If you’d pop the question; you should learn how to pick an engagement ring. Proposing to your beloved with perfect engagement rings will add excitement to the moment. There’s a lot to learn about engagement rings, in cuts, stones, and styles.
There are different styles of engagement rings for every woman. Lots of things come to play when you want to pick an engagement ring. Her personality, style, and taste come to play. The biggest factor is your budget.
When you want to buy a ring for her, ditch the three-month salary rule. But that is not to say you cannot get the best engagement rings for her. Rather, work within your budget, but go for the best you can afford. Give her something that she will be proud to rock on her fingers. To help you pick the best rings, we bring you an engagement ring style guide!
1. Set up a Budget
Deciding to propose to the love of your life is a huge step to take. And a ring is the symbolic material of the moment. If you are jittery, there is nothing to fear about choosing an engagement ring.
In setting up a budget for your engagement ring, you need to first answer this question. What kind of engagement ring do I want? When you can establish that, you set a budget.
Let us look at some tips to help you set a budget for engagement rings.
- Spend only the amount you are comfortable with. Don’t go overboard, because you’re specific about certain types of engagement rings.
- Stick to your budget and shop smart. Avoid jewelers showing you any types of diamond engagement rings.
- Think about the wedding and the types of wedding rings you may want to get. A lot of couples prefer spending so much on their wedding rings than engagement.
- It is important to spend only what you can afford on engagement rings. This is how to choose an engagement ring without getting into debts.
2. Finding The Perfect Stone For Her
The 4Cs when it comes to engagement ring types are the things to consider. Talking about how to pick an engagement ring, this is what determines the cash you’d part with. The cut, color, clarity, and color are the moot points to check out. For diamond ring style, there is no escaping this. We will be very brief with our explanation. We hope it helps.
Cut: It is the most important aspect of every ring because this determines the sparkle. It also lends an illusion to the size of the stone. Do not spare expense here.
Carat: When you talk carat, it’s about the weight of the stone on the ring. This, in every way, tells the amount the ring costs. If you go for a two carat, it will cost double the price of one carat.
Clarity: This is the level of flawlessness of a precious stone. But it is almost impossible for any stone especially diamonds to achieve flawlessness. As such, we have the eye clean diamonds. These diamonds are almost close to perfect, as the naked eyes cannot detect any flaws.
Color: This is about the color which comes in a different spectrum. There is the colorless and costliest which is grade D, down to the yellow fleck diamond. This is grade Z and the cheapest. If you pick the Grade Z, you can save extra cash.
3. Pick Her Finger Shape
The shape of the stone is its geometry. This is what brings out the beauty of perfect engagement rings. Before picking the shape of your stones, you should consider the style of your beloved. Not just that, her finger shape and length play a big role in this matter.
Pick out shapes that will complement her finger, for a gorgeous look. Also, make sure it suits her personality and fashion taste. Let’s look at the most popular shapes of engagement ring styles.
Round: If you want pronounced highlights on your engagement ring, the round shape is the best.
Emerald: The emerald shape comes with broad facets that impress the clarity of stones.
Asscher: This is more like a square emerald. It is fanciful and decorative like a piece of art on your finger.
Cushion: This old world vintage style of the 1800s is square in shape. But it has fascinating rounded corners.
Princess: The princess shape is flat and broad at the top. Running down, the shape becomes pyramidal, giving it the illusion of a larger look.
Marquise: This shape is long, tapered and maximizes carat size.
Pear: This shape is a hybrid of the marquise and round shapes. They are delicate and gorgeous. Best for light thin wedding and engagement bands.
4. Things You Need To Know about Engagement Rings
When you are choosing an engagement ring, there are a couple of things you should know. Beyond the amount you’ll spend on the ring, the metals and setting style is also important. This will determine how well the ring comes out and how long it will last. So don’t miss out on the tips below.
Metals
Gold comes in beautiful variations like white, rose and yellow gold. But it is not as strong as the platinum metal. It is cheaper than platinum and maintains its shine for a very long time.
Platinum which is silverish in color is long-lasting and hypoallergenic. But, its lustre diminishes unlike that of gold rings. This is a good investment if you are working with a costly stone.
Another is palladium, least popular, but rising in trend. It is almost like platinum, but with a grayer hue. This is another beautiful metal for your stones.
Settings style
Settings have a great influence on how the stone will look. Some settings make the stone appear huge on the ring. You can have the best of both worlds by combining gold and platinum. Use a gold band and platinum for the prongs to set the stone.
5. Tips To Get Her Correct Ring Size
Now, a proposal should be a surprise, so it may be hard to steal her ring. But there is this thing about the perfect engagement rings size that fascinates. A ring that fits perfect on her finger, without it being too tight or loose. Find below ways to get her ring size without blowing your surprise.
- Ask a friend with whom she shares jewelry to lend you one.
- Trace the inner and outer circles of her most used ring for the jeweler.
6. Decide On The Best Way To Shop
If you’re preparing to propose, the best time to buy an engagement ring is 3 months before the proposal. You’ll also decide how to shop, by making research about the type of ring you want. If you want to pick something befitting for your beloved, here is how to shop.
- Check out the different styles of engagement rings and how your budget fits.
- When checking the clarity of stones, go closer to the window for natural lights. The lights in a jewelry store are there to influence the clarity.
- Ensure you ‘insure’ the ring. To do this, request for an appraisal and grading report of the ring.
7. Start Saving Now
Depending on the engagement ring types, you may need months to get the money. It’s important you plan ahead to avoid going into debt. Even if you may finance the ring, start by making a huge down payment. Below are tips on how to save.
- Define how and when you can reach your target saving goals. Then, plan towards it.
- Make some sacrifices towards your goal, by getting an extra job and cutting down on luxury.
A lot of people do not know how to pick an engagement ring. But in this post, we broke it all down to bits. We explained the different styles of engagement rings, cuts, and shapes. Do you want to keep your surprise under wraps? We showed you a way around it and how to shop for the best rings. We wish you a beautiful proposal and a happily ever after with Wedding Forward blog.
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