A decision as monumental as choosing to spend the rest of your life with the one you love comes with a host of other huge decisions you must make when you decide to get married. Picking an engagement ring is no easy task, especially when there are thousands of options available for your future fiance. When the time comes to make your selection, there are several things to keep in mind in order to make sure you make the right choice with perfect engagement ring.
Consider Longevity- Perfect Engagement Ring
Trends come and go, and personal style evolves over time. As you consider other important factors about the ring, such as whether to go with lab diamonds or an alternative gemstone entirely, take a look at the jewelry you or your partner already wear to get a good idea of where to start looking. An engagement ring is generally worn every day for the rest of your lives, and should reflect a personal yet timeless aesthetic for its wearer.
Look at Different Styles
Does your partner prefer minimalism over flashy pieces? Do you both have a shared love of vintage design? Narrow down your and your partner’s preferred ring styles early on in the process. If you’re shopping for an engagement ring alone, you may want to ask friends and family or do some detective work with your partner’s favorite brands or inspiration sites to get a better idea of what he or she is into.
Examine Ring Features
There’s a lot more to an engagement ring than just the center stone. Engagement ring components vary in appearance, quality and cost, so it’s wise to take a look at what the two of you value when it comes to ring characteristics.
Stones
From traditional round-cut diamonds to atypical emerald-cut ruby settings, engagement rings can take a variety of forms with regard to stone choice. Numerous shapes, colors, clarity grades, carat sizes and even multi-stone arrangements can be found to suit anyone’s personal style preferences.
Which stone you select, or if you choose a ring with two or three equally-sized stones, will likely have the most significant impact on the overall cost of the piece. Bigger may not always be better, and it’s not always ideal to choose a stone with perfect clarity when on a budget. Ultimately, ask yourself what characteristics you’d like to have in an engagement ring stone and consider prioritizing your personal tastes over technical details as you shop.
Metals
Band color is not only a factor in the total cost of the ring, but the choice of metal largely affects the style and longevity of the ring as well. Take your or your partner’s skin tone into account, as well as their lifestyle. Some softer or more delicate metals require more maintenance than others and can become dented or bent over time depending on its wearer’s activities.
Settings
An engagement ring setting is simply the way the stone is held or connected to the band, and can create a ring with a high, prominently featured stone or one that sits relatively flush to his or her finger. Settings also often include additional stones on the side of the center focal point or surrounding it like a halo. Different settings are available for different stone sizes, shapes and types, so keep that in mind if you have a preferred setting style at the outset.
Know the Size
Even if you’re certain you know your or your partner’s ring size, it’s a good idea to double-check before purchasing a ring. There are numerous guides available online to help you determine the ideal ring size, but you can also visit a jeweler together for a professional fitting.
Need to secretly find his or her ring size? Reach out to friends and family to see if they know or look at a ring your partner already owns to determine an ideal size. When in doubt, size up, as it’s easier to make sizing adjustments to a larger band than it is to resize a smaller one.
