Choosing your Engagement and Wedding Rings
Deciding on both your wedding rings and engagement ring can be a daunting and time consuming task with many technical and personal aspects to take into consideration. To help you, we have put together some basic information that we recommend keeping in mind when making the important choice. After all, diamonds are forever!
The 4 Cs
There are four main characteristics to consider when you are looking to purchase a diamond, these being, cut, clarity, colour and carat. The cut of a diamond defines how well the diamond reflects and absorbs the light – it does not refer to the shape of the stone. Clarity means the amount or type of inclusions that are present in the diamond. When a diamond is examined under 10x magnification and has fewer flaws, it will receive a higher grade. The colour of a diamond gets rated on a scale of D to Z, with D having completely no colour and Z being more obviously yellow. Diamonds rated D to F are the most sought after and also the most expensive. Carat refers to how heavy the diamond is, the more carats, often the larger the stone is.
HG Tip: Make sure if you're buying a solid diamond, that you ask for it be taken out of the setting as the claws are a classic place to hide flaws. Also ask if possible to view it in natural light as the light in a jewellery store is made to enhance the sparkle and colour of the diamond.
Stone Shape
With an array of diamond shapes such as, emerald, asscher and radiant, choosing the right shape of stone can be an overwhelming decision. A round diamond is the most classic and is popular due to its 58 facets, which maximise its sparkle. We recommend doing thorough research on different shapes, visit stores as well as look online to discover which shapes you like and what would suit you best. A ring that has a well-shaped diamond will enhance its overall beauty and worth.
Should Mine Match His?
It is entirely up to you whether or not your wedding ring matches your partner's. Some couples opt for similar rings while others go for the complete opposite. Whichever you choose, there are various customisations that you can make to your rings to make them more similar, should you choose to. You could consider having your names, wedding date or even the special place that you were married engraved on the inside of your rings. Or, for subtle personalisation, you could add each other’s birthstones to the inside of your rings.
Budget
Engagement and wedding rings can largely vary in price so it is always important to have a budget in mind. Traditionally, people are willing to spend two to three month's salary on an engagement ring. Although, the key is to decide on a budget that you and your partner are comfortable with and can afford.
Wedding rings will usually be anywhere from a few hundred up depending on how elaborate the wedding ring is and if it was part of a set with the engagement ring - remember marquise and halo rings may look incredible alone but adding a wedding bandmeans custmoising a wedding band to fit under or around the shape of the engagement ring. This is becoming more popular with the advent of such shaped rings but it will add to the budget of your complementary wedding band.
Remember the Long Term
While it is important to have an engagement and wedding ring that you love, it is necessary to also think about the long-term factors. If you decide on a ring that is more fashionable, with a coloured stone or unique shape, remember that it is going to be with you for the rest of your life and could look dated in years to come. When thinking long-term it is also important to remember to not skimp on the quality of your ring, quality workmanship is essential to ensure your ring lasts for the years to come.
Choosing for her
For the person proposing, it's generally quite a daunting task if she doesn't have input into the design.
It's becoming increasingly popular to purchase the diamond in a temporary setting for permanent setting into a design of her choice at a later date.
Alternatively, short of her circling jewellery brochures and stratetgically leaving them out for you, she may be ahead of you with her design choices having pinned an array of examples to keep you on track.
Something to keep in mind is her hobbies or line of work - if she's working with her hands or climbing mountains, a giant rock isn't going to be appropriate, similarly so if she works from home or is a stay at home mother who uses her hands all day everyday because we've heard so many tales of brides reaching into a cupboard and coming out withou the diamond.
Something else to think about is her preference for metals and gems - maybe she's not a diamond girl, perhaps she'd prefer a sultry ruby or forest green emerald. Similarly, take a look at the jewelery she currently wears, is it all gold? silver? - this will help you to work it out.