Engagement Rings Buying Guide
Shop Around
You can't just pop into any old jewelers, pick out a ring, and pay for it. You wouldn't buy a car or a computer that way; you'd shop around, compare prices and ask for specs, right? Large jewelry purchases, especially engagement rings 
, require the same smart-buying skills you've perfected over the years, applied to particularly sparkly slivers of rock.
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- Scout your location: Ask married couples you know where they got their rings, look for information about the vendors if you're ordering online, and note the prices of similar rings from competitors.
- Haggle: Sticker price is often double what the ring is worth, and you need that money to build your new life together, right?
- Tradition dictates you must spend two month's salary on an engagement ring. Don't sweat it if the perfect ring is closer to a month's salary. Besides, replacing the engagement ring is a super anniversary gift idea!
- No matter what, make sure the jewelry store is a member of the American Gem Corporation (AGC)! If they are not, you may as well have gotten a very expensive plastic ring out of a gumball machine at Piggly Wiggly.
- Whether you're buying online or in a store, get a certificate and a return policy for the ring. You never know if it will have to be resized, returned, or exchanged, and you're going to want some claims of its quality for insurance purposes.
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Design Elements
The Stone
- If you're going traditional, the diamond is the most important part of her ring. Generally, you should keep an eye out for the The 4 C's:
- Cut: This indicates not the shape of the diamond, but the polish and symmetry of the stone, and how it was processed from its original, rough form. Round brilliant is the most popular diamond cut.
- Color: Anything less than clear is impure, but some women may prefer the charm of something in a brown ,blue ,black or pink . While colorful diamonds and mixed sets have developed a certain cachet, white diamonds are still preferred for engagement rings.
- Clarity: Diamond clarity refers to both interior and surface flaws. Flawed or cloudy diamonds are less sparkly and worth less than flawless stones. Consult the GIA site for more information on diamond clarity.
- Carat: The mass of the diamond. The bigger the stone, the more carats, and the higher the cost.
- Shape: Not one of the 4 C's, but still vital. It's an aesthetic choice that the presumed bride-to-be will probably want to make herself. That said, the most common diamond shapes are as follows.
- There are lots of other choices to consider when picking out a ring. You might want to eschew the diamond altogether and go with colorful gemstones , such as rubies ,sapphires , and emeralds ; these are becoming more popular.
Metal
There are only a few metals widely available for jewelry:
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Silver Inexpensive but tarnishes easily, so it's not typically recommended for an engagement ring. One the plus side, silver is preferred for artisan style rings, which can make for a unique engagement present.
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Gold Always a good choice. Look at her wardrobe and and see if there are dominant colors; then decide what color gold to go with. |
Platinum If you want to spend a bit more and get a white-hued ring, platinum has become very popular in recent years. It's an expensive choice for sure, but it's less prone to tarnish than gold. |
Palladium Available now as another white gold alternative. Palladium is a very sensitive metal, so it might not be the best choice for a bride-to-be who likes to get her hands dirty. |
Setting
There's no right or wrong when it comes to choosing the ring setting and stone design. Just watch out for a poor setting, as it can snag on a sweater or come loose. If you can get a sense of what to buy beforehand, you'll both be much happier. This kind of investigating will either take a concrete discussion or lots of not-so-subtle prying. However, if you're getting married, you're going to have to have a lot of important discussions sooner or later, so you might as well practice now. Check out a few different ring settings below.
The Size
Jokes aside, size matters to a lady. While the stone's size is up to your judgment, taste, and budget, the ring has to fit her finger or it's no good. In other words, make sure you know her ring size. If you're not going to take her shopping with you, you might have to be a little sneaky when figuring this out.
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- Ask her friends if they know her ring size. (But then your cover may be blown.)
- Cutely measure her finger with a tape measure. Maybe get down on one knee to do it?
- Snag a different ring of hers--one she wears comfortably on her ring finger, preferably--and then measure it, take it with you to the jeweler, or at least figure out how it fits on you. This way you can show up at the store and say, "Well, I don't know her size, but her favorite ring is just small enough so it won't get over this knuckle, but it comfortably goes over this one."
- Take her ring shopping with you, if you want to maximize her happiness with the ring. This will minimize her surprise, but it might be worth it!
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The Matched Set
Related Guides
International Resources
For this resource in your home country, please see:
DE: Verlobungsschmuck
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