Buying an engagement ring for your loved one can seem rather confusing these days, especially with all the choice and technical details that come with such a purchase. With all this to consider Jewellery Monthly decided to try and make this a little more simple for you. We have even linked through to other articles dotted around our site if you decided you want more information to make sure your final engagement ring purchase is perfect.

Engagement Rings Tips to consider

  1. Decide your budget – Two months salary is normally what the average person is willing to pay. The key is to make sure you are comfortable with what you can afford.
  1. Metal type – Check your partners existing jewellery, they might like Yellow Gold, Rose Gold or prefer a whiter metal, such as White Gold, Platinum, Palladium or Silver. The Cost will vary depending on the type of metal you choose. Platinum is the most expensive followed by Gold, Palladium and finally Silver.
  1. Stone shape – The stone shape is very important from the wearers perspective. You have quite a few options to choose from. Think about what will suit your partner . For a better insight into what shape diamond to choose from view – Engagement ring stone shapes.
  1. What’s affordable? – Ok so you have decided on a metal colour and design and now your thinking about affordability. We have selected a few good retailers to help you get going on your search for the perfect engagement ring. 
  1. What technical details do I need to know? Well you could do with knowing about diamond colour and diamond clarity. When it comes to diamond colour grade D is the most expensive, as it is graded exceptional white. The diamond colour J is slightly tinted yellow. This grade will be less expensive. Anything below the grade of J for diamond colour should not really be considered.

    Diamond Clarity should also be considered. The grade of FL means flawless, this will be a very expensive diamond. The scale continues down to IF – VVS1 – VVS2 – VS1 VVS2 – VS1 – VS2 – S11 – S12 – and S12.

    The further you go down the scale the more inclusions your diamond will have and this will effect the overall cost. Inclusions are tiny lines or black dots inside the diamond. These can’t be seen by the human eye but can be seen under a magnifying glass. For some alternative info you can check out these:

Different coloured engagement rings
Buy these images – Jewellery Stock Images © Images 2012 Lionsorbet ltd

  1. Popular engagement rings – So what is currently popular when thinking about buying your engagement ring? Its important to get the design of the ring right. Think about your partners style, are they classic, trendy, original or designer? We have selected a few fine examples for you in the following article. Whats the trend?
  1. I’m looking for something completely different, You don’t want to follow the crowd?  High street Jewellery is popular due to it’s cost, but it doesn’t suit everyone. There are some very creative styles that stand apart from standard engagement rings. If you want designer then check out some bespoke design collections by companies such as Tiffany or designers such as Shaun Leane, alternatively you can look at the more creative trends such as:
  1. Buying online could save you a small fortune. You can buy a really nice engagement ring online and save a small fortune these days. The main reason for this is your not paying for overheads of a shop front. If you do decided to buy online then look out for the following.
    • Established company.
    • 30 – 40 days return policy.
    • Your ring comes with certified certificates.
    • Live customer reviews.
    • Customer service line.
    • Read the terms and conditions.
    • Please make sure they are a reputable jewellery company.
  1. You might want to consider getting it insured. You should be able to do this on your existing home insurance policy. You should not need to get separate insurance.
  1. I need more Facts? – If you follow this link you can read some more facts on engagement rings. This may help with your final choice before purchase. – More Facts