How To Choose The Perfect Engagement Ring: Tips For Clueless Men
"Engagement marks the end of a whirlwind romance and beginning of an eternal love story." ~ Anonymous
Picking an engagement ring is not the easiest thing to do, especially if you've never done it before.
You might think wooing her over was tough, wait till you get into a jewel store, to the part you've never visited before, and watch in amazement as you wonder which to choose among the dazzling metals; knowing that you have to make the right choice or stand the chance of ruining your entire plan.
You're not alone, though. Many men often get stranded at this point in their love walk. Things get a lot easier if the wife-to-be will go with you to choose the ring she likes, or if there was a family ring you could inherit. But those cases are only the exceptions. Heirloom almost never happens, and every man likes to surprise his woman with a special marriage proposal, so taking her along to the jewel store becomes a no-no.
If you desire to surprise your bride-to-be with a wonderful engagement ring that she will be proud of showing off, then read along. In this article, you'll learn the essentials of making the right engagement ring choice, no matter the size of your budget.
Is that something you're ready for? Let's dive in.
Two Factors That Must Guide Your Choice: Your Budget and Your girlfriend's Personality
The two are mutually inclusive; none is really superior to the other.
You're buying the ring for your girlfriend as a symbol of your love and commitment to her, which means she needs to like it and wear it as often as a bride should — and just any random ring won't meet these criteria (more of that in a bit).
But you don't want to empty your account or run into debt because of a ring, so there has to be a blend between what your girlfriend will love to wear and what you can afford — you've probably heard that an ideal engagement ring should cost you two months salary, but take it with a pinch of salt, because that was nothing more than an advertising strategy used by DeBeers company in the 1940's. Stick to your budget; in the end, what matters is that your girlfriend likes the ring, and remember you could use the additional money for wedding or a nice honeymoon in your favourite city. And besides, you can always buy her an anniversary ring sometime later.
Keeping that at the back of your mind, let's move into qualities that make engagement rings different from each other. These qualities will explain why your girlfriend is likely to choose one engagement ring above the other. Her choice will be influenced by her lifestyle preferences, so it's vital you understand the kind of woman you have — of course, as a groom-to-be, you already know some of her traits, likes and dislikes, and if you're not sure, you can always ask her friends or closest colleagues. The ring qualities outlined below will give you an idea of the kind of questions to ask about her.
Without further ado,
Here Are The Four Vital Ring Qualities You Must Know Before Making Your First Purchase
1. The Stone
It's common these days to think of diamond as the best stone for engagement or wedding ring, but you should be careful not to let your choice be influenced by the lustre alone — this is especially if your girlfriend pays attention to the intrinsic meanings behind the stuff she wears.
Beside the outward attractiveness of ring stones, you should as well consider factors like colour, spiritual meaning, historical affiliations and the birth month of your wife-to-be.
Take Emerald for example. Historically, it was often used by the high and mighty in society. The stone represents royalty, and spiritually, it connotes — among others — positive energy, beauty and intelligence.
Read this post to find similar qualities for other stone types.
Your girlfriend doesn't need to know much about the intrinsic meanings of ring stones for you to be selective in your choice; in fact, it's a plus if she doesn't, because you'll get the chance to tell her — when you get on your knees — the meaning of the ring and why you uniquely chose it for her.
2. The Cut And Shape
There's a slight difference between shape and cut in ring stones. The cut refers to the angles and proportions to which the diamond is cut — this purely depends on the ring cutter. If a professional does the cutting, the ring will reflect light better than when it's poorly cut. And remember, the more light a ring reflects, the better it shines. However, you won't need to worry much about this, if you get the ring from a reputable store.
But you might have to worry about the stone shape. There are a variety of stone shapes, so it's a good idea to let your goal guide you.
You can rightly guess the stone shape your girlfriend will like by considering the rings she used in the past, or simply asking her friends for help.
3. Style And Setting
The style and setting of a ring basically speak of how you want to show it off. The setting of a ring is how the stone is placed on the ring.
Like all the other qualities, your choice should be influenced by your girlfriend's personality. Here are a few popular settings, so you would be better informed to make the right choice.
Eternity band
Much like the name suggests, an eternity band has diamonds all round the ring.
Channel setting
This is similar to the eternity band, except in this case, the diamonds are inserted in metal channels.
Bezel setting
In this setting, a metal rim is used to protect the stone. The rim rises slightly above the diamond to protect it. This setting is suitable for busy professionals whose work demand that their fingers are busy all the time.
4. Size
Many men fail at this point. They either get a size that's too large or too small for their lovers, and that can be very embarrassing. You don't want that for yourself.
The best way to go about choosing an appropriate size is to stealthily take one of her rings to a jeweller so he can get the exact same size for her.
If peradventure, your girlfriend doesn't have a ring you can use, follow the strategy of taking her with you to a jewellery store. Of course, don't tell her it's to get a ring for her. Your goal in this mission isn't even to buy her a ring. Tell her you want to get a wrist watch or something. Once in the store, try to see the kind of ring she is looking at, chances are she will try out some rings or show hints that suggest her interest in a particular ring style and size.
Many men fail at this point. They either get a size that's too large or too small for their lovers, and that can be very embarrassing. You don't want that for yourself.
The best way to go about choosing an appropriate size is to stealthily take one of her rings to a jeweller so he can get the exact same size for her.
If peradventure, your girlfriend doesn't have a ring you can use, follow the strategy of taking her with you to a jewellery store. Of course, don't tell her it's to get a ring for her. Your goal in this mission isn't even to buy her a ring. Tell her you want to get a wrist watch or something. Once in the store, try to see the kind of ring she is looking at, chances are she will try out some rings or show hints that suggest her interest in a particular ring style and size.
The two factors that should influence your ring choice are your budget and your wife-to-be's personality. Get those two in place and you wouldn't have much to worry about.
You can purchase your ring from any store you like, but it's a good idea to search an online store and see the variety available. One advantage of online purchase is that it grants you the luxury to choose from a myriad of choices.
Have you decided on the date to propose? What type of engagement ring do you intend to use for your bride-to-be? Let us know in the comment section.
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