order in Toronto Yes — Montare ships lab-grown diamond engagement rings free and fully insured to Calgary and across Alberta, no showroom visit required. Every ring holds the same floor regardless of postal code: lab-grown, D–E colour, VVS1–VVS2 clarity, Triple Excellent cut,... Read more...
Curved & Contoured Wedding Bands: The Complete Guide
MBy The Montare Diamond Desk · Founder-led in Toronto, 30+ years of family craftsmanship. Every diamond is personally reviewed before it ships.Published July 21, 2026 · Updated July 21, 2026 · 11 min read IGI-certified diamonds Triple Excellent standard Lifetime setting upgrades Free, fully insured shipping Made to order in Toronto Curved & Contoured Wedding Bands: The Complete Guide A curved or contoured wedding band is a ring shaped to follow the outline of your engagement ring's shank so the two sit flush together with no visible gap. Instead of... Read more...
Diamond Symmetry and Polish Grades Explained
MBy The Montare Diamond Desk · Founder-led in Toronto, 30+ years of family craftsmanship. Every diamond is personally reviewed before it ships.Published July 19, 2026 · Updated July 19, 2026 · 11 min read IGI-certified diamonds Triple Excellent standard Lifetime setting upgrades Free, fully insured shipping Made to order in Toronto Diamond Symmetry and Polish Grades Explained Symmetry and polish are two of the three grades that make up a diamond's overall cut score, alongside proportions — and together they decide whether light bounces cleanly back to your eye or... Read more...
Custom Engagement Ring Design: How the Bespoke Process Works
MBy The Montare Diamond Desk · Founder-led in Toronto, 30+ years of family craftsmanship. Every diamond is personally reviewed before it ships.Published July 18, 2026 · Updated July 19, 2026 · 10 min read IGI-certified diamonds Triple Excellent standard Lifetime setting upgrades Free, fully insured shipping Made to order in Toronto A custom-made diamond engagement ring is designed from scratch around your own choices — stone, setting, metal, and proportions — rather than selected from an existing catalogue. The process moves through a consultation, a CAD (computer-aided design) rendering you... Read more...
Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Rings in Quebec
MBy The Montare Diamond Desk · Founder-led in Toronto, 30+ years of family craftsmanship. Every diamond is personally reviewed before it ships.Published July 17, 2026 · Updated July 17, 2026 · 10 min read IGI-certified diamonds Triple Excellent standard Lifetime setting upgrades Free, fully insured shipping Made to order in Toronto Yes — Montare ships lab-grown diamond engagement rings to every corner of Quebec, from Montreal and Quebec City to Gatineau, Laval, Sherbrooke and everywhere between, free and fully insured. Every ring holds the same floor no matter the postal... Read more...