Buying an Engagement Ring

Deciding to ask your girlfriend to marry you is a big decision, if not the biggest decision of your life. Now that you know you want to spend the rest of your life together, the next step is choosing a ring that makes this thought a reality. For most men, buying an engagement ring will be their first venture into the confusing world of fine jewelry. While we can’t explain every detail here, we hope this guide will be a handy reference to help you choose the perfect engagement ring.

Establish a Budget

Before even starting the research process the first thing you will need to do is establish a budget that works for you. Keep in mind you will still have quite a few expenses to pay that are associated with the future wedding, so the worst thing you could do would be to spend all of your hard-earned savings on the ring. Engagement rings are supposed to be the ultimate symbol of love, and your significant other will more than likely be more blown away by the style and romance than she will be by the price. Having a budget will also be helpful for the sales staff at any jewelry store to select the correct rings for you to examine.

Decide on A Stone

Traditionally engagement rings are made with diamonds, and when you begin shopping around for rings this is going to be the vast majority of the stones you will see. Again, this comes down to your significant other’s style, so a sapphire, opal, or pearl may be more suitable for her. You may have heard the term ‘Four C’s’ in relation to ring shopping. This stands for cut, color, clarity, and carat. When you are looking for a diamond those four terms will definitely come up, and your jeweler will help you decide on the best possible stone in accordance with your budget.

Engagement Ring Gemstones

Choose the Shape

After you have decided on a stone, you will need to pick out a shape in which that stone has been cut. The most common shapes to choose from, especially for diamonds are round, princess, pear, and oval. Most stones will fall into those four categories, but there are multiple variations and subsets that you may see throughout your search.

Choose a Setting & Style

The stone is only one part of what makes a ring beautiful, memorable, and striking. What comes next is the setting, which will determine where the stones are placed and how they will be displayed. The most common types of metals used for engagement ring settings are white gold, gold, rose gold, platinum, and palladium. Your jeweler will be able to help you decide which type of metal will look best with the stone or stones have chosen. Your jeweler will also be able to help you pick out a design for the setting, which will be determined by how much you know about your partner’s style. The most important thing to remember is you are not in this alone. Enlist the help of friends family and jewelry experts to make sure you are getting a ring your partner will absolutely love.

Ring Settings

The most important thing to remember is you are not in this alone. Enlist the help of friends’ family and the jewelry experts at Legacy & Co Jewelers to make sure you are getting a ring your partner will absolutely love. Our years of experience in creating the best type of engagement ring for her will pay off for years to come.

Engagement Ring Frequently Asked Questions

Whether or not you and your partner should go ring shopping together is an issue that weighs heavily on the type of person your partner is.

Traditionally, one partner likes to make the decision without letting the other partner know, in order not to spoil the surprise. On the other hand, engagement rings can be very expensive and many times non-refundable, so you don’t want to get one that they will not cherish. Outside of aesthetics, other problems occur when this is a one-sided decision, such as getting the right ring size or getting a functional ring that will not get in the way of their day to day tasks.

Knower days many couples like to shop together, this way both partners can weigh the pros and cons of each decision. It also takes the stress off one partner, and you know it will be the one that she loves.

Ultimately you have to ask yourself what is more important to her, the surprise of the moment, knowing that you spent the time and energy it takes to pick out something just for her. Or is she more particular and likes to have more control over what she wears?

Probably one of the most asked questions by proposers is how do I find out my partner’s ring size. Where there is no one answer that will work for every couple here is a couple of ideas that will help:

Find a ring in her jewelry box – If your partner has a ring that she only wears on a special occasion you can use that as an example. You can then

  • Take it to the jewelers
  • Trace it on a piece of paper
  • Buy a ring sizer and find out yourself

If your partner isn’t a big ring wearer, or never takes her rings off, you can always ask a friend to help. Her friend should be able to sneakily ask them to:

  • Try on one of their rings
  • Ask her to go engagement ring shopping (for another reason)
  • Blatantly ask what her ring size is

Of course, these are just a couple of ideas, don’t be afraid to get creative. More importantly, don’t be afraid of getting the wrong size. Sizing rings is a very common practice that most jewelers can do easily. At Legacy & Co Jewelers we have perfected the art of sizing and will happily make any ring larger or smaller.

It is certainly not a requirement to buy them together, if you do, they will usually fit together quite nicely. However, if don’t buy them together you want to make sure they are the same metals.

There is no written requirement that your engagement band has to be anything outside of something you love, it’s best if they are the same metal, and it’s easier if they fit together; however, if you find a set that you fall in love with, go for it.

Each shape of diamond says something about who that woman is, how she looks at the world and how she feels deep down. You want to make sure that you not only get the ring that looks great to her but also tells a story.

  • Round Brilliant
    • The most popular and also the most expensive. This ring style makes the statement of being timeless, classy and traditional.
  • Princess
    • The princess cut is great for a trendy type of girl. It has intense sparkle and looks great in just about any setting.
  • Cushion
    • The “pillow cut” looks close to a princess cut with rounded edges. It is being more and more popular over the years. It is great for a woman who likes a good classically romantic diamond.
  • Oval
    • The oval diamond is a modern design that has the benefit of helping a women’s finger look long and slender. It is great for ladies that like to stand out.
  • Emerald
    • The emerald cut is a traditional cut diamond it is great for a sophisticated woman that appreciates a historic glamour.
  • Asscher
    • This 21-century cut is very similar to an Emerald with more edges which makes it sparkle just a bit more. Women that like this design appreciate the elegant and dramatic look.
  • Radiant
    • The Radiant cut is a combination of many cuts which makes it helps it have a special sparkle. Women who like this shape generally like a daring and unique style.
  • Marquise
    • This style helps the diamond look larger than it usually is, its long shape that looks good on short fingers. Women who like this shape are not afraid to stand out.
  • Pear
    • This cut is a cross between a round and a marquise style, it is great for elegant and flirty women.
  • Heart-Shaped
    • If your lady is a true romantic this is the choice for her.

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