How to Pick an Engagement Ring

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If you are in search of a ring that will make all others look pale in comparison, then your shopping expedition must follow a tested pattern. Discussed here are some steps to buying an engagement ring in most productive manner and least hassling manner.

Start with a Budget

Start by figuring out your budget for the ring. As obvious as this sounds, it’s not as easy as you may anticipate. This takes some reviewing of the past expenses, your present bankroll, the commitments in the near future and measuring everything, you have to take out an amount of money that you can spend on the ring without stretching. The amount you decide on shouldn’t be too close to the end of your limit because you need to leave some room out for overruns.

When you settle an amount for the ring, make sure it’s a sum you have at hand and you can pay right away without going into stage payments. Use your cash balance if you can to make sure that the ring is paid and bought with no debt to worry about. Set the sum to such an amount that can be paid up without going into loans or debts of any sort.

Select Your Metal/s

Let’s move on to the real part which is selection of materials. Your engagement ring can be golden or silver or a mix of both if you like. In gold, you have the classic yellow gold which is back in trend after some years now. It is warm, shiny and luxuriant. Next is white gold which is an imitation of platinum, silvery and shiny, and is often dipped in rhodium for the extra luster. Rose gold is still going high in popularity, and after the record sale last year, it is one of the most coveted gold alloys so far.

Engagement rings metal choices, Gold in: white, yellow, rose or Platinum

Other choices include platinum and palladium both of which are hypoallergenic. Platinum is what you should aim for if you are looking for a precious metal that is both expensive looking and durable. Platinum is also one of the most handsome metals in jewelries. It works for both men and women.

If your budget is particularly small, then silver is a fitting pick. It doesn’t cost much, but can be carved into stunning jewelries, in the hands of an able craftsman. If you are going with silver as your band metal, pick sterling silver.

As for mixed metal bands, mixing golds of two shades is more practicable then mixing different metals. However, gold and platinum have been wielded in rings before, and look perfectly fine, as far as aesthetics is concerned.

Decide on the Gems

Next is gems. A buyer should approach this with caution because this can make or break a purchase. The gem section is replete with options that can completely blow you away and inspire overlooking your budget. But do not make that mistake if your resource is finite.

Diamond is obviously the first choice in engagement rings. The carat is the second biggest concern because on it balances two things- the aesthetics and price, both of which are of undeniable importance to a buyer. The bigger a stone is, the higher it costs. But fortunately, we now have cuts that can make a small stone appear bigger, a cloudy stone appears clear and a cheap stone appear expensive. Practically, the right cut can take care of all the major concerns of a buyer.

But do not feel restricted to choose from diamonds alone. If you are untraditional and looking to assemble a piece that ring out as rare, then there are other unorthodox choices like emeralds, rubies, sapphires, opals, aquamarines, amethysts and such. You won’t be the first to pick a colored stone for an engagement ring because it is now very much trending.

Measure Her Style

This will take some time and careful observation. Follow her style in jewelry from the baubles she wear. Go shopping together and insist on buying jewelry so that you can gather some vital clues from her pick. If these don’t work, seek out a friend of hers with whom your secret is safe and get her to help you pick the right design.

Engagement ring styles at Diamonds-USA.com website, from left: Solitaire, with side diamonds, Low profile, Vintage, Halo