Choosing an engagement ring or the best wedding ring used to be as simple as answering a few questions: princess or emerald cut? Which is better, white gold or yellow gold? There’s a lot more to think about these days when deciding when, where, and how to buy an engagement ring. Here are the best hints for making this life-changing purchase.
1. Don’t get sucked into a fad.
A wedding ring 結婚戒指 just like a personal one should be a timeless, classic symbol of your love that lasts forever. For this reason, the goal should be to find the stone that is a perfect match for your future fiancé. Examine their existing jewelry to determine what would best suit his or her style. Is he or she a gold or platinum person? Do they prefer statement jewelry or more understated pieces? Take their current style into consideration when selecting the piece they’ll want to wear every day for the rest of their lives.
2. On paper, a stone does not have to be perfect.
The “Four Cs” (color, cut, clarity, and carat) are frequently cited by people who buy diamond or experts, but certificate grading should be just one of many factors in your decision-making. You don’t need a D Flawless stone to make a lovely ring. It is preferable to judge a stone based on how it makes you feel rather than the GIA grading (diamonds are graded from D to Z by the Gemological Institute of America). The grade can be a starting point, but it should not be the only deciding factor.
3. Size only matters if you (or your future fiancée) believe it does.
Unless you believe it is the most important thing to your future spouse, the mantra “go big or go home” should not be followed. In that case, you should weigh your options. Perhaps putting more emphasis on size and less on color and clarity is something to think about.
4. Determine the origin of the stone.
Clients value jewelry with backstories, according to Page Neal, jewelry designer and co-founder of Bario Neal, especially when those backstories involve ethically sourced gems. Neal looks for mines and suppliers who can demonstrate that their diamonds, metals, and gemstones have been sourced sustainably and are completely traceable from mine to market. People appreciate that we go out of our way to find a proposal ring “求婚戒指” for their custom pieces. We look for stones that are one-of-a-kind and intriguing, and then we return to discuss their options.
5. The setting should not be a last-minute consideration.
After you’ve decided on a stone, the next step is to decide what to put around it. “On occasion, my then fiancé collaborated with some good folks, Montana Coady, to design my ring,” Cynthia Smith of Cynthia Cook Brides explains. You can be daring and create something one-of-a-kind, but it is critical that the ring reflect the style of the person who will wear it.” Find an expert you can trust, tell them what you want, and let them lead you in the right direction.
6. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and select a one-of-a-kind ring.
Millennials want everything they buy to feel special, and they want the vibe of a ring to match their own. Women are increasingly foregoing online diamond and traditional settings in favor of something personal, one-of-a-kind, and unexpected. “People are looking for something new. They want something that feels ‘fashionable’ and current, but also timeless—something that isn’t basic, boring, or predictable. They come to us looking for a ring that is unique but also clean and sleek so that it will never go out of style “Baylee Zwart, designer at Azlee.
Zwart’s designs are minimal, but in a different way: they’re sleek, geometric, and lightweight. Grooms (or brides, or couples) come to her for something sleek and contemporary, such as her Eclipse ring or shield-cut ring.
7. Consider working with a jeweler directly.
Custom feels more personal than simply walking into a store and selecting something Hannah explains that in recent times, many people now want something that straddles the line between vintage and modern. It’s no longer about a large diamond—they prefer quality oversize, or a unique shape, such as a rose cut, and many people are abandoning diamonds entirely.
8. Don’t try to do it alone.
Shopping for an engagement ring can be a daunting task; enlist the assistance of your friends. Ask those who have recently gotten engaged for jeweler recommendations, and consult with someone who knows you and your future spouse and whose taste you admire and respect for their aesthetic advice. Nine times out of ten, the person you’re shopping for already has an idea of what they want in their head, which they may have expressed to a friend (or added to a Pinterest board).
9. Do not make a commitment.
Unlike the matrimonial commitment you seek, try to avoid entering into a binding agreement with the jeweler. In the worst-case scenario, if your intended does not like what you’ve created, you should be able to exchange it for something else. You want your future spouse to adore both you and the jewelry you purchase for the rest of their lives.
10. It’s not about the cost.
During the Great Depression, in a campaign worthy of Don Draper, De Beers’ advertising geniuses began running an ad urging men to spend one month’s salary on a ring if they wanted to be “responsible.” By the 1980s, the figure had risen to two months. Nowadays, the rule of thumb that is frequently cited is that when purchasing this piece of forever jewelry, one should spend at least three months’ salary.
All of this is just clever marketing. When it comes to how much to spend on an engagement ring, there is no exact science, and some women prefer smaller, less expensive diamonds (or want to forego diamonds altogether). Some prefer vintage or secondhand rings (eBay’s ring market is up 58 percent), while others prefer a plain band à la Amanda Seyfried. Choose the ring that is ideal for the woman, not the ring whose price corresponds to an arbitrary algorithm.
