One of the most important purchases you will ever make in your life, an engagement ring is symbolic of love, commitment, and a new journey with your significant other.
With the plethora of choices available, it could get confusing to find that one perfect ring. Here are a few things you must consider before purchasing to make sure that your partner absolutely loves the engagement ring.
Understand Your Partner's Style
The first thing to do to choose the perfect engagement ring is to understand your partner's style and preferences. Take note of the jewelry they usually wear. Do they like classic, modern, vintage, or minimalist designs? If they don't wear much jewelry, consider their overall fashion sense and personality.
How to Tell Their Style:
Check their Pinterest boards or social media for saved jewelry inspirations.Observe the metal colors they wear—yellow gold, white gold, platinum, or rose gold.Ask friends or family members for insight into their preferences.Take them window shopping to casually gauge their reactions to different styles.
Determine the Right Diamond or Gemstone
Traditionally diamonds are preferred but a lot of people also choose sapphires, emeralds, or moissanite to make the engagement ring a little different and uniquely beautiful. If you're buying a diamond, it's good to first learn about the 4 Cs-cut, color, clarity, and carat weight.
The 4 Cs Explained:
Cut: This is the most important of the 4 Cs and directly influences a diamond's sparkle. Round brilliant cuts are the most brilliant, while princess, oval, and cushion cuts give a distinctive look.
Color: Diamond colors range from D (colorless) to Z (light yellow). Near-colorless diamonds, such as G-H, offer a very good value.
Clarity: Clarity indicates the number of flaws (commonly called inclusions or blemishes) present in the diamond. Although a diamond's clarity is significant, it's essential to recognize that there are many diamonds that appear "clean to the eye" or stones that might have imperfections but seem perfect when viewed without magnification. This assessment spans from included to perfect.
Carat Weight: Affects size, though the right balance of cut and clarity can make a smaller stone look its best.
If they would prefer a rare stone, take time to find out the durability and special care the stone requires. For instance,sapphiresand rubies are really hard and durable, but opals and emeralds are fragile, and one must be very careful with them.
Choose the Right Metal
The metal used for making the ring matters a lot. The commonly used metals are:
White Gold: The most favored metal for engagement rings, white gold features a silver-like appearance akin to platinum. White gold is an alloy of yellow gold mixed with other metals and finished with a layer of rhodium. Due to its shiny appearance being the result of rhodium plating, it necessitates regular maintenance to maintain its beautiful finish.
Yellow Gold: Being the purest among all gold ring metals, a yellow gold engagement ring or band is the most hypoallergenic and requires the least maintenance. Its warmer shades are incredibly flattering and complement diamonds of a lesser color grade effectively.
Rose Gold: As its name suggests, rose gold is a metal that consists of a gold foundation with a pink hue. It’s a metal made by mixing pure gold, copper, and a touch of silver. The more copper there is, the pinker the rose gold becomes. Due to its unique pink shade, rose gold is a naturally romantic choice for individuals seeking an alternative to white or yellow gold rings.
Platinum: Platinum is the purest metal for engagement rings and also the most long-lasting. Although this pristine white metal can still display dents and scratches, it retains more metal mass over the years compared to gold. Platinum is considered one of the finest metals for engagement rings as it does not tarnish with time. Given its remarkable durability, platinum is undoubtedly the priciest among all engagement ring metals.
If your significant other wears metals of mixed variety, then find a two-tone setting that marries different metals together in one unique look.
Choose a Setting Based on Their Lifestyle
The type of setting can affect the looks and durability of an engagement ring. Consider what your partner will be doing every day, living their life.
Prong Setting: A classic option that lifts the diamond up for maximum brilliance.
Bezel Setting: It fully covers the stone, which provides great protection when leading an active lifestyle.
Halo Setting: Adds extra sparkle by placing smaller diamonds around the center stone.
Pavé Setting: This setting shows tiny diamonds across the band, adding extra sparkle.
Get the Right Ring Size
An engagement ring should fit comfortably-snug enough that it won't fall off, but not so tight that it's uncomfortable. If you don't know your partner's ring size, try these methods:
Borrow a ring they wear on their ring finger and have it measured.Ask their close friends or family members if they know their size.Use an online ring-sizing guide for an estimate.If you are not sure about the size, take a larger one; often, resizing may be done after that.
Set the Budget
Plan your budget; no rule, per se, on how much to spend as the most vital thing is an investment in that ring that does not dent the pocket and ensures the expectations at the other end are met well.
Consider investing more in quality when working on a budget rather than size. You can also buy lab-grown diamondshereif you are looking for classy pieces without breaking the bank.
Know Your Options in Customization
A custom engagement ring offers the chance to create something only your partner will like. Several jewelers will offer that service where you can choose the diamond, the setting, and the details on its design. Keep in mind that these custom rings may take some time to produce, so prepare early.