If you’ve found someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, and you’re planning to propose, you may be searching online catalogs for diamond rings. After all, according to the American Gem Society, the use of diamond rings to propose with has continued since 1477, when it was first done in Austria. Sparkly engagement rings, topped by diamonds, have continued to be one of the most popular ways to signify an engagement.
According to the Knot, if you follow tradition, you’ll use a classic diamond ring for your proposal. The same website defines a classic diamond ring as a round diamond solitaire with a brilliant cut. (According to Tiffany, “brilliant” signifies that the diamond was cut to allow a maximum amount of light to shine through its facets.) If you want to follow tradition, you’ll choose a traditional shape and style.
You may have a specific idea in mind for the ring you choose. The person you love may have unique tastes, and you may want to reflect that in your choice of ring. For example, you may decide to consider specialized rings with gems that are not diamonds or rings made with alternate shades of gold.
If you’re getting ready to propose to your significant other, you’re likely thought about (or already planned) the perfect way to do. Maybe it’ll be over dinner at your favorite restaurant. Maybe it’ll be after a romantic nighttime stroll. Maybe it’ll be at a place that’s special and meaningful to the two of you. Maybe there’s candlelight or flowers to even family and friends.
However it goes down, it will be the culmination of a loving relationship between the two of you. In fact, studies have shown that the average couple dates for about five years before getting married. When that special night goes down, there’s no doubt it will memorable.
But what every memorable engagement needs to take it over the top is an engagement ring. When that ring is presented during the big moment, it’s got to be a special surprise that takes their breath away. The perfect engagement ring will be a talking point and the focus of discussion among family and friends for months and the perfect ring can make friends and family envious.
So how do you find the perfect ring? Visit some local jewelers and keep the following things in mind:
- The Four Cs: If you’re someone who knows nothing about engagement rings, to get started, you need to know the four C’s associated with them: carat, cut, clarity and color.
- Carat: This measures the overall weight of a diamond.
- Cut: The cut of a diamond reflects its beauty. Ideally, you want a diamond that’s cut perfectly so it can reflect and refract light in a beautiful way.
- Clarity: Natural inclusions (such as cracks) on a diamond can significantly impact its value and appearance. When you visit jewelers, you want to find stones with a high degree of clarity.
- Color: A diamond gets its color from the amount of nitrogen when it was formed. Diamonds with less color are more coveted for their higher brilliance.
- Budget: If money is no object when you visit jewelers looking for the perfect diamond ring, then by all means find the best ring for your significant other.
But for most folks, rings are an expensive purchase. Rings are about more than money, but you also want to keep in mind what you can afford. Ultimately, a ring should be comfortable and be something that’s special and meaningful. There’s no hard and fast rule for buying rings, so don’t feel like you need to keep up with the Joneses. Regardless of what you buy, just make sure you can afford the ring you choose for your special someone. - Metal: There’s a lot of metals you can choose from as you shop different jewelers and their selections of engagement rings. You can choose yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, platinum and even titanium. If there’s a certain kind of metal your significant other prefers, you can choose a ring with that metal.
- Ring style: The hardest part of looking at engagement rings is choosing the right ring style. Like metals, there a lot of choices out there including:
- Ballad diamond rings: These can be considered “classic” engagement rings with large center diamonds and thin bands. They can also include smaller diamonds down the sides of the band.
- Twisted vine diamond rings: These feature diamonds twisted together with your metal of choice.
- Waverly diamond rings: These feature kind of a halo setting for the diamonds where a large diamond is surrounded by many smaller diamonds.
- Gemstones: These days, it’s hard to go a few minutes without seeing a jewelry commercial on TV. They show off all kinds of special diamonds and ring settings and styles. But maybe you’re looking for something more unique than that. It’s estimated that about 90% of engagement rings have diamonds. But sapphire rings are popular too and you can even incorporate birth stones if you wish.
There’s no doubt you want your proposal and engagement to be special. By keeping some of the following tips in mind, you can find a ring that’s affordable, beautiful and memorable.
