An engagement ring is the symbol of a couple’s relationship, but also a symbol of their love, devotion and fidelity to one another. On our blog today, we will share with you How To Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring.
In order to have the perfect ring to propose to your significant other, we suggest to look into three things :
- The 4 C’s
- The Style of the Ring
- The Stone(s)
The 4 C’s
The 4 C’s are the most important thing to check when buying a diamond for an engagement ring. They represent the cut, colour, carat and clarity of the diamond.
The Cut
There are different types of cuts for diamonds : round, oval, emerald, … but the quality of the cut is the most important factor to check when buying a diamond as it hugely affects the level of sparkle.
The Colour
The closer a diamond is to being colourless, the more valuable the stone is, as it is rarer. A diamond’s colour ranges from D, which means that it is colourless, to Z, which means that it has a light yellow hue.
The Carat
The carat of a diamond measures its weight. One carat is equivalent to 0.2 gram. Obviously, the more a diamond weights, the more valuable it is.
The Clarity
Most diamonds have inclusions, visible to the naked eye or not, which are essentially ‘birthmarks’ due to the pressure and heat of the underground where they were formed. The more inclusions a diamond has, the less it shines.
The Style of the Ring
Rings are available in lots of shapes and styles. We will talk about the most popular ones, but your imagination is the only limit when it comes to the ring style.
Solitaire
A solitaire ring has one stone. It is the most classic ring style as it is timeless and never goes out of trend. This style represents classic elegance and it is easy to dress around.
Halo
A halo ring has a central stone surrounded by smaller gems to make it appear even larger. You can also choose different kind of stones for the halo and for the centre stone.
Three Stone
The three stone ring is one of the most popular as it can have a lot of meaning. Quite often it represents the past, the present and the future of the relationship. You can choose to have three stones of the same size, but another popular choice is to have the middle stone larger than the two others.
The Stones
Now that we know which ring style we want, it is time to focus on the stone(s). Traditionally, engagement rings are set with diamonds. Here is a list of some of our favourite gemstones.
Sapphire
Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that this gem had protective properties and that it was bringing good luck to the wearer. Nowadays, Sapphire is associated with sophistication and royalty and is the top choice in royal weddings since Prince Charles gave Lady Diana a blue sapphire engagement ring, which Prince William then gave to Kate Middleton when he proposed.
Emerald
Emerald is believed to keep the wearer relaxed and serene. It is a popular stone and it is mostly due to Cleopatra’s emerald collection. Nowadays, is it a symbol of loyalty, new beginnings, peace and security.
Ruby
Although ruby is the symbol of protection and invincibility in Chinese culture, many other cultures refer to it as the symbol of love and passion. Rubies have long been considered the perfect wedding gem.
Opal
Opal was a very popular stone during the Middle Ages as people thought that it had the powers of each gemstone whose colour appeared in its sheen. It is one of the birthstones for October, along with Tourmaline.
Engagement rings are something special to a couple’s relationship. It symbolises their love and union. However an engagement ring isn’t required to propose. You can choose to propose before having the ring, so that you can go engagement ring shopping together and be sure of the ring both of you want.
Although most men choose not to wear an engagement ring, it is becoming more common to see a man also wearing one, Ed Sheeran for example.
Also, if you don’t know how to propose to your significant other, read our guide on how to ‘Pop the Question’ here.
