If you and your significant other have started talking about marriage, you may have thought about or even begun engagement ring shopping. Shopping for diamonds can be a bit intimidating: there seems to be a lot of information to know regarding cut, clarity, carat and color and the cost of purchasing a ring makes shopping even more daunting. Fortunately, here are some helpful tips that are sure to relieve some of your worries.
1. Begin With the Shape in Mind
If you are shopping for your future fiancée’s ring on your own, it is extremely important that you at least know what shape your bride-to-be prefers. Most women have a particular shape in mind so it is best to either come right out and ask her or have a friend figure out what shape she desires. Remember, this ring is something your future wife will be wearing everyday so you want to make sure it is something she will love. Here are five basic diamond ring shapes:
- Round – this shape is by far the most popular of diamond ring sales. Over 75 percent of all diamonds sold are round.
- Princess – this square shape is fairly new in the diamond scene but is quickly gaining popularity because of its extra sparkle.
- Emerald – this shape is typically long and rectangular and most brides choose this shape to add decorative touches next to the focal gemstone. Nevertheless, the emerald shape can also be the focal point in an engagement ring as well.
- Pear – this shape is not the most common but the distinctiveness may attract some women who desire to step outside the norm and make a bold statement.
- Marquise – this beautiful shape is essentially an oval but with pointed ends. This shape is an excellent choice if you need to opt for a smaller diamond as it can make the stone look larger.
In addition to these shapes, you may hear terms such as baguette (rectangular-shaped), radiant (not quite rectangular and not a perfect square), oval and heart.
2. Consider the Framework
Once you have determined what shape of stone to purchase, the next step is to determine the setting, or metal framework, that will hold the diamond. There are several choices when it comes to the way your diamond will be held in place. Some examples include tension-mount, prong, bezel, channel and more. You can ask your jeweler to show you different settings or check out this website to get an idea of what type of setting looks best with the diamond shape you have selected.
3. Choose a Metal
A third factor that you need to consider when shopping for a ring is the type of metal. The three most common metal choices include yellow gold, white gold and platinum. Rose gold is also offered by some reputable jewelers. Yellow gold is considered the traditional metal since it has been around the longest while white gold has quickly become a popular choice. Platinum is ideal for women who have sensitive skin as it is hypoallergenic.
4. Plan Ahead
One last important factor to consider is time. If you plan on having your ring custom-made you need to plan on waiting several weeks until your order is complete. Be sure to plan ahead so that you can give your future fiancée her beautiful ring on the date you have planned.
For some, the diamond ring is very important, but they have no idea where to start. What great tips you have shared for buying that perfect engagement ring.
These are great tips! I know we are replacing my ring next year because we cheaped out so I will be looking at these for how tos
This is great advice-especially the part about making sure what shape stone she wants! Of course I simply can not see anyone turning down an engagement ring because they don’t like the way it looks!
Great tips. My husband asked me what shape I wanted before he went shopping. I strongly believe the female should not be the one picking out the ring, but if the man knows what she wants ahead of time that is definitely helpful.
Great tips, and these are roughly what hubby and I did when we went engagement ring hunting! I love my sparkly round diamond engagement ring!
Great tips! When we went ring shopping I had no idea what I wanted, all I knew is that I wanted something beautiful that nobody else had. And that’s what I got!
Great tips. 🙂 These should be handed out to every man (or woman) that is getting ready to propose lol.
I love the pear or marquise cut on white gold. I hate regular gold.
These days, the woman get to pick what she wants her engagement ring look like. I remember I got a glimpse on mine even though I didn’t get to pick it though. I still love it because my husband chose it for me 🙂
These are some great tips. I will have to pass them along to some of my friends. thanks!
These are fantastic tips! Before my husband and I were engaged, I informed him I wanted a round diamond that wasn’t big enough to hit on stuff.. He knew I have rather large fingers so I guess he went to work! The ring he picked is perfect! 🙂
Those are good tips. When I was engaged (long ago) I had a list of things I wanted before we went shopping.
Those are great tips! I think it is important for the guy to have ideas about what she wants, but to pick it out himself, to make it extra special!
I think I need to send my boyfriend the link to this blog post!!
Great tips my engagement ring and wedding ring were all surprises but my hubby did a great job of choosing by himself he knew my taste in rings and did a great job without me telling him what i wanted.
Great tips for those shopping around. I went with a princess cut almost 10 years ago so it’s good to know it’s becoming more popular now.
Great tips for shopping for a ring. My hubby works at a jewelry store part time and knows all about rings, so I know he’ll pick the best. lol
I so wish my husband would have read this before shopping he got me this crazy ring! We ended up trading it cause I could not wear it.
These are some great tips. I think most men are overwhelmed when choosing an engagement ring and don’t really know how to go about it or what to look for. This is a wonderful guide for them to follow.
Oh wow these are some great tips! The engagement ring is so important–presentation is everything!
These are great tips to keep in mind before you start shopping! I’ll have to share this with a friend who’s about to get married they didn’t pick rings or anything out yet
Yellow Gold Natural gold and color-saturated alloys are what give yellow gold jewelry its rich shine. The alloys most commonly used, are copper with a red hue, and silver featuring a green hue. An expert mixture of copper, silver and pure gold gives this precious metal its signature warmth.
Great tips for those on their way! My son will be getting a printout of this! Thanks for making it easy to understand and full of information!
This is very helpful! I learned a thing or two haha
My husband and I didn’t follow any of these tips, so we should have ended up with a dud. Lucky for us, I have a beautiful, unique ring that I have loved for 25 years!
This is great information for guys! I really don’t believe that some even consider this. I personally am not a picky woman and was quite happy with what I received 🙂
Wonderful advice!! I’ll have to show this article to my son make sure he does it right lol
If you want to buy jewelry online, flexible shipping options and hassle-free returns are crucial. Jewelry websites should provide insured shipping options, including Saturday and next-day delivery. For added protection, many jewelers require a signature upon delivery. In regards to returns, most jewelers have a minimum 30-day return policy and allow exchanges on gift items.