So you thinking of proposing to the person of your dreams! You’ve found the perfect person you want to spend the rest of your life with, so it’s only right that you want to find the most perfect engagement ring for them. For many, this can be extremely difficult due to the numerous styles, metals and diamond shapes. It can certainly feel overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re looking for. It is important to consider what your partner would prefer instead of what you want as they will be the ones wearing it for the rest of their life. In this article, we will go through some tips on how to choose the perfect engagement ring.
Determine your budget
Not everyone has an unlimited budget, and you can’t put a price on love. But before you start looking, it’s best to determine your budget or at least set a number on the amount you would be comfortable spending. At the end of the day, you don’t want to be leaving yourself in debt. Back in the day, it was said to spend three months’ salary, but this was just a marketing tactic to encourage more sales. Nowadays it’s more like 1-2 months’ salary. On average, people in the UK spend between £4,000 and £5,000 on an engagement ring, but this is not a strict rule. Many will opt for a vintage engagement ring as you get a lot more for your money due to the tax already being paid when it was new.
Choose the perfect diamond
It’s always recommended to choose the diamond before you choose the setting as it’s the most important factor. Diamonds are 4 key components to a diamond, which are called the 4 Cs. Colour, cut, clarity and carat. This defines a diamond’s quality, and it’s best to get the best diamond for your budget.
Colour – Diamonds with the least amount of colour are the most desirable and most expensive. This ranges from D to Z. D is the most colourless and Z is pretty much yellow.
Cut – the diamond cut is pretty much what it is all about. The better the cut, the more it will reflect light and sparkle.
Clarity – clarity refers to the imperfections in the diamond. These imperfections are hard to see with the naked eye, so this isn’t as important as the first two.
Carat – This is the weight of the diamond, this is also not as important as long as it matches the size of the ring finger.
Pick the metal
There is a range of materials that are used for engagement rings and it can be all too much finding the right one for your partner, but in truth, it’s not actually that difficult. First, you need to determine how durable it needs to be, the less pure the material, the more durable it will be except for platinum which is 100% pure and also very durable. If you are struggling to determine what suits the diamond best, you should look at your partner’s existing rings and go off that. If they have more gold pieces than silver, opt for gold and vice versa if they have more silver-coloured pieces. Note if it is more silver, platinum is more durable than white gold.
There are many factors to take into consideration when choosing an engagement ring, but by following these most important tips, you will be well on your way. If you are wanting to Have a look at vintage or antique pieces and are in London, Hatton Garden Engagement Rings are a favourite destination.
Infographic provided by Jewelry Display Manufacturer, Gems on Display