Choosing your Engagement Ring

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Today's Bride

If you’re not engaged yet but you’re busy pinning pictures of your favorite rings onto a secret Pinterest board, don’t worry. You’re not alone. It’s typical – and actually really smart – to look at an engagement ring in advance. There are a lot of variables that go into finding the perfect ring, and that’s a lot of pressure to place on your man’s shoulders.

Researching in advance will help you determine the features you love. This makes your future fiance’s job much easier!

First, decide whether you want a traditional and timeless diamond or if you’d rather go for a more trendy and unique gemstone. These days, diamonds aren’t the only stones you can get for your engagement ring, so really think about what you can see yourself wearing 10 years from now. If you’re afraid some trends might go out of style, you can be confident that a diamond will be classic and beautiful forever.

Once you’ve decided on your stone, figure out what cut you like best. Some of the more popular styles are Round, Square, and Elongated. Within the square cut, there are different versions, such as radiant, cushion, and princess.

shape

Round

 

Round diamonds have been and continue to be one of the most popular cuts for all gems. Because of the symmetry in the cut, the round stone is bright and brilliant, and shines more than other cuts.

Round stones work best with larger fingers; women with thin and long fingers should avoid them.

While some brides tend to like the simple and elegant look of a single stone on their band, others like to wrap their stone in smaller diamonds to make it seem larger and add texture.

Elongated

such as Oval, Emerald, Teardrop, or Marquise

Elongated rings have gained more popularity in recent years because the same carat number can stretch along a larger space, making the stone appear bigger.

If you have shorter fingers, look for teardrop, emerald, marquise, or oval stones to elongate your fingers.

If you are getting a colored gem, these elongated shapes will display the color best.

Oval stones, like round stones, also have a brilliance and brightness that reflects light.

Elongated stones pair best with skinny bands.

 

Square

Square cut stones are another good options for colorful gemstones, though the cut can affect how diluted the color will be.

Princess cut diamonds are extremely popular when it comes to engagement rings, though cushion cut is becoming more common. Cushion stones are squares with rounded edges that look almost like a pillow.

These types of stones look best on long fingers and tend to swallow shorter fingers.

 

Types of Metal

The three most common types of metal to use for an engagement ring are silver, gold, and platinum. There are pros and cons to each of them, though, which have resulted in other, less popular options like cobalt and stainless steel.

Platinum –

Platinum is a very durable metal, so it can last through a long marriage without needing much work done. It’s also very crisp and any engravings can be seen much easier on this metal. However, it is the most expensive.

Gold –

Gold can come in a lot of different colors. There’s white gold (which is a better option if you want a more silver look), yellow gold, and the recently popular rose gold. Gold is the most traditional option of metal for engagement rings, as it was believed that when a diamond and gold are worn together, the devil cannot touch your soul. When shopping for this metal, note how much gold is actually used in the product by referring to the karat. 24k is pure gold, but most jewelers mix it with other substances to make it stronger and more durable; never buy a ring that has less than 10k of gold.

Silver –

While silver is the most affordable option, it can easily get scratched or marked and will need to be polished quite often through the course of your marriage. However, you can customize it to have a more shiny and polished finish or opt for a matte look.

Cobalt –

Cobalt isn’t commonly thought of as a metal to use for engagement rings, but it’s definitely a metal you should consider! It’s hypoallergenic, durable, heavy (if you want to add weight to your ring), and can easily be resized throughout your marriage. This makes for a great heirloom to pass on to your children when they get engaged!

Stainless Steel –

Stainless steel is no longer just for appliances! This metal makes for a great option to replace silver because it too can have a matte or shiny finish, but it’s more durable and easier to clean than silver.

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Check out our Pinterest pages to scroll through rings you might love and make a wishlist of your favorite features! Your loved one will simply hand it to one of Northeast Ohio’s jewelry experts to find the perfect ring for you!

Consider having a photographer hidden to capture the proposal! Check out some of the best photographers in the area to give him or her a few ideas.