Choosing an engagement ring is an exciting but often overwhelming process. With so many styles, settings, and gemstone options, it’s easy to make costly mistakes. To ensure your purchase is perfect, here are some of the most common engagement ring mistakes—and how to avoid them.
1. Prioritising Carat Over Cut
Bigger isn’t always better. Many buyers focus too much on carat weight while overlooking the importance of cut. A well-cut diamond reflects light beautifully and appears more brilliant than a larger, poorly cut stone. Instead of chasing the biggest diamond, prioritise one with excellent proportions and symmetry.
2. Prioritising Carat Over Dimensions
Carat is a unit of weight, not size, and relying on it alone can be misleading. A diamond with a high carat weight but poor proportions may appear smaller than a well-cut diamond with an ideal spread. The dimensional spread of a diamond—its face-up size—is the best visual gauge of how large it will appear when worn. Finding a balance between a well-proportioned stone with a good spread ensures you get the best-looking diamond for your budget.
3. Not Considering Lifestyle
An engagement ring isn’t just for the proposal—it’s meant to be worn every day. If your partner leads an active lifestyle or works with their hands, delicate settings or high-profile stones may not be the best choice. Opting for a sturdy setting, such as a bezel or low-profile prong setting, can prevent unnecessary damage.
4. Guessing the Ring Size
Surprising your partner is great, but ordering the wrong ring size can cause unnecessary stress and delays. If you’re keeping the proposal a secret, discreetly borrow one of their existing rings or enlist a trusted friend to help find the right size. Most rings can be resized, but it’s best to get as close as possible from the start.
5. Overlooking the Wedding Band Fit
Some engagement rings, particularly those with unusual settings or large stones, don’t always pair seamlessly with a wedding band. Consider how the engagement ring will sit alongside a wedding band, and ask your jeweller about settings that allow for a flush fit if desired.
6. Not Setting a Realistic Budget
It’s easy to be swayed by marketing or societal pressure when buying an engagement ring, but the “three months’ salary” rule is outdated. Set a budget that aligns with your financial situation and focus on getting the best quality within your price range. A well-balanced diamond with excellent cut, clarity, and colour will always look more stunning than an oversized, poorly graded one.
7. Ignoring the 4 Cs
The four key factors—Cut, Clarity, Colour, and Carat—should be considered together. Many buyers fixate on just one factor (usually carat weight) instead of looking at how they interact to create an overall beautiful diamond. Understanding the balance of these characteristics helps you get the best value for your budget.
8. Taking 'Industry Standards' As Gospel
Our primary focus is to showcase undervalued and under-appreciated gemstones and diamonds. This 'price arbitrage' comes from industry standards that deem certain characteristics as the most desirable elements of a stone. Much of which, is a function of the original De Beers' 'A Diamond Is Forever' campaign.
Many lower quality characteristics of a diamond, have no intrinsic difference beyond subjective visuals. For example, having a warmer diamond, although heavily marked down, is an amazing option for your engagement ring. You can still enjoy all of the fundamental benefits of a diamond, with a slightly warmer tone.
Clarity is also another quality characteristic that holds too much weight, again much of which is firstly unnoticeable to the naked eye, as well as being a raw natural beauty of the stone.
Final Thoughts
Engagement rings are a significant investment, both financially and emotionally. By avoiding these common mistakes—prioritising cut over size, considering lifestyle factors, getting the right ring size, and ensuring proper certification—you’ll make a well-informed decision that will bring joy for years to come. Remember, an engagement ring isn’t just about tradition; it’s about finding the perfect representation of your love and commitment.