Six Tips on How to Buy the Perfect Engagement Ring
So, you’ve decided to pop the question and ask your loved one to marry you. Congratulations, the easy part is over! Now you have some harder decisions to make. Now is the time to decide how and where to propose, what words to use as you deliver the most important question of your life, and, last but not least, what engagement ring to buy for your partner.
To help you pick out the perfect engagement ring, here are five tips to guide you before you buy the one piece of jewelry that will symbolize the purity, uniqueness, and strength of your love.
1. Find out your partner’s ring size before you go engagement ring shopping: Having a ring that fits for the big proposal will make the moment even more special. To find out your partner’s ring size, get hold of a ring they wear on their wedding ring finger. Then, measure it yourself using an online ring measuring guide or take it to a jewelry store and ask a jeweler to tell you its size. Alternatively, you can attempt to find out your partner’s ring size by asking someone close to them, such as their mother or best friend, if they know it.
2. Think about exactly what kind of engagement ring your partner would want: Every person is unique, just like the love shared between you and your beloved. So, to pick out the perfect ring to suit your partner, take their individual personality and style into consideration before you buy. Is your sweetheart a traditionalist who would appreciate a classic diamond solitaire with a prong setting? Or are they more contemporary, with a penchant for modern alternative designs, colors, and cuts? Are they minimalist or elaborate? There’s a ring for everyone and picking out a style that suits will show your knowledge and understanding of the one you love.
3. Decide what color band your partner would want: There are many design elements to consider when buying an engagement ring. A good place to start is the color of the band or setting. Go traditional with a yellow gold band or opt for something more alternative with a white gold or rose gold setting. Can’t decide? How about a two-tone engagement ring? Think about your partner’s personal style and let your heart guide you, and you’re sure to choose the perfect ring for a proposal to remember.
4. Choose a sparkling gemstone to match the light of your love for each other: The diamond has long been the traditional center stone of choice for engagement rings, but today there are plenty of other colors and cut options that reflect the pure love you have for each other. Whether you opt for a classic round diamond, a retro emerald cut diamond, a unique marquise cut diamond, a stunning pink morganite gemstone, a magnificent moissanite, a blue center sapphire, or an exquisite black diamond, the engagement ring you choose should express your love, appreciation, and understanding of your fiancé-to-be.
5. Use diamond cut, color, clarity, and carat weight as a guide: If you’ll be buying a diamond engagement ring, it’s wise to get a general understanding of the Four Cs of Diamonds. These four elements of a diamond– diamond cut, color, clarity, and carat weight– can tell you much about a diamond’s qualities and appearance, allowing you to make a more educated diamond buying decision. So, while you don’t need to have the same depth of knowledge that a jeweler or GIA gemologist would have, gaining a baseline understanding of the Four Cs is a good idea. What you desire for your diamond’s cut, color, clarity, and carat weight is a personal decision. However, as jewelers, we will offer two general tips. One, prioritize diamond cut for important pieces like engagement rings and wedding bands. Diamond cut is the grade that has the biggest impact on the brilliance of a diamond, so opt for a cut of Very Good or Excellent if you want your diamond engagement ring to shine. Then, two, prioritize diamond clarity if you’re looking for a step cut diamond for your dream ring. Step cut diamond shapes, like emerald cut and asscher cut, show inclusions easily, so you should prioritize clarity grade if you want a step cut diamond to look flawless to the naked eye.
6. An engagement ring is an investment, spend your money wisely: Traditionally, the engagement ring buying rule of thumb says the buyer should spend the equivalent of three months’ salary on the ring. Today, we would recommend thinking of this purchase as an investment. Don’t spend more than you can afford, but do buy the best that you can get for the money that you have. Your beloved will be wearing the ring every day and one day it might even become a family heirloom. Make it count.
For those who don’t want to pay the full amount upfront, we also offer various finance options that allow you to pay over several months.
Final Tip: If you think you’ve settled on the perfect engagement ring for your significant other, but you’re still a bit undecided, we can ship a sample to the address of your choice – all completely free. Just look for the “See sample at home” button on the ring style of your choice.