There are some key things you need to know when choosing or looking for an engagement ring. Here are my 6 tips on how to choose the perfect engagement ring, I also added 6 ways not to choose an engagement ring too.
Things to do:
- Be confident & bold in your choice of ring design.
- Do your homework, choose a ring that reflects her personality, style, and your love (of course!).
- Research any recommendations you’re given, and also get advice from a professional (jewellers).
- Set a budget & stick to it.
- Shop around, compare prices and don’t rush an expensive purchase needs researching and time.
- Think about the metal for the ring band, such as white gold, yellow gold, or platinum.
Avoid:
- Being afraid to break traditional engagement ring norms.
- Don’t compromise on quality to save money, (But remember point No.4 above).
- Don’t rush to making a decision on a purchase.
- Don’t follow trends just because they’re popular.
- Don’t neglect to consider the recipient’s preferences & style.
- Don’t forget to think about the future, after an engagement comes a wedding.
Tip: Why not consider personalising the ring with engravings or a special message.
Other factors to consider when buying an engagement ring are the four C’s, these will help you in choosing the perfect engagement ring.
Clarity
This is about the clarity of the stone and its grading; you want it to shine bright like a diamond – clarity is important. Grading scale begins with Flawless, Internally Flawless The scale ranges from flawless to heavily included:
- F (flawless inside and out)
- IF (internally flawless, which means there are blemishes on the surface but not inside the diamond)
- VVS1 and VVS2 (very, very slightly included – two levels)
- VS1 and VS2 (very slightly included – two levels)
- SI1 and SI2 (slightly included – two levels)
- I1, I2 and I3 (included – three levels)
Cut
Is sometimes confused with size, diamond cut I think, is the single most important of the 4Cs when it comes to the physical beauty of a diamond. Why? Because a diamond’s cut determines how much it sparkles. A well-cut diamond can make a stone of lower quality appear more brilliant than a poorly cut diamond of higher quality.
Colour
The colour of a diamond is graded on a scale from D (colourless) to Z (light yellow or brown), with colourless diamonds being the most valuable.
Carat
Rather than a measurement of the diamond’s width, length, or scale, carats measure how much a diamond weighs. A carat is a unit of measurement used to weigh diamonds, with one carat equaling 0.2 grams.
Everyone has their favourite combination of the 4 Cs – colour, clarity, cut, and carat weight — cut & clarity has the greatest influence over a round diamond’s brilliance, determining the shine shine
When you buy a genuine diamond, you should receive a GIA or AGS certificate to show authenticity. The average women’s ring size is L½ and the average men’s ring size is Q, but please do not guess the ring size, as that can be an expensive mistake.
How much should you spend on an engagement ring?
One method of determining how much you should spend on an engagement ring is to spend the equivalent of one to three months’ salary/wages on an engagement ring. You can work it out but on average that maybe; £1900 – £4800 upwards (it depends on your salary and how deep your pockets are).
The main deciding factor should be a combination of things, what you feel she would like (as she will wear it the rest of her life..lol!), her personal style, ring quality and what you can afford. Remember an engagement ring is an extension of your love and proposed commitment, so make sure it is symbolic of that.
money.co.uk’s has an Engagement Ring Cost Calculator! It’s a useful tools to help you find out how much you could spend on an engagement ring.
https://www.money.co.uk/content/engagement-ring-cost#the-engagement-ring-cost-calculator
Images of the couple featured by Bandele Zuberi
