How To Choose An Engagement Ring Engagement rings are all about excitement, emotions and endless thoughts. Endless thoughts because you end up being confused and panicky about choosing the right ring. So many designs to choose from and amidst so much celebration happening around, it becomes almost impossible to concentrate on picking that one ring that will spell ‘forever’ for you and your partner. There are some steps though, which if followed can help you narrow down your choices.
1. Choose The Right Metal Before choosing the right design, you need to be sure of the foundation on which the design will be held. Usually the best metals are silver, gold and platinum. Knowing only
the names of metals is not enough. To help yourself against merchants or stores that might fleece you, you need a little more knowledge on these. Gold is yellowish orange and is usually alloyed with other metals to make it strong and durable. You can choose from a range of 10k up to 18K which is where most engagement rings are. This choice depends on how pure you want the gold to be. White gold is purposely alloyed with other metals to give it an off-white color. White gold is also necessarily plated with rhodium for a silvery appearance. Platinum is naturally silver in color and is hard. It dulls over a period of time but that is not much of a problem for platinum lovers.
2. Choose The Right Size This is the most obvious thing about buying an engagement ring. It has to fit your partner’s finger perfectly because they will be wearing it forever! It shouldn’t be loose to slip out or too tight to fit in. It should be just right. If you are planning to surprise your partner with your engagement ring, then it becomes a bit of a task. You can try getting your hands on one of her rings and secretly stealing it to give to your jeweler. Even if you are unable to do that and just guess her size, then a number 7 is the average ring size. You can notice her fingers and figure out if they are bigger or smaller than average. Even if you do go wrong with your guesswork, you can have the ring resized later on. In uncertainty, it is better to take a slightly bigger size than what you think is the right size.
3. Find Out What Your Partner Likes This is one of the most important aspects of buying an engagement ring. You are giving your partner something that he/she will wear forever and they should like it more than you do. So you need to find out your partner’s likes and dislikes by subtly asking questions about rings. If you are too confused, it is better to shop for their engagement ring with them. Let them choose and you will be content that you bought something that they love! If you want it to remain a surprise, then you can ask your partner’s family for ideas or rope in your partner’s friends to find out about what kind of an engagement ring would he/she like.
4. Plan Your Budget You need to be very sure of your budget. You can’t go overboard, nor can you act stingy. You have to plan how much you want to spend on the ring and then scout around for it accordingly. Let your jeweler know your budget beforehand so that he shows you a range of rings according to what fits your budget.
5. Know The Diamonds Before Putting The Ring Together Diamonds will be an important part of the ring and they need to be perfect in order to give it the sparkle that your partner will shine on forever. This does not mean you need to gift her a solitaire worth millions. It simply means you should know the 3 C’s. Carat: It is the unit measurement of a diamond. Quality Diamond Engagement rings are normally 1 carat but your will depend on the budget you have. Color: A white diamond is preferred for engagement rings. Color grading starts from D and the best ones are between F and H. Clarity: Naturally, diamonds are imperfect. The one with lesser flaws is clearer as more light is reflected from it causing it to sparkle.