When planning on proposing to a girl, most of the thought you put in gets attached to the ring itself. It is pretty certain your sweetheart would be at least mildly thrilled about being presented something beautiful and costly, and of course, meaningful as well. Below is a guide that would really come in handy when purchasing the perfect ring for your beloved.
Keep a Budget
The engagement ring is a symbolic representation of your love towards your soulmate, whether it falls under cushion cut engagement rings or just plain old emerald cuts. However, the ring with which you propose to your girl, also comes with a tag. Setting a rigid budget based on the amount at which you wish to cap spending on the ring is crucial, especially at the early stages of your purchase decision. This approach helps choose the perfect shape for your center gem, as well as with choosing the design and setting of your ring.
There is actually no standing sensible rule regarding the sum you actually should spend on an engagement ring. It is always best to spend an amount you are comfortable parting with. You should be able to get the ring of your dreams simply by balancing the 4Cs of diamond quality, with the price tag itself. Otherwise, it is time to go look in another store. Another way to get a budget-friendly ring, is by choosing a lab-created diamond for the centerpiece.
Deciding On the Ring Style
The most difficult part of choosing the ring of your dreams, is deciding on the overall style. There are vast collections available in myriad stores around the world, making it very hard to pick a certain option and be satisfied with it right off. The best way for finding a ring that your fiancé would love, is by taking a close look at the rings which she already wears. From this, you would be able to get an idea of whether she likes nature-inspired, classic, glamorous, modern, or mixed styles. It would also be a good idea to ask her close friends for help in this area.
Engagement Ring Settings
The setting of an engagement ring is basically the mounting used to hold its centerpiece, which is frequently a beautifully cut and large diamond. It is the setting which usually defines the overall design of your ring.
Halo Setting
In the halo setting, you would have a halo of diamonds surrounding the center stone. This would actually make the size of the centerpiece appear much larger than actual. The small sparkly diamonds could make the whole thing more appealing by augmenting the collective shine.
Cathedral Setting
This is more of a classic ring setting. The Cathedral has metal arches holding the center diamond in its intended spot. You would be able to set a Cathedral in a bezel, prong, or tension setting. The main identifying factor of this ring is how the diamond is mounted above the shank within the arches.
Channel Setting
In the channel setting, you would see the band of the ring set next to “channels” of smaller diamonds. This increases overall shine, and has each channel of smaller diamonds taking up either half or all the length of a side.
Deciding On the Center Gemstone
The most important feature of your ring is obviously its center stone, which would generally be pretty hard to pick out in the first place. In order to determine whether your better half wants something common or unique, and what exactly under either, you would need to follow a long and tedious process. About 90% of all engagement rings use diamonds for their center stone, with sapphire falling next on the list. If your beloved wants something unparalleled, these are the two options you should be focusing on. Another reason to choose stick to these is their higher hardness, which is appealing in jewelry that is meant to be worn a lot. Diamond has a score of 10 on the Mohs scale, while Sapphire lands a close 9.
The 4Cs Of Diamond
All diamonds are graded based on the 4Cs, which cover color, cut, clarity and carat weight. The cut of a diamond is hands-down what essentially defines its outward beauty. A well-cut diamond can refract and reflect more light than one lacking a good cut, and that enhances its beauty tremendously. Diamonds also carry color in varying degrees. Each stone gets its color from the inclusion of other elements inside, which happened during formation. Clarity is vital too; it is this aspect of a diamond that lets you gauge its level of flawlessness. Too many inclusions can make a diamond look whitish or cloudy. The last factor – carat – is actually the unit used for measuring the diamond’s weight, and is often closely associated with the stone’s size.