Guide to Buying a Ring
Thinking about popping the question?
Want to surprise your partner with the ring of their dreams? Choosing a ring is an exciting process that you are right at the heart of.
There are a few things to consider when looking at engagement rings. This guide can help you get in the right frame of mind for choosing that token of your love. We find these days that most couples come in to choose rings together, but it’s not as hard as it seems to surprise her! Choosing rings together than be worthwhile, but think about the following things and you’ll be well equipped to do it on your own.
WILL IT BE A SURPRISE?
Surprising your love with a stunning ring will possibly be the most romantic thing you ever do. Reading through this guide should help you see that it’s not as hard to surprise her with her dream ring as you think!
SUSS OUT HER STYLE
- You want to be sure you’ve got something personal to suit her unique style and taste. Nine times out of ten she’ll love it just because you chose it, but seeing as she has to wear it for the rest of her life, try and get a good match.Does she wear yellow gold or white gold?
- Bold and brave or simple and subtle?
- Has your partner given you any hints or tips?
- Can a friend help you out? (One who is good at keeping a secret of course…)
- Take note of the jewellery your partner already wears and loves and take some hints from that.
- A good tip is to pop into a jewellery store with her under another guise (getting your watch fixed perhaps?) and she’ll probably point out the ones she likes. Girls always do that in a jewellery store! You could even suggest that a particular style of ring is nice and gauge her reaction to it!
- Think about her job, how roughly she’ll wear the ring, whether she is proud or modest, her skin colour and her existing jewellery. If you manage to figure out those things, you’ll get major brownie points for being so thoughtful.
- Have either of you been married before? If so, go for something TOTALLY different to the old ring.
SET A REALISTIC PRICE RANGE
- Surprising your partner can work really well if you’re on a limited budget. Trying to choose a ring together when you’re on a different page about money can completely kill the romance! Think about what you can afford. There are lots of tales to work out how much you should spend, but that might not be how much you really have to spare. Be realistic! You want the most show for your money, but you don’t want to be paying it off for the rest of your life.
- There are a lot of tips and tricks to get maximum show for not so much dough. You can create the illusion of huge stones by choosing a cluster or an invisible setting. You can have a bezel set or rubover stone which looks huge from a distance with all that metal around it. You can go old school and have an illusion setting. You can have a really thin band to make a small stone pop! You can choose a colored stone if she wants a big ring, because they tend to be lighter on the wallet than a huge diamond.
- We can help you find the perfect ring for any budget, huge or modest. Bear in mind our payment options – Layby, finance and crediting old metals.
LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DIAMONDS
So you don’t feeling like you’re hearing a foreign language when looking at rings, browse through our diamond guide. You’ll have a better idea what you’re looking at if you’re familiar with the 4C’s – cut, colour, clarity and carat.
Think about diamond shapes. Round (brilliant) and square (princess) are the most popular cuts, but there are many other shapes available. See our diamond guide for more information.
An unusual shaped diamond (marquise, cushion cut, oval, emerald cut etc) can be a good fit for someone with unique taste. She’ll be the envy of her friends if she has something custom made that none of her friends will have.
THINK ABOUT THE SETTING
- Does your partner work with her hands and need a smooth setting with no claws?
- Is a prominent setting likely to catch on things during the course of the day?
- Does she prefer ultra modern and sleek, or elaborate and traditional?
- Would she appreciate something you designed for her, or maybe she would like to design her own ring?
DO YOU ALREADY HAVE A STARTING POINT?
- Have you inherited a piece of jewellery that means a lot to you, but just doesn’t really fit your partners style?
- Could you use its stones and metal to create something amazing and new?
- Taking cues from existing jewellery is a no-brainer. You can save yourself money by remodeling old jewellery, perhaps a family heirloom, but also it can add that sentimental value that can’t be beaten.
WHAT SIZE IS HER FINGER?
It can be a good idea to swipe a ring from her jewellery box to bring in for sizing. That way you have an idea what size her finger is for a perfect fit when you pop the question. Sizing a ring is no big deal but if you get it wrong we offer super quick complimentary sizing on all engagement rings purchased with us.
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