According to women, the ideal engagement ring is a diamond ring. Deep in hearts every girl waits for a proposal from her partner. Traditionally, since ancient times, a ring symbolized serious intentions and commitment to each other. There was even a custom in ancient Rome: a young man gave his bride’s parents a ring as a present, which meant he was financially successful and able to take care of his future family. If you have decided to offer your beloved one to become your wife, it’s important to know how to choose an engagement ring, as for many ladies the event is more than just thrilling.
Defining the style of the engagement ring
When in a jewelry store, you’ll see a wide variety of engagement rings, which differ from each other by the location and the number of diamonds on them. Despite the diversity, all the rings are divided into several styles. It’s vital to decide the style – it’s the key part of the choice, as it will present the owner’s inner world and «taste». Pay attention to your passion’s taste and preferences, when choosing the engagement ring.
Solitaire Engagement Ring – NDSTORE 1/2 ct Certified 14K Yellow Gold Round-Brilliant-Cut Diamond
Halo Engagement Ring – DovEggs 2ct Center 7.5mm Cushion Cut
The ring of the style means its having one big diamond, encircled by smaller ones. The central stone appears in different shapes (asscher, pear, oval). The smaller stones make the main one look bigger — that’s why it shouldn’t be necessarily giant.
Three-Stone Engagement Ring – Dazzlingrock Collection 1.00 Carat (ctw) 14K Gold Round Diamond
With years this style becomes more and more popular, which is not surprising, as every woman will be impressed by a ring with three diamonds. The style allows to combine stones of not only various shapes and sizes, but even colors, which makes such rings more exclusive. This style is perfect for the brides, who want to get something special, not just a big diamond.
Pave Engagement Ring – 1/2ctw Diamond in 10k White Gold
The style is recognized due to several rows of small diamonds decorating the whole ring, which make it unbelievable bright and shiny. As other variants, such rings also have a big central diamond. The complex construction of Pavé rings make them cost more than the alternative ones. Diamonds in the rings of the style are incrusted in a not very secure way, so some of the small gems can be lost.
Channel Engagement Ring – Gem Stone King 925 Sterling Silver White Created Sapphire and White Diamond
As you can guess from the name, the rings have channels, created for diamonds being incrusted into them, which, like in case of Pavé models, add glare and emphasize the central diamond. Diamonds in the construction are securely set between two plates of gold and platinum. Like Solitaire style, Channel is classic, which many people prefer for its elegance, thin graceful lines and a wonderful balance of modern and classic features.
Vintage Engagement Ring – Kobelli Vintage Style Sapphire & Diamond Engagement Ring 1 Carat (ctw) in 14k White Gold
What finger does the engagement ring go on?
Engagement rings are worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, which is the same finger for having a wedding ring on. According to ancient traditions, the ring finger is connected with the heart. Engagement rings are worn up to the wedding day, when wedding rings are put on instead.
What should the engagement ring be?
The engagement ring is not just a piece of jewelry, but a special symbol of love, which many families consider their heirloom and pass from generation to generation. That’s why choosing engagement rings is a very responsible task.
What about the budget of the engagement ring?
First of all, you need to decide what the budget is or how much you are able to pay. If you have already looked for information on choosing an engagement ring, you read about the «requirement» claiming the price of the engagement ring must equal at least two salaries. The strange rule has a very simple explanation. In 1946 DeBeers corporation, specialized in mining and selling diamonds, launched a successful marketing campaign under the slogan “Diamonds are forever” aimed at increasing the sales of the gems. After that diamonds were no longer rare and elite, they became a «traditional» engagement present. Tip one: buy the ring you can afford, however choose it with your heart and soul, not taking into consideration existing stereotypes: ads, friends’ opinion, etc.
What size of the ring to buy – How to choose the proper size of the ring?
Option one:
If your girlfriend wears rings, the task turns not so complicated. You can simply measure one of them in advance (encircle its inner diameter on a piece of paper) or secretly take her ring to a jewelry store.
Option two:
Ask your future bride’s friend for help. Be careful, choose the person, who won’t reveal your intentions to the girlfriend!
Option three:
The alternative is the simplest one. You can buy a special device for measuring fingers and ask your beloved one to measure the forth finger of the left hand.
While choosing the ring of the right size it’s important to know the following: the ring will be worn on the forth finger of the left hand. If you measure a ring worn on another finger, its size can be of a bigger or a smaller size, than the engagement one.
What gold color is best?
You have decided the budget, found out the right size, chosen the style of the future engagement ring. It’s obvious, the engagement ring should be made of gold or platinum, with one or a few precious stones, preferably with a diamond. Rings of white gold with a round diamond are classics.
If you have decided to buy a diamond engagement ring, first you need to choose the shape of the diamond. There are nearly 10 various options. Each diamond shape has its own advantages and disadvantages (see the table). Moreover, while choosing a diamond it’s important to take into consideration such parameters as color, carat, clarity and cut.
The following step is to choose between gold and platinum. If you opt for gold, remember it comes in different colors. It’s pretty easy to choose gold or platinum, as well as to opt for a proper color of gold.
Conclusion
I hope the article helped you to find the information you needed and get inspired to make your choice. However, don’t forget the main thing, you are going to make an important step forward – to ask your girlfriend to become your wife. The ring you are intended to give as a present will become the symbol of your infinite love. Remember, even if the ring is not very expensive or exclusive, it will anyway be the best one for the woman, who really loves you. Happy engagement!