Tips for choosing perfect engagement ring

Whether you plan to fall in love or not, there is a strong likelihood it will happen at some point in your life!

You may wish to adopt the traditional approach and date first, before you are certain she is the one for you. You may even want to ask her father for his permission, but, whatever route you take, you will want to find your beloved an appropriate engagement ring.

This is when you will suddenly realize just how many there are on the market and may wonder how you are going to choose the right one. The following tips will help to make sure you get it right:

Budget

Your wife to be will not thank you for running up a huge debt just to buy her a big diamond. You must establish your budget, whether this is money you have saved, something you intend to sell or a small loan which you know can be easily repaid. You may have heard that a man should spend one or two month’s salary on their bride to be; however, the one month rumor came into existence via a clever marketing campaign by the DeBeers Mining Company in the 1940’s. Business was slow after the First World War and the great depression and their campaign revitalized the industry. This was later changed to two months in the 1980’s.  However, there is no need to indulge in this. You should buy the ring that you can afford with your current budget, do not wait until you can afford something before you get the ring.

Surprise

Although there are an increasing number of men taking their girlfriend’s with them to pick the engagement ring, it is still better to keep it as a surprise. This is an excellent opportunity to show your bride to be how thoughtful you can be and how well you know her. You should also, with a little detective work be able to get the size right. The effort will be worth it! As an additional note, the easiest way to get her ring size right is to borrow a ring that fits her left or right wedding finger and that she doesn’t wear much. If necessary you can enlist her friends to help!

Style

The ring you pick needs to reflect her style, not yours! She will be wearing it for the rest of her life!  You will need to pay attention to the type and style of jewellery she wears at the moment.  This will tell you what color to go for and metal type. It will also tell you whether she likes big rings or more discreet ones. Alternatively you can take her to the jewellery shop!  But do not take her to look at rings, stop at the jewelers on your way somewhere else and say you want to look at watches.  Whilst you are doing this she will be looking at rings and you will be able to see which ones she likes. This should help you to learn which shapes of stones she likes and the type of ring; whether Tiffany setting, Channel setting or Pave!

An interesting trend this season is the signet ring. This model comes with a thicker band and a top crest that you can have engraved or adorned with diamond and precious stones. Signet rings may look bulkier, but if chosen right they will look beautifully on your fiancé’s finger.

The Band

You will need to decide which color the band should be; gold, silver, platinum? You may already know which she would prefer from the jewellery she wears. Alternatively you can choose by checking the latest trend.

The Diamond

It is not essential to choose a diamond; she may prefer a more personal precious gem.  However, if you do wish to get a diamond then you should be aware of the following four ‘C’s’:

• Cut – the best cut diamonds reflect the light from; all around and literally appear to sparkle. A well cut cheaper diamond will look better than a badly cut expensive diamond.
• Clarity – The purer the diamond is the higher the clarity. A diamond with very few flaws will glisten but will be more expensive.
• Color – Surprisingly diamonds come in several different colors. They range from colorless to pale yellow; the clearer they are the better their quality.
• Carat Weight – the heavier the diamond the better the quality and the more expensive it will be. However a good jeweler will be able to seat a diamond in such a way that it looks much bigger than its actual carat weight.

By Alfred Stallion and MyFamilySilver.com!