July07
How to Shop for an Engagement Ring – A Buying Guide from Jewelry Wise
You’ve decided to pop the question — the question, the one that will change everything. But before you can start planning your happily-ever-after with your future bride, you have a little shopping to do.
It’s natural to feel overwhelmed by how much you need to learn when you set out to buy a diamond engagement ring. Technical information about the 4Cs, conflicting information about how much you need to spend, and hundreds of different styles and options can quickly confuse you.
Use this guide as your starting point to orient yourself to the vast world of diamond engagement rings. We’ll help you understand where to start, and what to consider, before you make your final decision.
Style before science
Buying a diamond engagement ring is nothing like any other purchase you’ve made. There are countless variables that affect beauty, quality and cost. It’s not like buying a car, where you get virtually the same thing every time, with a few options or add-ons. Every diamond is unique, and the ring in which the diamond is set presents countless options as well.
Many people focus first on diamond quality — the “grade” of a diamond based on the 4Cs of color, clarity, carat weight and cut — before they shop for style. The 4Cs were originally conceived as an educational tool to convey why a diamond cost so much. They’re valuable for understanding tradeoffs when buying a diamond within your budget.
But once your fiancée puts the ring on her finger, she isn’t going to go around showing people her “E color, VS1 clarity, 1.2-ct., thick-girdle” diamond ring. She’s going to show off her beautifully designed and brilliantly sparkling engagement ring.
That’s why we recommend focusing first on finding the perfect style for your fiancée — and then finding the right diamond to fit that style. Consider the following options when considering the right engagement ring style.
Diamonds and Gemstones
A DIAMOND SOLITAIRE
Is your fiancée interested in a simple and elegant diamond solitaire — a single diamond showcased in a metal band?
A RING WITH SIDE DIAMONDS OR COLORED GEMSTONES
Would she like an engagement ring with side diamonds or side color gemstones for added dazzle or color?
A HALO RING
She might want a halo ring, which has one center diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds.
A DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT BAND
Does she want a diamond engagement band instead of a ring with larger center stones?
COLOR GEMSTONES OR COLOR DIAMONDS
Do you think your fiancée-to-be would prefer color gemstones or color diamonds instead of white diamonds in her engagement ring?
Shapes
If you decide to go with a center-stone diamond or a ring with side stones, you’ll have a lot of choices when it comes to choosing the shape of your diamonds or gemstones. Your choices include:
ROUND
PRINCESS
EMERALD
MARQUISE
OVAL
PEAR
HEART
Metals
What metal color and type best fits your fiancée’s style and taste? Do you think she would prefer:
PLATINUM
The hard, modern look of platinum?
WHITE GOLD
The softer and contemporary look of white gold?
YELLOW GOLD
The classic yet fashionable look of yellow gold?
ROSE GOLD
The unique and romantic look of rose gold?
Settings
What diamond or gemstone setting is right for your bride-to-be’s engagement ring? Do you think she’d like:
PRONG
The clean and classic look of a prong setting?
CHANNEL
The extra flash and flair of a channel setting?
PAVÉ
The glamorous look of a pavé setting?
BEZEL
The contemporary, striking look of a bezel setting?
Styles
There are as many engagement ring styles as there are personalities in the world. How do you find the one that’s right for your bride-to-be? Start by narrowing down what her personality and style call for:
MODERN & CLASSIC
VINTAGE-INSPIRED
CLEAN & MINIMALIST
GLAMOROUS & ORNATE
TRADITIONAL & UNDERSTATED
DRAMATIC & UNIQUE
The Quest for Quality
Once you’ve narrowed down your style choices, it’s time to start thinking about getting the best quality for your budget. In the world of engagement rings (and all jewelry, really), quality equals beauty. The higher quality a diamond is, the more beautiful — and the more expensive — it will be. That’s the general rule, anyway. The reality is that you can get a beautiful diamond engagement ring by making simple tradeoffs. We judge diamond quality by the 4Cs:
COLOR
A diamond’s quality is based in part on how white it is. A D grade is the whitest; a Z grade is perfectly yellow. Color changes between D and H are virtually indistinguishable with the naked eye.
CLARITY
This “C” measures how many internal blemishes, or “inclusions,” a diamond has. While clarity affects a diamond’s perceived quality and price, most inclusions don’t really affect how a diamond takes in and returns light, which makes it look like it’s lit from within.
CARAT WEIGHT
This “C” is pretty easy to understand: the bigger the diamond, the more expensive it is. However, size alone doesn’t always equal beauty.
CUT
The way a diamond is cut and proportioned affects how the light shines through it. Well-cut diamonds tend to be more expensive, but they also have more play of light and dazzle, so you can compromise on other “Cs” and still get a gorgeous diamond.
Have your jeweler show you the diamond through a loupe or gemological microscope, and pay attention to how precisely the diamond’s angles are cut, whether there are glaringly visible inclusions and other visual variables that affect a diamond’s beauty. Then, compare how the diamond shines compared to diamonds graded at higher and lower quality. Stand across the room to test how it looks. Ultimately, you want to choose your diamond based on its beauty.
Finding the right jeweler for your engagement ring purchase
You can spend weeks educating yourself about diamonds, but ultimately getting the best quality and value when buying an engagement ring comes down to trust. When shopping for an engagement ring, look for a jeweler who will:
- Express interest in your fiancée-to-be’s unique personality and style, and emphasize what she wants.
- Show you the diamond through a gemological microscope or loupe to educate you about the cut.
- Help you quickly narrow down your options for style.
- Focus on helping you find the right style and quality for the price — the best value you can get.
Now that you have the lay of the land: go have fun! This is a chance for you to spend some time thinking about the woman who will be your wife, and the ring you choose should celebrate her personality and spirit with a unique and special symbol of your love. Best of luck!
Retrieved from Jewelry Wise