CHOOSING THE PERFECT ENGAGEMENT RING

Looking for more tips about choosing the perfect engagement ring? We’ve got a buying guide for that!

Choosing the perfect engagement ring for your partner is an important step in your relationship. Proposing is stressful, and figuring out how to choose a diamond she will love can be intimidating. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Shop for engagement rings online with confidence, armed with the information below.

HER RING SIZE

You’re going to have to do a little detective work to find out your partner’s ring size. Here are a few helpful tips:

• Ask one of her friends- and swear them to secrecy.
• Borrow one of her rings and trace inside of it on a piece of paper- bring that with you to a jeweller and get them to measure it or download our online Printable Ring Sizer to measure it at home.
• Take your partner ring shopping, but tell her you’re on the hunt for a present for your mom or sister. Encourage her to try on a ring and pay attention to the size.

If you have to guess, remember that it is easier to resize a ring down than up, so pick a larger size than you think she really is.

We provide 2 options that can help determine your ring size from the comfort of your own home. Get the right size the first time with our Free Ring Sizer or Printable Ring Sizer.

Find My Ring Size

FIND YOUR BUDGET

The old adage is that an engagement ring should cost you two months’ salary but it doesn’t have to. With a few precise considerations, you can save quite a lot on a diamond. Weddings can be costly, after all, and you want to start your new life with your bride without a pile of new debt.

If you’re able to save money before you pop the question, you’ll be in the best position. You can buy your ring outright or finance it on a credit card. Just remember that interest will add up.

Shop for engagement rings online to save more money. To succeed, you have to know what to look for since you can’t see the ring in person. Luckily, you can keep reading to learn everything about buying a diamond ring online.

Shopping with a jeweller that deals directly with the source of their gems will save still more. Our custom engagement rings and diamond rings in stock are between 30% – 40% less than retail prices.

If you’ve heard your girlfriend gush about large gemstones before, consider a diamond cut with a larger surface area (also known as the stone’s table). Just be sure you’re ok sacrificing some sparkle.

For most people, the sparkle is the most important factor when choosing the right diamond online, which is why we advise our customers that cut should be at the top of their consideration list.

One more way to buy cheap engagement rings of high quality is to size down your carat weight slightly. Look at stones just under your ideal weight (for example, 1.8 carat rather than an even 2).

Finally, you can often sacrifice a little with the stone’s clarity to save money. The 4Cs are explained in more detail in the next section of this engagement ring guide.

BALANCING YOUR BUDGET AROUND THE 4CS

You need to know something about the GIA certified system called The 4Cs before you buy any diamond, let alone your engagement ring. Your top motivation for learning should be how to choose the right engagement ring style for your soon to be fiancée. In addition, The 4Cs can save you some money.

Cut

The cut of a diamond is all about shine. Our expert advice to you is to choose a cut rating of Good or higher. We think this is the most important quality when choosing the right diamond. There is nothing like the way the light dances off a beautifully cut diamond. Splurge here if you can.

Colour

Colour is a little funny when it comes to diamonds. You either want a vibrantly coloured diamond or you want a completely transparent one. Both are valuable, but the true paragon of diamonds is flawless and completely clear.

Perfectly non coloured diamonds are grade D. The lowest colour grade for diamonds is Z.

We recommend that you purchase grade J or higher for your best value.

Clarity

Clarity refers to a diamond’s level of flaw or blemish. There is a detailed scale of diamond clarity below, but we recommend that you shop for diamonds with an Sl2 clarity rating or higher to maximise your value and her reaction.

Most small flaws in diamonds are only visible with a professional magnifying device.

Clarity Scale, from least to best:

• I3-I2
• I1
• SI2
• SI1
• VS2
• VS1
• VVS2
• VVS1
• IF; and
• FL

Carat

Where carat weight lies on the scale of requirements when choosing the right diamond online is up to you and how well you know your girlfriend. Does she have a favourite ring now? Is it a flashy statement piece or an understated, high-quality stone with a beautiful cut? This might be another great time to enlist the help of your bride’s friends.

Our advice is to save what you can on carat weight unless that is a driving desire of your partner. You can make up in appearance from the cut of a stone what you compromise on in carat weight. The right cut will accentuate the size of the stone and make it appear larger.

Compare the prices of 2.5 carat diamonds to 3.0 carat – you can save more than 20% by sizing down slightly.

THE RIGHT METALS

Once you’ve found the right diamond, you have to think about the band and setting. Start with what precious metal is right for your girlfriend.

The easiest way to do this is to simply pay attention to the jewellery she already wears. Most women follow personal style trends when it comes to metals.

Let’s learn more about the composition and quality of some popular precious metals and colours.

Platinum

Platinum is the strongest, most pure precious metal and can easily last a lifetime. Platinum is typically an alloy containing 90% to 95% platinum and the balance alloy. Iridium or ruthenium is often used as a hardener alloy. It has a silver-tone but is much more highly prized than stainless silver settings.

