How to Select the Perfect Engagement Ring!

You can’t underestimate important choosing the right engagement ring is. It doesn’t matter how many people tell you differently, you really need to bust your gut to make sure you choose wisely. We aren’t talking about choosing the most expensive ring you can find, or the ring with the most diamonds inside it. We’re talking about what you think will be the perfect engagement ring for your upcoming marriage; after all, it’ll stay on forever. It’s never an easy task when going through this process, but don’t worry- we know that. That’s why we’re here with our guide on how to select the perfect engagement ring.

Before even thinking about what the ring will look like, you have to decide what your budget is. This will determine the kinds of shops and stores you can browse, as many of them are tailored to specific price ranges. Remember, it’s not all about how expensive the ring is; it’s about the love for your partner that it represents. Don’t be embarrassed if you can’t afford the most expensive ring in the store, as we’re sure your partner would be much more happy with a ring that means a lot no matter the price than being in debt come the start of your marriage. Remember, you’ve still got wedding rings and a wedding itself to pay for, so you don’t have to break the bank for the engagement ring.

You then need to make sure you keep the whole process a surprise. We’re sure you can’t imagine anything worse than your partner finding out about your proposal before you’ve even done it, so don’t take any risks and make sure you keep it amongst a select group of friends and family. Don’t leave anything lying around your home, especially receipts or the ring itself. This is just asking for trouble. The magic of a proposal comes from the surprise it brings, so keep it all under wraps.

Next, make sure you consult your family and close friends for any advice. We touched on this in the last paragraph, but keeping it between a select few will ensure that you get the best advice possible and keep it as a surprise. Your parents should be a great source of inspiration for ring advice, as no doubt they’ll have gone through the same process themselves all those years ago. Grandparents and even friends who are already married should also be consulted, as you can’t get enough advice on selecting one of the most important items for your marriage.

Now onto the hard part; finding out your partner’s ring size. A lot of people mess this up, and you really want to avoid the awkwardness of proposing successfully and being unable to put the ring on your loved one’s finger. It’s no mean feat to find this out, but your best shout is probably to nick a ring that your partner already owns and take it to the store to get the same size. Hopefully they already own a few rings so they won’t notice if one goes missing for a few days, but if they don’t you’ll have to work hard to keep your surprise a secret. If they don’t own any rings, you’ll have to go about it in a more unconventional way; perhaps try and get one of their friends to find out for you, without giving too much away?

Then it comes down to selecting the style of ring you think your partner would like most. Remember, they’re going to be wearing this ring around for the rest of their life, so this is an extremely important stage. You should already know a lot about your partner, and all about their personality and fashion choices (if you don’t, probably reconsider the proposal!). What kinds of things are they into? Do they like to stand out from the crowd, always wearing sparkly, outgoing outfits? Are they more conservative, preferring to blend into the crowd without caring too much about how they look? Whatever their personality and fashion choices are, chances are their ring preferences will follow the same pattern. You’ll need to consider whether they’ll want a big sparkly ring, or a modest looking one which will perhaps have more sentimental value. Would they want a diamond ring, or something more personal such as a birthstone? Look at jewellery they already own, and take note of the kind of thing they enjoy wearing already. This will go a long way to helping you select the perfect engagement ring.

The band of the engagement ring also needs to be taken into consideration. This is more or less the type of metal the ring will be moulded from, and as you should know different types of metal have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to rings. Gold rings are more shiny to start with and are easier to polish further down the line, but wear out more easily as it is a softer metal. Platinum rings will have less of an original shine, but as a more durable metal are less likely to require refurbishment in future years. Of course, what your partner will prefer in the present is probably the most important thing to consider, as you can worry about most of these issues when they arise. Right now the main issue is selecting a ring your partner will love.

Last of all, you need to decide what kind of stone to get for your ring, and how to lay it out on the ring itself. Of course most people go for diamond, but this doesn’t mean you have to follow the crowd. It’s all about what you feel will be most special for your ring and your marriage. You need to get the stone cut, shaped and then decide what way to display it on your ring.

It’s not nearly as simple as it seems, but if you’re ever struggling just take inspiration from all the people who have had to go through it before you. If they can do it, you can!

You can check out some engagement rings a Nelson Coleman Jewellers.