Buying an Engagement Ring 101

Introduction

Whether you have been together for over a decade or have fallen hard and fast for each other, taking things further always tends to overwhelm even the best of us. One thing you can do to make sure that your beloved knows you are serious is to get a stunning engagement ring. Once you present them with a ring that is symbolic of your love, you can rest assured that your partner will be impressed for the rest of your lives together.

Now, finding a ring that is stylish and gorgeous and everything else at the same time looks easy on paper. If you need a solid engagement ring that will make your partner gasp, you need to understand the basics of rings and do some research with your partner's preference in mind. As long as you don't crumble under the pressure to choose the best ring, you will see that the effort is worth it. So here is Diamondrensu's guide to choosing an engagement ring.

1.03 CT Pear Blue Diamond Ring, Pear Lab Grown Blue Diamond Engagement Ring

Buying an Engagement Ring 101

No Idea What You're Doing? Start with the Diamond Shape

While shopping for engagement rings, going in blind is the worst thing you can do. Instead of setting yourself up for a period of confusion and stress, understand the difference between shapes and cutting styles of diamonds. The shape of a diamond is the outline you get to see when the stone is viewed face-up. There is a high chance that most of the rings that you come across will be round. Even though the round is a popular shape for solitaire diamond rings, there are numerous other options available in the market. For instance, fancy shapes such as marquise, pear, and heart look dazzling on engagement rings. 

#1 Tip of Engagement Ring 101: Round diamonds are easier to pick out, but they cost the most of all the styles and shapes available. If you are looking for a unique ring on a budget, the fancy shapes are what you need to pick. 

Moving on, cutting styles refer to the arrangement of the diamond's facets. The most popular one in the diamond industry is the brilliant cut. The reason for its popularity is nothing but the fact that it maximizes a diamond's brightness. Brilliant cutting can be seen in any shape, but the most famous combination is round-shaped stones. Round brilliant stones often have nearly 57 or 58 facets, which means the engagement ring is going to sparkle radiantly on the wearer's fingers. 

However, if you are not interested in picking widely seen styles, the step cut is a feasible alternative. This cutting style has sleek lines that make the stone look elongated and add a special radiance to the engagement ring. You can also look into emerald and radiant cuts that bring a rectangular or square shape to the center stone. This emerald-cut engagement ring is a sight to behold, especially if you have grown tired of looking at round brilliant center stones. 

#2 Tip of Engagement Ring 101: If you are going for colored stones, then a step cut is better because it shows off the clarity and color of the diamond in a unique manner. If you are going for a diamond with inclusions or diamonds ranking K-R on the color scale, then a brilliant cut is the way to go.

Next Step: Choose the Engagement Ring's Setting

Unlike most things, bigger is not always better in the case of diamonds. Depending on your partner's tastes and your budget, the biggest solitaire engagement rings might not even come to the top of your list. One way to make sure that you find the most suitable engagement ring is by focusing on the setting. With the ideal diamond in your hand, the placement and mounting can enhance the stone's beauty. 

Of all the settings available today, the prong setting is everyone's favorite. Owing to this style's possibility of customization, most diamonds are often set in prong style. By choosing the number of prongs on an accessory, you can also make the stone appear larger. Even within the prong setting, there are variations you can choose from. A basket setting is a method of securing the diamond with four prongs and a perpendicular bar. If you opt for the martini setting, the center stone will be displayed better with only three prongs. For all those who love adding an element of drama to their rings, the crown prong is the best. It brings maximum attention to the stone with its thick metal prongs and unique shape from the side view. 

Again, if you like experimenting, there are more than enough settings styles that you should consider. Bezels are an interesting option if the ring is going to function as everyday jewelry. This setting protects the stone from wear and keeps it secure at all times. If your beloved desires a huge engagement ring, then choosing the halo setting is a no-brainer. Plus, rings like this also work for those who want something traditional or vintage in their engagement ring.

These are only a few setting styles available in the market. As a part of buying an engagement ring, you need to understand that splendid ring designs result from multiple factors acting together. 

#3 Tip of Engagement Ring 101: Be it setting styles or any other design element, go for timeless designs while choosing engagement rings. This way, trends may come and go, but your engagement ring will still stand the test of time, just like your relationship.

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Think Outside the Box

When you think of an engagement ring, chances are that the image that pops into your mind will be one of a colorless stone set on a platinum or yellow gold band. There is nothing wrong with choosing such a simple and classic style, but since it is your engagement ring, why don't you pick something different?

When you decide to deviate from the traditional colorless diamonds, a wide array of options opens up to you. You can consider other stones like moissanite, emeralds, alexandrite, sapphire, and so on. Sapphires and blue topaz were the stones initially used for engagement rings before diamonds became popular. 

#4 Tip of Engagement Ring 101: Various sources will tell you that mined diamonds are better than anything else. Do not fall for this myth because lab-created stones are as good as, if not better than, the natural ones. 

Don't Go, Solo

This is common sense, but it does not hurt to repeat: Do not go engagement ring shopping alone. Take your partner's friend, parent, or anyone knowledgeable about engagement rings when you go shopping. They will have abundant information that you will simply not come across otherwise. For instance, you might not have been able to get your partner's ring size without them noticing. A friend or a parent is going to be helpful in this situation. If you are having trouble deciding whether the band of the ring needs to be platinum, white gold, or yellow gold, a partner-in-crime can help you choose.

From viewing the ring in various lights to sticking to your budget, a shopping buddy can make your journey to finding an engagement ring so much easier. You can also rope in a jeweler to give their input regarding your ring choices. After all, buying an engagement ring is a big deal, and you want to be sure that you are choosing the right one. 

Remember Budget 

At the sight of dreamy engagement rings, you will be tempted to go all out on them. While splurging on engagement jewelry is allowed, you shouldn't burn a hole in your pocket doing so. There are always cost-effective solitaire engagement rings on the market that are classy and sophisticated. You can also choose to rework a family heirloom or a vintage ring so that you can have your 'something old' ready to go.   

Remember that you have a whole wedding event and a life ahead planned with your partner before you spend a huge sum on the engagement ring. If you and your partner have discussed money matters regarding your life together, you need to respect those decisions before you pick the ring. 

1.51 CT Marquise Cut Lab Grown Diamond Cluster Halo Engagement Ring

Conclusion

For someone who had no idea about cut, color, carat, and setting styles, this article should have been enlightening enough to make engagement ring shopping a little easier. Whether you buy traditional solitaire engagement rings or trendy multi-stone ones, the key is ensuring that your partner finds it stunning. By working closely with a designer, you can get awesome results before you pop that question. Compared to the commitment you will be making, choosing a ring to mark it will be considerably easier. 

With Diamondrensu, you can have the ring of your dreams in your hands within no time. All you need to do is tell us what you like and let us surprise you. Hurry up and start shopping for custom engagement rings now.