It’s a rich and classic choice. Its composition is resistant to damage and wear. It is also hypoallergenic and has a satin-like finish, the safest metal for durably setting any kind of gemstone.

18K Yellow Gold

18K yellow gold is the most classic look for high-end jewellery. It is rich in a golden yellow colour, but slightly softer than platinum. Yellow gold of 18k is composed of 75% gold and 25% pure alloy metals such as copper, silver, zinc, and/or cobalt.

It polishes and repairs easily and is resistant to tarnish and wear. Though it is less expensive than platinum, it is still a very valuable precious metal.

14K Yellow Gold

If you are on a budget, 14K yellow gold is a great option. It is known for its sturdiness and composed of 58.5% gold and 41.5% pure metal alloys such as copper, silver, and zinc. It has a similar hue to 18K in terms of colour.

Like 18K yellow gold, it is tarnish and wear-resistant.

18K White Gold

18K white gold is composed of 75% gold and 25% copper, nickel, zinc, and/or palladium. Jewellery made from these metals have a slight yellow colour, so to enhance the whiteness, almost all white gold is plated with rhodium – a shiny, white metal that is extremely hard.

Although quite durable, the rhodium plating may wear off over time. Jewellery can be re-plated with rhodium to restore the whiteness. A quick trip to the jeweller’s is all it takes to bring your piece back to life.

Tarnish and wear-resistant. Less expensive than platinum, yet very valuable and popular.

14K White Gold

14K white gold is composed of 58.5% gold and 41.5% copper, nickel, and zinc. An affordable and popular metal for jewellery. Good balance of durability and value. Like 18K white gold, 14K white gold is also plated with rhodium – a shiny, white metal that is extremely hard. Although quite durable, the rhodium plating may wear off over time.

Jewellery can be re-plated with rhodium to restore the whiteness.

It holds its polish and colour for many years. Good resistance to scratching and bending and less expensive than 18K gold.

18K Rose Gold

18K rose gold is composed of 75% gold and 25% pure metal alloys such as copper, silver, and sometimes zinc.

Considered by many to be the most romantic metal due to its pinkish tone and doesn’t require rhodium plating. It has a vintage appeal with a romantic connotation and complements all skin tones due to its rose colour.

It is also very durable, more than yellow or white gold. It’s softer and less expensive than platinum.

Rose gold jewellery stands out among the rest and thus, is becoming more popular with each passing day.

14K Rose Gold

14K rose gold is composed of 58.3% gold and mixed with copper, silver, and/or zinc.

Just like 18k rose gold, 14k rose gold also considered by many to be the most romantic metal due to its pinkish tone and doesn’t require rhodium plating. It has a vintage appeal with a romantic connotation and complements all skin tones due to its rose colour.

It is also very durable, more than yellow or white gold. Less expensive than 18k rose gold.

RING STYLE

Don’t be intimidated about choosing the right engagement ring style for your partner. With a little attention to her preferences and a little intuition, you can make a solid educated guess about the style of ring she’ll love.

What are her style choices in other areas of her life? What fashions does she wear and how does she decorate her home? Does she prefer classic styles or modern furniture and clothing? If your partner is a vintage or antique lover, a glamorous vintage engagement ring could be perfect.

There are many ring styles to choose from, but five stand out in terms of popularity.

Solitaire Engagement Rings

Solitaire engagement rings have a single stone in a plain prong mounting. The mounting is usually four or six prongs. They are very popular because this style is elegant, simple, and classic.

To make the stone look larger, shop for engagement rings with narrower bands or with ring wraps that frame the center stone.

Halo Engagement Rings

Halo engagement rings also have a featured center stone and a halo of small diamonds surrounding them. This really increases the sparkle of the ring and also increases the appearance of the size of the ring.

You can choose several shapes for the center stone to suit you and your partner’s taste. It is very elegant to choose an alternative stone such as sapphire, tanzanite, or morganite for the center stone in this style of ring.

Side-Stone Engagement Rings

Side-Stone engagement rings offer another way to stretch your budget because accent stones add to the overall profile and brilliance of the center stone. The side stones are usually set on either side of the band starting from the top to halfway down the band.

The most popular shapes for the center stone in a side-stone engagement ring are round brilliant or princess cut.

Three-Stone Engagement Rings

With a Three-Stone setting, you have a center stone flanked on either side by two smaller diamonds. Again, this style offers more value in terms of a rich appearance because the combined brilliance of several smaller stones appears magnified.

Generally, the center stone is basket or bezel set higher than the flanking stones, which gives the ring depth. Round or princess-cut stones are the most popular options for three-stone rings as well.

