In a world of fast fashion, most of us change our accessories frequently, but an engagement ring is THE piece she’ll wear and cherish for a lifetime. When helping you select the perfect engagement ring, we will want an idea of her style. If you are lucky enough to have pictures or a bestie has given exact preferences, that makes it easy! But if you are aiming for a surprise while still nailing ‘the perfect ring,’ you might want to use your detective skills to answer some of these questions before you start shopping!
1. What's her vibe?
Is your lady a laid-back nature type with minimal jewellery? Or is she all about the glam and loves to accessorize? It can be helpful for us to get a picture of what your future fiancée is like; this helps us get a feel for her style and better guide you toward styles that will suit her style and lifestyle. Better yet, take note of her current jewellery habits. Does she wear jewellery daily? Is it simple and dainty, big and bold, sparkly? The more you can tell us, the easier we can guide you to the ring she’ll love!
2. What gold colour does she prefer?
You’ll want to add this one to your list of things to observe. These days, a lot of people wear multiple colours of gold, sometimes even layered together. However, if she has a strong preference, this is important to know! There are three main options in gold; white gold, yellow gold & rose gold. The main thing to consider when choosing a gold colour is the look however, each metal has its own pros and cons. See our next question for more!
3. Will she wear her ring every day?
How often she will wear it and how she wears it is something to consider when getting into the more specific details of the engagement ring. If you think she will want to wear it all the time and is very active, that may impact some of the structural choices we advise, such as the thickness of the ring, the way the diamond(s) are set, or the type of metal used. White gold is the strongest, with rose gold being the softest by far. This makes white gold ideal for the claws holding the diamond(s). If your future fiancée prefers rose gold, the softest option, we may suggest incorporating white gold claws to better protect the diamond and help to reduce ring maintenance. You will also want to consider gold karat. Gold karat is a unit of measurement that indicates the purity of gold in a piece of jewelllery. Pure gold is designated as 24 karats, meaning it is 100% gold with no other metals mixed in. Pure gold is soft by nature and the addition of other metals makes it stronger and more durable. A 14 karat gold ring would have 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metals, these other metals would make the ring better able to endure everyday wear.
4. Diamond or Gemstone?
There are various options of gemstones for engagement rings. The most traditional is, of course, diamond. While you can choose from a variety of coloured gemstones as well, diamonds are the standard for a reason! While diamonds are typically more expensive than coloured gemstone alternatives, they also offer the benefits to back up the increased price tag. They are incredibly hard, helping them to resist scuffing, scratching, and breakage, therefore keeping their sparkle for a lifetime! “Diamonds are Forever!” …as they say. On the other hand, even the hardest of coloured gemstones, sapphires for example, are prone to scratching and scuffing over time. The softest gems, such as opals or emeralds, are much more delicate and are not advised for daily wear. So, while coloured gemstones can be enjoyed for a long time if cared for properly and are easier on the wallet in the short term, you may end up needing to replace them within the lifetime of the engagement ring. This is where we have seen movement towards lab grown diamonds. They offer the benefits of a natural diamond, other than rarity, and are more price point friendly. See our blog comparing natural and lab grown diamonds to learn more.
5. What size and shape does she like?
Once you’ve decided if you’re going with a diamond or a gemstone, it’s all about narrowing down the size and shape. There are a variety of shapes available, such as oval cut, pear shape, emerald cut, radiant cut, kite-shaped, marquise cut, and of course the always classic round brilliant cut! The shape can be a great way to add interest and personalize any engagement ring. While a perfectly cut round brilliant diamond provides the most ideal proportions and therefore the most sparkle, the choice of shape comes down to aesthetics and personal preference. Size is much the same. While there are always ‘socially significant’ sizes such as ‘the 1.00 Carat’ that become popular benchmarks. The size really comes down to two things: preference and proportion. The first is obvious, but it can be helpful to consider how large the diamond will be in relation to the thickness of the ring setting you choose and in proportion to the size of your partner’s hand as you want it to look balanced and feel wearable.
6. What is her ring size?
This one can be tricky! While it is very helpful to know, this is not a dealbreaker. If you are lucky enough to be able to discreetly find this out, that is great. Alternatively, if you can use a ring, she already wears to get a close approximation, we can work with that. We don’t want to risk the integrity of the ring by sizing the ring too much after the fact, but if we can get it within 1 to 2 sizes, we can make adjustments after you've pulled off the perfect surprise proposal!
