One of the most critical questions you’ll ever ask is, “Will you marry me?” Choosing the perfect ring to mark the occasion is almost as weighty.
So many people assume they have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to obtain the perfect ring, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. There are hundreds of variations to choose from, and we’re here to help break it down for you.
To make your selection a little easier, here are seven tips to keep in mind while you’re trying to navigate the selection of the best engagement ring.
- Don’t Choose Alone
- Choose Your Budget
- Think About Their Style
- Select a Band
- Always Buy Bigger
- Ask For Help
- Take Your Time
Tradition says you’re meant to surprise your partner with a ring, but times have changed. Instead of loading the entire decision on yourself, you could have your partner come along and help you make that choice.
This is the best way to ensure they’ll get exactly what they want. Frank Darling is an amazing company that offers engagement rings that include the option of a preview at-home kit.
Design the perfect ring and you’ll receive a kit that comes directly to your home so you may try them on. That makes it easy to compare stones, sizes, cuts, and setting features.
Though you might feel like spending your entire life savings on the perfect ring for the person you love, this is probably not the best idea. Think seriously about your budget in advance.
A 1-carat diamond can range anywhere between $1,800 and $12,000. The price depends on various factors, such as quality, clarity, color, and shape.
A general rule when shopping for an engagement ring is to put aside at least two months of your salary. If this seems beyond your means, then perhaps you should rethink the type of ring you intended to buy.
Choosing the best wedding ring involves knowing the person you’re buying it for. Do they like simplicity or do they prefer frills and whistles? Do they work a lot with their hands or are they primarily parked at a desk?
The answers to such questions can affect the stone cut and size you might want to get. Some of the most popular diamond cuts are round, princess, cushion, and emerald, and those are a great place to start.
The shank, also known as the band, is the part of the ring that wraps around the finger. Engagement-ring bands are chosen primarily on the basis of budget and style.
Diamonds can be placed on any type of band, such as gold, platinum, tungsten, sterling silver, palladium, or even titanium. Gold and silver are usually the most common types of wedding bands but not everyone can afford them.
Instead, one might go with an alternative such as palladium. Rings made of titanium are becoming increasingly more popular for men. Again, budget and style are the two main considerations here.
One of the challenges many people face is that they don’t know their partner’s ring size, and they don’t want to ruin the surprise by asking.
You could try checking with a parent or a good friend who might know the answer. Otherwise, when in doubt, lean toward a bigger size. It’s much easier to fix the size of the band by having to go smaller than to try to enlarge one you’ve already chosen.
After all your searching online and racking your brain to find the perfect ring, you still might come up short. That’s the time to ask for help.
Get someone close to your partner involved with the process. They might have some insight with regard to what your beloved would like, or specific rings that aroused interest in the past.
Most important is to take your time. Searching for the perfect engagement ring isn’t a mission that should be rushed, nor should the purchase be made impulsively.
Treat it as an investment both financially and in the future of your relationship. It’s better to wait a little longer to propose than to give the person you love most a key adornment that the person won’t treasure.
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