Does Size Matter? How To Pick Out An Engagement Ring
Buying an engagement ring for your future wife will be one of the biggest purchases you will make in your life. It's an important decision and one that should not be taken lightly. You aren't just buying a ring, you are investing in your future. Engagement rings come in all shapes, colors and sizes. There are quite a few decisions to make when purchasing an engagement ring. See below for a few helpful tips on how to pick out an engagement ring for your future wife.
Set A Budget
Be realistic when setting your budget for an engagement ring. You don't want to put yourself too far into debt before you can even begin your life together. The rule of thumb is usually three months salary, but if that's stretching your budget too far, lower your budget to what you can actually afford. There may also be financing options for you if paying cash is not something you can afford to do.
Listen To Your Future Bride
Your future bride may have been dropping helpful hints to you, so pay close attention. She may have even told her best friend about the type of ring she would like, so do some investigating before buying the ring. Look at the jewelry she wears daily. Does she wear a lot of bold jewelry, or does she keep her jewelry simple and demure? Does she wear more yellow gold or does she prefer white gold/silver jewelry? Does she like vintage jewelry or does she prefer more modern jewelry? Paying attention to these things will help aid you in picking out the perfect ring for your bride. A more simple jewelry wearer may prefer a simple solitaire diamond with a thin band, while a bold/modern jewelry wearer may want a princess cut diamond surrounded with cluster diamonds or a solitaire diamond set in a tension setting. A vintage jewelry lover may prefer an oval diamond surrounded by emeralds.
Get To Know The Three C's
The three C's are Cut, Clarity and Color. These are the things that matter most when picking out a ring, not size. Just because it's a large diamond doesn't mean it's a valuable ring. It could have a lot of imperfections and be a very cloudy diamond, making it a poor value. Instead, be sure to pay close attention to the three C's.
- Cut. The cut refers to the shape of the diamond such as round, square (or princess), oval and emerald.
- Clarity. Clarity refers to the clarity of the diamond is rated from I3 up to Flawless. On the lower end of the scale, it means there are inclusions (flaws) in the diamond.
- Color. Color refers to the color of the diamond. Some diamonds can have a yellow tint to them. The color chart ranges from Z to D. Z is light in color (yellowed) and D is colorless.
Be sure when you purchase your ring that you receive a diamond grading report from the jeweler which will be either from the American Gem Society or the Gemological Institute of America telling you exactly what cut, color and clarity your diamond is.
To get started shopping for the perfect ring, check out jewelers like The Jackels Collection of Beverly Hills.
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