Men, All Ears Please: A Complete Guide on How to Pick an Engagement Ring

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So you decided to take yourself off the most eligible bachelor’s list and propose to the woman of your dreams. Good for you! But before you actually pop the big question, there’s just one little thing you need to do—yes, that’s right. You have to find an engagement ring. Well, it’s not really a big deal. Your future wife has just been fantasizing about that ring for like, well, forever. So no pressure! But yes, just to help you out, here’s a guide on how to pick an engagement ring.

A Complete Guide on How to Pick an Engagement Ring

Ditch the 3-Month Rule

You know what they say about allotting around 3 months of your salary just to buy an engagement ring? Well, you don’t really have to always follow the norms. While you may want to buy the most gorgeous ring for your wife-to-be, your financial capability is a clear indicator not just of what you should buy, but what you can buy. Plus, once you set a definite budget, it would be a lot easier for you to pick an engagement ring since you already have a price range in mind.

Steal for an Infinity Ring

Let’s face it: Men are not really the type who gets excited about the idea of shopping the day out. While choosing a dress size is already a daunting experience for you, you’ll find it quite more challenging to actually choose a ring size. The good news is, you don’t really have to guess her size because you can always steal, or better yet, secretly borrow one of her rings. Don’t worry. We’re sure she’ll understand!

Be an Ultimate Style Spy

Of course you could not ask your love how to pick an engagement ring, try to get all the information you need like a professional spy. Jewelry cuts and types may not be the most interesting topics for you, but once you realize the need to learn about her preferences when it comes to jewelry, you’ll surely want to talk about gemstones and cuts from dusk till dawn. But of course, we don’t want her to get all-too-suspicious, right? Well, guess what? You don’t have to ask her directly. You can get some pointers from her friends and her pretty little jewelry box. If you still can’t get a hint, take a picture of her jewelry as you shop for an engagement ring.

Setting Matters

An engagement ring shouldn’t only make her say ‘yes’; it should also reflect and fit her personality type. Hence, think about her lifestyle when deciding whether a three-stoned or a single-stoned ring will suit her best. Is she more of the active, let’s-climb-the-highest-mountain type? Then you might want to pick a ring setting that won’t easily be stuck in ropes and stones. On the other hand, if she is more of the glamorous lady who can’t go out of the house, make sure that you buy an elegant ring to sweep her off her feet.

Shape Matters Too!

Why bother to decide on a diamond shape when at the end of the day, they’re all just diamonds? For one, this ring is going to stay on the finger of your soon-to-be wife until the world ends, so you better make the best out of our ring-shopping experience. Shapes, in contrary to cuts that highly impact the stone’s angle, dictate the definite geometry of the diamond.

And while it is important to know about her favorite shape, it also helps to understand the price range associated with the diamond’s shape. Since round diamonds account for 3/4 of engagement ring purchases, it is more expensive than other shapes. If you are in a tight budget, a cushion cut or a princess cut ring might be friendlier to your pocket.

Learn the 4 C’s by Heart

How to pick an engagement ring? It will all boil down to 4 things—clarity, color, cut and carat. We know this all sounds new to you, so here are some of the basic things you need to know about the 4 C’s:

Clarity: Diamonds are not made equal. While some are flawless, some include tiny mineral deposits which highly influence the appearance of the stone. If you want the diamond ring to sparkle brighter than the stars and you can afford high-priced rings, then look for flawless diamonds. If you don’t mind some unwanted inclusions in the stone but you still want the ring to sparkle, you can settle for SI1 and SI2.

Carat: The diamond carat is basically the weight of the diamond. It highly determines the price range of the ring, so it’s always best to consult your wallet before deciding on a carat.

Color: Just like the range of Instagram filters you can choose from in social media, diamonds also differ in color. Colorless diamonds are graded D, E and F—the priciest diamonds, while almost colorless diamonds are scored G, H, I and J. The color goes down until Z—the most yellowish diamond color.

Cut: The cut, also known as the diamond angle, highly influences the capability of the diamond to reflect light.

Choose a Metal

Last on our list on how to pick an engagement ring is picking the perfect metal. Engagement rings are commonly made up of highly durable metals like platinum and gold since they are intended to last a lifetime. However, you should be very cautious when picking the metal color since it will highly influence the overall appearance of the diamond—and yes, the ring itself. If you have decided to go for custom-made jewelry, ask the jeweler to show you how the diamond will look like in different metals.