A Guide to Building an Engagement Ring
This
guide will help you effortlessly build an engagement ring setting with or without
gemstone combinations.
This guide is made especially for guys--for two reasons. First, men are usually
the ones who buy engagement rings.
And second, while men are not usually keen on shopping in general, they could
especially use some
encouragement for this kind of shopping.
I
will do my best to give you the information you need to make the right decisions.
I'll show you how to avoid
the whole jewelry store scene and come out far ahead in many ways by building,
shopping and buying an
engagement ring online.
We
have four more issues to cover before you are prepared:
* Choosing a band and setting.
* Choosing a diamond
* Using a really neat tool to build engagement ring stone-setting combinations.
* Considering whether you should buy your engagement ring online.
So let's get started... |
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Create Your Own Engagement
Ring: Select Your Setting |
First
things first, find her ring size. If you get a ring that fits, this will help
you avoid a lot of problems.
You can usually return rings for re-sizing, but it's nice if you get it right
the first time.
There are many ways to find her ring size, but how you do it depends on whether
you're a traditional guy or not.
If you've already been talking to her about getting married, then just ask her
what her ring size is.
However, if you'd like to surprise her with a ring and a proposal, then you'll
have to figure out a tricky
way to find her ring size. You could just take one of her rings when she's not
looking and get it sized.
Just make sure to return it before she sees it missing.
Or, if you plan to be really traditional, and ask her parents for her hand in
marriage before you ask her,
then you can probably ask her mother to find out her ring size for you.
Another good place to find information on how to get her ring setting is at
Diamond ChitChat.com,
read
the posts on “Tips
On Ring Sizing“.
Once you figure out her ring size, then the real work begins. Now you have to
figure out what kind of ring
to get. Let’s first discuss the band and setting and then the diamond.
There are four basic kinds of engagement ring settings to choose from.
You may choose a traditional solitaire setting.
Purhaps a setting with Accents, or even a
three stone ring setting, and of course you
may even find it attractive to add other gemstones
as accents, like sapphires,
rubies, emralds, etc..
Let's look at each of these four options:
Traditional Solitaire
Engagement Rings |
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One of the most popular styles for engagement rings is the classic Solitaire.
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Classic
Tiffany Solitaire |
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Diamond Accented
Engagement Ring Settings |
Diamond accents are just extra diamonds surrounding and accenting the main
diamond. These surrounding diamonds may
be round, or may be baguettes. A baguette is a gem that has a flat surface
and is set flush with the surrounding gold or
platinum of your engagement ring band.
The best way to explain the differences here is just to show you some pictures:
| Diamond
Accents |
|
Round
Accents |
Rectangular
Baguettes |
Tapered
Baguettes |
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Above
diamond engagement ring is accented by round diamonds |
Here
is a diamond engagement ring accented by rectangular baguettes |
This
diamond engagement ring
is accented by tapered baguettes |
| Gem
Accents |
|
|
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Here
is an engagement ring
with round ruby accents |
Here
is an engagement ring
with tapered sapphire
baguettes |
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Images Courtesy of Mondera |
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So engagement ring settings aren't really all that complicated after all.
There's
not much to say about this simple and elegant style, so let's talk a little
bit about the kinds of precious metals
you can choose.
If
you want to look traditional, go with yellow gold.
If you prefer subtle and under-stated, choose white gold.
If you prefer, and it’s within your budget, choose platinum.
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18k
Yellow Gold |
18k
White Gold |
.950
Platinum |
Note:
Your significant other will probably have a preference between platinum, white
gold and yellow gold. If she hasn't
already made this preference clear, pay attention to what she wears. If she
tends to wear a lot of silver or stainless steel,
she's probably likes white gold or even platinum. If she tends to wear yellow
gold, or more brassy looking metals, then
she probably more keen on wearing yellow gold.
Also, gold comes in 18k, 14k, and 9k. 18k is definitely recommended.
Choosing
The Perfect Loose Diamond For Your Engagement Ring! |
Cut,
Color, Clarity, Carat. The 4 Cs. Make sure you know about the 4 Cs before you
shop for your diamond.
Read Our 4 C’s tutorials within the Diamond
Grading section of our tutorials, starting with the "Introduction
to the four C's".
Next
you need to determine the budget of your diamond engagement ring. Read our tutorial
on "Engagement
Ring Budget".
| Should
You Design and Buy an Engagement Ring Online? |
Why
wouldn't someone want to design and buy an engagement ring online? Here are
some of the typical reasons:
| 1.
I can't see the actual ring before I buy it: Some people are concerned
about the fact that they can't see the ring before they buy it. This
is an understandable concern. But the fact is that when you buy a diamond
online, you do see a very good picture of your ring before you buy it.
And this will tell you as much as holding it in your hand at a jewelry
store anyway.
There are other drawbacks to buying your ring in a store. For example,
you usually cannot design your own engagement ring in a store. So there's
less variety. And you really can't tell any more about the quality of
a diamond looking at it in the store than you can from a picture online.
Really! Not, that is, unless you are a professional appraiser, and you
have your eye piece with you!
Also, whether you design and buy an engagement ring online, or pick
one out in a store, it is always a good idea to get an independent appraisal
once you purchase your ring.
Finally, when you buy online, there is no salesperson there with an
interest in a commission to cloud your judgment.
2. I don't feel comfortable giving credit card information
over the internet: Some people are concerned with the safety of their
credit cards. Again, this is an understandable concern. However, credit
card companies insure you against fraud, so it shouldn't be as much
of a concern as you might think. Furthermore, you take far more chances
with your card when you give it to a waiter at a restaurant and let
him disappear around the corner with it, than you ever do giving it
to a reputable business with a secure connection on the internet.
Make sure you work with a reputable company (see Jewelers Directory).
Then you won't have any problems. Furthermore, online jewelry stores
like the ones listed in our Jewelers Directory the credit card processing
procedure is all automated, and humans typically don't see your card
number at all.
3. I can't pay with cash or a check online: You don't
want to pay cash anyway! There's no way to track the sale if something
goes wrong. |
As you can see, these misgivings are understandable, but in the end they are
somewhat misguided. Furthermore,
there are some other very good reasons to design and buy an engagement ring
online.
| 1.
NO SALES TAX!!! : If you buy from a dealer that is not based in your
state, you usually don't have to pay any sales tax (YET! State and local
governments are trying to figure out a way to part you from more of
your money, but so far no sales tax.). With sales tax rates averaging
8%, you can save $240 on a $3000 ring!
2. 30%-50% below retail: Wow!! This really shows you
how much you can lose if you opt for the jewelry store scene.
3. Shipping is often free: Look for the merchants that
offer complimentary shipping. And, if your order is big enough, they'll
even ship it free overnight! (Shipping policies can change, so make
sure you check out their policy at the time of purchase).
4. 30 day return policies: These are standard.
5. GIA Certificates: Most Reputable Jewelers provide
consumers with a GIA certificate when buying a diamond. It is still
a good idea to seek an independent appraisal, however. That goes for
online and off-line merchants alike.
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| "So
which Jeweler do you recommend?" |
My top five
choices (and they're based in different states, so you can make sure to avoid
sales tax),
are listed in the “Top
5 Jewelers”. So that's all there is to it. Now you know what you need
to know to
buy a good engagement ring setting and a good diamond at an excellent price.
Design your engagement ring online,
and buy it from a reputable online dealer, and you'll come out far ahead of
where you would in a jewelry store.
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