How to buy an Engagement Ring - Baily Diamonds.com

Having your fiancée buy the ring herself, would be the best option obviously. But assuming you want to surprise her and also don’t want price coming into the equation, we can give you a checklist to make sure you end up with the prefect gift.

A: CHECK HER CURRENT ACCESSORIES!

Paying attention what jewelry she currently wears, her likes and dislikes is the first big step towards finding her the perfect engagement ring:
What metal color does she usually wear? You should get an obvious preference.
If she loves white gold or platinum, do not consider diamond or other stones mounted in a yellow gold ring setting.
What style of jewelry does she wear now? Is it modern looking, which make a statement? Or does she prefer rings that look vintage, or would you say that the jewelry she wears is classic, resembling those all time favourites pieces that never go out of style?
The obvious pointers of her choices is the jewelry she wears regularly, not items she only wears now and then, because it's the jewelry she wears normally that she's most comfortable with.

B: Do you know about her Likes and Dislikes?

Are you aware of her favorite jewelry store or her preferred brand of jewelry? Do you remember any particular jewelry she admired while our shopping, or appreciated a friend or relative’s ring? These should give you a reasonable indicator at what she likes and should be delighted at wearing. You could also take her for a shopping trip and browse through the jewelry section just to get an idea of what she may like.

One great trick is enlisting the help of her best friend and find out what she would like. Maybe even go out shopping with her friend to decide the final ring. And the great security in this trick is if she doesn’t like the ring (very unlikely) you can promptly lay the blame at the friends door! How does that sound for a fool-proof plan?

Very important is find out if she likes diamonds? It’s not necessary that ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’! Some women don't like them. So the alternative is sapphires and rubies, which are both sturdy gemstones that are often set into engagement rings for ladies who don't prefer diamonds.

C: What Looks suit her hands?

If her fingers are short then an elongated diamond, such as a marquise or oval, can make them look sleeker. But be careful not to overdo it or it could have the opposite effect.

Wide bands usually make fingers appear even shorter than they are, so think proportional.
Girls with slender long fingers can easily wear bold ring styles.
An intricate design that's extremely delicate could get lost on big hands, making the hands look bigger than their actual size and making the ring look tinier.

D: Choosing the Right Shape & Design

Round diamonds are the most popular shape chosen by brides, but maybe not your fiancée. She might like an oval, elongated marquise or pear-shaped stone, or a square or emerald cut diamond. Heart shaped diamonds are another option.

She may like a solitaire diamond, set alone in a band, or would she prefer a cluster of diamonds? Check her current jewelry for hints as to what she may like.

E: Consider her Lifestyle

Make sure her job and office set-up suits the diamond ring you are choosing for her. Any sharp diamonds or design, which is craggy, may always catch on fabric or cloth material. So make sure she isn’t working in a job, which has her doing a lot of physical work in case you are gifting her such a ring. Such gifts then would be more appropriate for fancy occasions.

F: What's her Ring Size

Find out her ring size or your gift will turn out to be a hit and miss. Have some relative sneak out the ring she wears on her ring finger to get an exact match.

G: Loose Diamond?

What you could do is buy a loose diamond and later after her inputs have it worked on for the required design. You should use the four C’s as a guide to buy the best possible diamond, which suits your requirement and your budget. If she isn’t into diamonds you could go for colored gems.

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