Vintage Engagement Rings

Vintage engagement rings combine sturdy modern craftsmanship with intricate old styles. Usually, ornate imagery, filigree patterns, or milgrains can be found on Vintage engagement rings. Vintage engagement rings can be basket-set, bezel-set, or prong-set and feature any shape of diamond.

They are a truly unique way to show your appreciation of your bride-to-be’s style.

POPULAR DIAMOND SHAPES

You’re almost at the end of this engagement ring guide which means you’ve nearly found the perfect ring. Let’s quickly review gemstone shapes, since you’ll have to pick a shape for at least the center stone in your ring.

• Round
• Princess
• Oval
• Cushion
• Pear
• Emerald
• Marquise
• Asscher
• Radiant
• Heart

Round

The round cut diamond is overwhelmingly popular, representing 75% of all diamonds sold. Round cuts maximise light reflection for incredible shine.

Princess

Princess cut diamonds are the most popular of the fancy shaped cuts. They work well in most ring styles. In general, this style of cut has lower per carat pricing than round cut diamonds because of their shape and how jewellers can maximise yield with little waste after cutting.

Oval

Oval diamonds are similar in brightness to round-cut, however, oval cut stones benefit from a longer shape which creates the illusion of a larger size.

Cushion

Not surprisingly, cushion cut stones look like a pillow- square with rounded corners. It is a classic style dating back nearly 200 years. It once surpassed the round cut as the most popular, which makes it a smart choice for vintage engagement rings.

Pear

The pear shape is another modified brilliant-cut diamond. It looks like a blend of a round and marquise shape but one end is pointed on a taper. The stone should be symmetric if it is of fine quality.

Emerald

Emerald cut diamonds have a one-of-a-kind appearance. They present with a large, open table and step cuts which gives the stone a reflective quality of many mirrors. Be aware when shopping for emerald cut diamonds that the shape can accentuate inclusions or flaws in the stone. With Emerald cut diamonds, it Is advisable to choose a clarity grade of VS or higher.

Marquise

This cut is football-shaped. It’s a modified brilliant-cut, but it’s long and narrow appearance makes the stone look bigger, just like in oval cuts. This cut has one of the largest surface areas of all diamond shapes. It’s a lovely shape that may cost less, too.

Asscher

The asscher cut is similar to an emerald cut but the shape is square. Otherwise, this shape shares characteristics of the emerald cut, like a pavilion cut with rectangular facets. This shape really shows off the clarity of diamonds. Because of this, it pairs best with the clearest stones of the highest colour grades.

Radiant

Radiant cut diamonds have bevelled edges and trimmed corners making them substantially durable against chips and breakage. The radiant cut diamond lives up to its name: They are impressively radiant and brilliant. Radiants have intense brilliance and inclusions in a low clarity grade diamond will be difficult to spot. Radiant cut diamonds resemble elements of the emerald cut and round brilliant cut. They produce excellent fire, brilliance, and scintillation.

Heart

Heart-shaped diamonds are an obvious choice for an engagement ring since both are symbols of love.

Heart shapes look best with larger stones because the shape is more apparent. This shape is also well suited for diamonds with high colour grades. Stones with lower colour grades may stand out in this shape because it is less forgiving on the edges than some other shapes.

CHOOSING A GEMSTONE

The tradition of the diamond engagement ring dates back to Victorian times. The Archduke Maximillian of Austria chose a diamond for his bride in 1477, commissioning the very first diamond engagement ring. His decision took off and the stone became very popular, although was often paired with other coloured stones and set in ornate designs.

Diamonds are extremely durable so they stand up to daily wear well, giving some practical credence to their popularity in engagement rings.

Sapphire Engagement Rings are the second most popular choice. They are beloved the world over for their brilliance and range of colours. They are less expensive than diamonds, and therefore a great choice for many couples.

There are no rules, however, when it comes to what stone to choose. More and more people buy Tanzanite Rings, Morganite Rings, or even emeralds or synthetic stones.

CUSTOM ENGAGEMENT RINGS

If you are feeling especially inspired by your love for your partner, why not create a Custom Engagement Ring for them? Don’t worry that a custom creation will cost more than a ring we have on our website. We’ll let you express what you have in mind and give you the freedom to be involved through every phase of the process, from planning and budgeting through design and delivery. Our goal is to create one amazing ring that fits your budget.

Ramzi & Co. specialises in Custom Engagement Rings and Custom Wedding Bands. To discuss your design idea, options, budget, and to obtain a free quote:

• Use our easy Online Form to begin the magic of creating your own, custom designed ring.
• Fill in your contact information, ring information, upload any reference images, and add any notes to help us understand your requirements and design.
• Click Submit and a member of our design team will personally contact you within 24-48 hours to finalise your Custom Engagement Ring or Custom Wedding Band.

Take me to Custom Designed Rings

Alternatively, you could give us a call on 1300 859 584 or email at info@ramziandco.com.au and our design team will be happy to assist.