Are you looking for the perfect engagement ring and not sure how to choose something your partner will love?
Sure, you might know her tastes – what food she likes, types of clothing, home décor, favourite songs, etc. But, do you know what to consider when choosing her perfect ring?
Quite often I come across a new client that doesn’t really know what type of engagement ring to get for their partner. There are so many options out there so I completely understand. It’s often the very first time that many people have even thought about buying jewellery for each other, yet alone an engagement ring. It’s a massive deal!
I have found there are 5 things to consider as a starting point. These tips will help filter down your choices so you know where to start when looking at designs.
Here is the process that I take clients through for choosing a diamond engagement ring that she’ll love:
#1 – How to choose the right shape/cut of the diamond
First of all, I like to start with the shape or cut of the diamond that they think she’ll like. The most common is a Round Brilliant Cut Diamond and the majority of the time people choose this.
Unless you’ve heard your partner mention another cut like Pear, Oval, Princess, Emerald, Cushion, or Marquise then usually a round diamond is the safe bet.
#2 – What engagement ring style or design she will like best
For this step I like to ask the client what type of style their partner has? For example, do they like to dress up a lot or are they more sporty and casual? Do they take time with hair and makeup or are they more natural? Are they attracted to bling or more classic styles?
Based on her tastes you can then consider if a classic solitaire engagement ring is best, something in the middle like an engagement ring with a single diamond and diamonds down the band, or something with heaps of bling and unique custom design elements.
#3 – What jewellery is she currently wearing?
Another question I always like to ask is does your partner wear much jewellery? This is an easy clue for finding the right design for the engagement ring.
Usually if they don’t wear any at all, then a solitaire engagement ring suits best. It is the most simplistic choice. If your partner wears a few other pieces, either plain or with gemstones, then an engagement ring with a few other diamonds to compliment the centre diamond works well. If you’re partner loves jewellery and bling, then I recommend stepping it up a bit.
#4 – Choose a diamond grade with the best value for money
You can never go wrong with a F-G colour and an SI clarity. By far this is the best value for money. You also want to make sure that the diamond has excellent cut, polish and symmetry.
I know that learning about the grade of a diamond can be like jumping into a massive rabbit hole and can be confusing. If this is new to you, here is a link to my tips on how to choose a diamond.
#5 – Propose with the diamond and a temporary silver band
A popular option that I sometimes do for my clients who are still unsure, is to use the diamond they’ve chosen for their lucky lady and make a simple, cost effective, silver solitaire engagement ring. Then they can have it for the special moment, and design the perfect diamond engagement ring together after she has said yes.
It may not be the exact end design, but they still have something beautiful to use for the engagement. Many times the client knows what diamond shape they want to get their partner, but they can get stuck on the design or know their partner would love to be involved in the design process of the engagement ring. After the proposal, I then meet with the couple and we all design the perfect ring together. A win-win for everyone.
One last tip (and this is important)…
When you’re thinking about getting engaged to that special someone, try to take some mental notes of any subtle hints she has shared about what she might like. For example, let’s say a friend has recently gotten engaged. Did your partner make any comments about the ring? Or walk by a jewellery shop with her and see what she points out. You can also get one of her friends you trust to help do some investigation for you.
If you need help you making the right decision let’s talk.
