Buying engagement rings is one of the most thrilling moments of your life, but also one of the most terrifying. If you are doing it the traditional way, the man is out on his own trying to determine what type of engagement ring his future wife is going to want to wear for the rest of her life. By studying your girlfriend’s style and asking pertinent questions, you can ensure the success of your engagement ring shopping.
Engagement Ring Style
While it might seem silly, most women have an idea in their head when it comes to what style of engagement ring they want. Some women care about size while others care about type of diamond cut. Women who like Marquis cut diamonds might be disappointed if you show up with cushion cut engagement rings. A preliminary trip around a jewelry store can be used to judge her interest in different cuts. Even if you are not looking at engagement rings, pay attention to what types of stones she gravitates towards. Shopping early on for earrings with precious stones or other types of rings might give you a clue as to her chosen shape.
Friendly Help for Engagement Rings
Pull in the best friend. She is your best resource if you don’t want to ask your future wife yourself. The friends have usually discussed intimate details about potential wedding plans, engagement rings, and ideas for the future. If you take the friend to the jewelry store she might point you in the right direction of style and cut. She can also ask questions of your girlfriend without raising too much suspicion.
Do Your Engagement Rings Research
Seek out the counsel of a professional so you can verse yourself on the cost of a diamond as well as clarity and color rating. While you can buy a large diamond for a lesser price, how much it sparkles is often more desirable. A noticeable engagement ring that throws perfect rainbows on the wall is often more appealing than a giant stone.
Consider her Other Jewelry
Jewelry goes through phases. Silver, white gold or platinum might be all the rage now, but a throwback to traditional yellow gold is beginning to creep back in. You should take a look at your soon to be fiancée’s other jewelry to get a sense of what type of metal she prefers. If she has mostly gold, you should look for engagement rings with a gold setting. If she has mostly white gold or silver, then error on that side. Now, if she has a lot of both, there are solutions such as rose gold, which can be worn with either. Some engagement ring settings come with both white gold and yellow gold, which allows the ring to match no matter what other jewelry, she wears.
Wedding Band Considerations
When looking at engagement rings it is easy to get caught up on sets. These often require being sottered together after the wedding so the band and the ring are always together. This is a nice look, but sometimes it is not practical for work purposes or if you are planning on having children. There are times being able to just wear the wedding band is preferable. If your future wife tends to use her hands a lot, it might be nice to have the option. Engagement rings are not very easy when you have a baby. Many new mothers stop wearing their ring because the protruding diamond gets caught on things or can turn on her finger and scratch the baby. A nice, smooth wedding band to wear solves the problem.
Lifetime Warranties
Insurance and lifetime warranties are key when shopping for engagement rings. Looking into shops that can fix the ring or repair the ring for the long term tend to give you peace of mind. That does not mean smaller shops should be ruled out. You can always look into insurance policies. Engagement rings are very expensive and easy to lose. While the ring is unlikely to leave her finger for the first few years, as life goes on, it might get left at a hotel or on a sink somewhere. By getting an engagement ring policy, you protect your investment. Many policies are inexpensive and offer you the peace of mind as you go through your life. No one wants to pay for an engagement ring twice.