Planning to pop the question to the love of your life? Whether you want to surprise your other half by getting down on one knee, or if you’ve been discussing turning your relationship into a formal engagement, nothing says ‘love commitment and marry me’ better than an engagement ring.
However, deciding you want to get married is often easier than choosing the perfect jewellery to mark the occasion. When it comes to engagement rings, there’s a huge array of options. But fear not, here is some guidance to help ensure your partner’s face lights up with delight when you’re down on one knee and open that little box you’ve been hiding!
Choose Your Budget
It sounds obvious, but the first question you should ask yourself is how much can you afford to spend on an engagement ring? You shouldn’t feel pressurised into spending more than you’re comfortable with. Often, choosing an off-the-shelf engagement ring will be enough to delight your partner. Of course, you may well want to go bespoke and create a one-off ring which is completely unique. With a reasonable budget to play with, most jewellers will be able to help you find what you’re looking for.
Choose Your Setting
This is the overall design of the ring, taking into account the centre stone, plus the gallery, prongs, bands, and any accents on the band. It’s important that each feature of the setting combines to create an attractive engagement ring that’s comfortable to wear and suits the style and personality of the wearer.
Choose Your Stone
This is the gem that forms the focal point of the ring. The traditional option with engagement rings is diamond, as it’s tough and ideal for daily wear. But there are really no limits if you want a more colourful or unique ring. Rubies and sapphires are as equally hardwearing but more colourful than diamonds. And there are more contemporary options you can explore, such as morganites, amethysts and blue topaz.
Choose Your Style (H2)
Or rather a style that suits your partner. If you thought all rings were just bands of gold with a glittery jewel on top, you’re about to find out that things are a little more complicated than that, as there are several different styles of engagement ring to choose from:
Solitaire Rings: These are the most popular choice for engagement rings. Simple yet elegant with the glittering stone being the star of the show, set in a plain metal band.
Halo Rings: Another popular option sees the main jewel surrounded by a circle of smaller gems which serve to make the main stone look bigger. Together they create the kind of dazzling and eye-catching look a lot of people want from an engagement ring.
Trilogy Rings: As the name suggests, this ring features three gems with the one in the middle usually slightly larger than the other two. This creates jewellery with the wow factor, ideal for someone who likes to stand out.
Choose Your Cut
Take a close look at a few diamond rings and you’ll likely see differences to the way each of the precious stones is cut.
Round Brilliant: A circular cut that maximises the sparkle of the gem at the heart of your engagement ring.
Princess: The stone is cut into an upside-down pyramid shape with bevelled edges.
Emerald: A flat top cut with long, linear lines that make the gem appear larger.
Cushion: A rectangular or square cut with a large tabletop and rounded corners.
Choose Your Band
As well as the style and cut of the gems, you’ll need to choose which metal the ring is made from. Platinum is popular, especially if the ring wearer needs a hypoallergenic option, but other widely used ring metals include white gold, yellow gold and rose gold.
Choosing The Right Ring Size (H2)
This is perhaps the decision that keeps most people awake at night. Many dread the thought of trying to slip an engagement ring on the finger of their partner who’s just agreed to marry them and finding it simply doesn’t fit.
Here are a few tips to avoid that nightmare scenario:
Go Large: In the world of rings, too big is better than too small. After all, a big ring will slip onto a finger. It might not stay there long, but it’s better than wrestling to get a ring on that’s too small and then having to use soapy water to get it off again.
Speaking Of Soap: There are ways to find out the finger size of your intended without them knowing. One way is to get hold of an existing ring of theirs and firmly press it into a soft bar of soap to get an outline of the size.
Ask Friends And Family: Your partner’s parents, siblings or best friends may know their ring size, or be able to get hold of one of their rings from which you can take a measurement by placing it on a sheet of paper and drawing around it. Of course, you’ll have to swear them to secrecy if you’re planning to spring a surprise. As a rule of thumb (or a rule of ring finger in this case) female sizes usually range from G to R, while the male range is usually from P to Z.
Choose How To Buy
You may wish to buy online or have a face-to-face discussion with a jeweller in Hatton Garden or your local high street jewellers. If you choose a customised engagement ring, you’ll need to consult a specialist to ensure you get what you want. Once you’ve agreed a price, you can decide whether to buy outright or opt for financing. You’ll also likely want to discuss warranties and insurance for your purchase.
When choosing your engagement ring whether in-person or online, be sure to leave plenty of time to get your ring made and delivered. Custom-made rings can take up to 8 weeks to create, so choosing a style that’s going to be ready in time is also important.
Here at Hatton Garden Diamond, we’ll go all-out to create your dream engagement ring. Whatever setting, stone, style, cut and size you need, our friendly and expert team are ready to help you online or in-person in the heart of London.