Shopping for engagement and wedding rings is tough, especially if you don’t know the first thing about jewelry. You want to commemorate one of the most important moments in your life with a gift that will last forever, but how can you be sure you’re making the right choice?
The decision isn’t made any easier by the fact that you can spend weeks researching types of diamonds, gemstones, cuts, settings, and types of band.
But if you really want to impress your fiance when you ask them to marry you, the only thing that really matters is finding a ring that captures the love you share. These three tips can help you do that.
1. Choose Something Personal
The single most important thing to keep in mind when shopping for a ring is that there is no such thing as the universally perfect engagement ring — the perfect engagement ring, one that best expresses the love between two unique individuals.
Instead of getting caught up in worrying about brand names and carat weights, you should instead look for a ring that your partner will love.
For example, colorless diamonds have long been a classic engagement ring gemstone, but if your lover’s favorite color is green, or red, or blue, or yellow, choosing a gemstone that reflects their taste might be better. Common alternatives to diamonds include:
- Morganite
- Emeralds
- Sapphires
- Rubies
- Aquamarines
These gemstones all rate high on hardness, and with care, will maintain their beauty for decades to come.
2. Price Doesn’t Guarantee Quality
One of the most common questions people ask when shopping for engagement rings is “how much should I spend?” And while budget is certainly a factor for everyone, beware the trap of thinking that the best way to buy a quality ring is simply to spend more on it.
Price doesn’t guarantee quality, and it is much better to find a ring you and your partner love for its unique beauty than to just spend a lot of money on something generic.
3. Explore Custom Designs
If you’ve spent hours combing through display cases and searching online catalogues but still haven’t found a ring that says what you want it to say, it can be worthwhile to explore custom design options.
Custom engagement rings give you the option of getting a ring that has been handcrafted to your specifications, from the gemstones and the setting to the band itself.
Starting with the basic features you want to see, designers will work with you through every stage of the process, and some even use state-of-the-art 3-D modeling software so you can see what the finished ring will look like before its crafted.
One of the extraordinary things about gemstones is that, just like couples, each is unique in its own way. Celebrating your future together should start with an engagement ring that exemplifies what makes your love distinct, so instead of trying to find a ring that looks like every other ring on the market, find one that will make both of you happy every time you look at it.
