This Isn't For You, It's For Him...
This isn't for you, it's for him... So send it to him and let us lay out the Ultimate Engagement Ring Guide, (when choosing for her).
The task even with her by your side with staunch, so running it solo is obviously a wild ride. SO before the wobbly knee takes a decline, make sure to run over this guide with a fine tooth comb, we'll get you on the right track.
We've boiled it down to THREE main aspects when choosing the ring.
The Three "S"s... STONE, STYLE & SETTING - with the slight issue of finger size lurking in the shadows, we can address that later.
No doubt over the last few years, you've missed the steaming hints that have been laid at your feet, which you have swatted away as 'meaningless chirp'. However, that was valuable intel that we may never recover, so let us get you in the right ball to securing not only the perfect engagement ring, but also some little tips and tricks to scoring an incognito finger size.
1. What stone do I choose?
Arguably the most important element, or at the very least, the first thought.
With fear of over complicating things, we'll keep it to the two clear paths; Diamond or Coloured Stone.
Coloured stones are super under appreciated in the engagement ring domain. If your partner has expressed any sort of interest in a coloured stone, take it and run with it. I'm going to push you towards a Sapphire or in particular, a Parti Sapphire. With very unique colour's and bi-colours of blue and green hues, the individuality is extremely special to her. Australia is the home of the most gorgeous Sapphire's that this earth has squeezed out, so why not opt for what we have at our doorstep.
When in doubt and the budget allows, the traditional diamond is the perfect call. I feel recently with the trend towards unique cuts, lab-diamonds or other alternatives like moissanite, the nature of a diamonds beauty has been forgotten. Talking from experience, when working with an array of stones, nothing hums like a diamond.
But here's some tips on vearing away from the intimidating high points of pricing.
- Finding an 'Excellent' cut and sacrificing on other areas, will keep the price down. The cut is what gives the stone it's sparkle, regardless of any other metric.
- Don't worry too much about clarity, unless you are both avid diamond consumers. Stick to the lower end; VS2, SI1 or SI2. This representing "Slight Inclusion", 1 or 2.
- You can forfeit a little on colour and just set the diamond in a nice White Gold setting, which will help it to keep the colour in a good realm. For example, the entire band can be yellow gold and then just have the setting white gold. As the stone will draw reflection from the ring, the white gold seat for the stone, will allude to a nice 'white' colour in the stone.
- Round or Oval Cut - she's elegant and appreciates the simplicity. Traditional approach, however it's how you convert on the ring style, which will really dictate the overall feel of the ring. This choice gives you great opportunity to slot into any Ring Style.
- Pear Cut - she's confident, wants something to give a nod to the difference that stones have to offer, yet wants to allow entire piece to be the feature, less so just a sole focus on the stone.
- Marquise Cut or Trillion- she's spontaneous & unique. She knows the cut of this stone will raise some eyebrows with further inquiry.
- Emerald Cut - she's bold & particular. This cut carries a certain level of statement to it. She will have known this is for her and probably never even considered another stone. It can have a very traditional, vintage feel, however with coloured stones, the emerald cut is just a beautiful showcase for a strong piece.
- Asscher or Princess Cut - she's 'cheeky'. Whilst often kept simplistic in a single stone ring style, she doesn't want to be 'one of them'. The minimalistic feel of a solitaire with the cheeky nod to a different cut.
- Cushion Cut - similar to the Emerald Cut, it has that vintage traditionalism and a great choice for a unique stone such as Topaz, Zircon or Morganite. Usually coupled with a cluster of side stones.
- 'Unique Cut' - this covers free form style or very rare cuts. As you know, she's wild.
2. What ring style do I choose?
Depending on your entry into this guide, maybe this is your jumping off point, starting with the Ring Style, then we can work backwards into the 'What Stone'.
If otherwise informed, I'd recommend sticking to this formula, choosing a beautiful stone and marrying it up with one of the three styles below. We as the jewellers will be able to trot you through fine specifics of each style, but honing in one of these three, is our launch pad.
- Solitaire - a single stone ring. A classic style, BUT not traditional as such, it is considered a more modern take on engagement rings. 'Safe bet' sounds a little weak as it is also a preferred option for a lot of women, especially if they are more inclined to showcase the simple beauty of a single stone.
- Three Stone - as the name suggestions 'three' stones make up the design. Generally a larger centre stone, with accompanying side stones. This option gives you the option to relax on the centre stone and put more focus on the entirety of the ring. If you have been deliberating on the centre stone and can't decide. Keep it humble and draw in help from the side stones, such as two trillion diamonds.
- Halo - a centre stone with a band of small diamonds circling around the centre piece, creating the 'halo'.⠀
