Choosing an engagement and wedding ring should be an exciting time, but more than often causes a lot of anxiety. What if I choose the wrong one?
To relieve some of this stress, couples are now choosing to shop together! From window shopping hand-in-hand to paying attention to what jewelry trends your partner likes, there are various ways to find the ring of their dreams. Here are a few things to consider when shopping for an engagement ring.
Your budget
It’s important to be sure that you can afford a ring before purchasing one, especially as you begin your new life as a married couple, combining finances. Prior to shopping for rings, consider your income, investments, savings, and expenses. Compare your expenses to your income. If your income is greater, you’re in good shape! If your expenses are higher, see where you might be able to start cutting back so you can set aside some savings for the ring. Start to allocate some or all of it to an engagement ring fund.
What style your partner likes
While many couples are now choosing to shop for rings together, some prefer to be surprised by their partner. If you’re ring shopping solo, be sure to know what ring style(s) your partner likes. If you’re unsure, look through your future spouse’s jewelry. Do they prefer yellow gold or platinum? Diamonds or gemstones? Solitaire or halo? You can also ask their close friends and family. Chances are they’ve already had many conversations about their dream engagement rings and can even show you a few inspiration photos!
The four C’s
If your partner prefers a diamond ring, it’s important for you to understand the four C’s. This is a term that will come up a lot when you start researching engagement rings. Diamonds are graded and priced based on the four C’s: color, cut, clarity, carat. These are important to know because they not only help you understand the quality of a ring, but they also help determine its price. Many jewelers, including, Blue Nile, provide information about the 4C’s directly on their website that will make it easy to understand the most important characteristics when it comes time for you to purchase an engagement ring.
Her ring size
There are a lot of factors that go into ring size including finger shape, width of the ring, and how someone like to wear their rings. If you don’t already know your partner’s size, secretly slip on a ring that he/she wears on their ring finger onto your finger and mark where it hits. You can also use a ring sizer to see what size the ring is. Keep in mind that all rings cannot be re-sized. Ask an experienced jeweler about the style you’re considering if you don’t know your partner’s size and they can advise you.
For more tips check out this helpful guide to finding the right engagement ring in secret, and a questionnaire to use when shopping as a team. Enjoy!
