Choosing the perfect engagement ring is a big deal!
Not only is the engagement ring the focal point of the big proposal it is a piece of jewelry that your wife will wear for years to come.
Here are a few tips from our friendly Boston jewelry store at Keezing Kreations on how to choose and how to buy an engagement ring that will elicit a resounding YES when you pop the big question.
1. Settle on an engagement ring budget that you are comfortable with.
It’s a common question, “How much to spend on an engagement ring?”
The traditional belief is that a person should spend two months salary on the engagement ring. But that is just a rule of thumb that you don’t have to follow! Pick a budget that you and your future fiancé are comfortable with. Perhaps you are planning to save for a big house or maybe you’ve just run into a big promotion at work. How much you spend on an engagement ring is entirely a personal choice!
Once you’ve picked an engagement ring budget stop looking at engagement rings you can’t afford. Your soon-to-be fiancé will likely know your financial situation and reasons for deciding on the budget that you did. Many couples these days plan to return to the jeweler later and upgrading their engagement ring when they are able to afford it.
Remounting diamonds is another popular option to help save. Using a special ring that has been in the family or passed on adds sentimental value and can help with the budget. Before you do this, make sure that’s something they want and don’t feel like they are being cheated out on.
2. Pick a local jewelry designer that you trust.
Working with a local jewelry designer rather than going to big box jewelry stores not only means you get exactly what you want, but also that your engagement ring budget also goes further! Be honest with the jewelry design and let them know your budget so that they can help you get the nicest, most valuable engagement ring for your dollar. Keezing Kreations is a trusted Boston jewelry store with some of the best jewelry designers in the country who will also work with any of your own diamonds to help stay on budget and add extra sentimental value.
3. Play detective and find out what your girlfriend really wants.
As you start to think about shopping for an engagement ring start asking her about rings in general. For example, as you walk past a jewelry store pretend to look at something else and casually ask, “Oh that ring is pretty, what do you think about it?” Another way to do it is by making a comment on someone else’s ring and see how she replies. If you do it in a casual way, she won’t even question why you’re asking.
Asking her family and friends is also a good way to get more opinions from the people who know her best. They may be able to give you some tips on which engagement ring to pick.
Knowing her style and current jewelry is another way to decode their taste, you’re the one who spends the most time with them, so snoop away! You may also think of checking her Pinterest account in case she has been saving pictures of engagement rings.
4. Chose the Right Engagement Ring Band
Depending on how many details you have been able to find out you may be faced with the decision of what type of material to use for the engagement ring band. Traditional options include yellow gold, white gold, platinum, and more popular as of late, rose gold:
Yellow Gold: This is the natural color of gold which is a very rare metal and is harder to find than diamonds. A diamond may be a forever thing, but if gold is taken care of properly it can last a lifetime.
White Gold: Traditional yellow gold is usually mixed with other metals to give it that off white color and is then plated with another metal to give it a bright silvery appearance. White gold is available both in 14K and in 18K. The 14K white gold (which is a top pick at Keezing Kreations) has less of a yellow hint.
Platinum: Platinum is extremely long wearing and is very white, so it does not need to be Rhodium plated like white gold. Platinum rings are very dense and feel heavier than an 18ct gold ring. The downside to platinum is that it can be more expensive than gold.
Rose Gold: Also known as pink gold, rose gold intensifies with age. Rose can show up differently under different lighting situations, natural, incandescent and fluorescent. 14K rose gold contains as much gold as 14K yellow gold but is slightly pinker in color.
5. Consider your partner’s lifestyle – don’t forget the practicality of the engagement ring.
If your soon-to-be fiancé is a super outdoorsy person make sure you choose an engagement ring that can hold up to the wear and tear of all of their activities. The higher the gemstone is positioned the easier it is for it to get caught on something. A lower engagement ring setting is best for active lifestyles or physical jobs, and a higher key engagement ring setting is best for a more relaxed lifestyle. Your fiancé can take off their engagement ring when they are active but after spending a lot of money on this piece of jewelry, it is best to find one that suits most of their day-to-day life.
6. Know the right size engagement ring to order.
There is nothing worse than popping the question and your engagement ring being too big or too small to fit on your new fiance’s finger! One of the best ways to figure out their ring size is by sneakily taking one of their current rings into a jeweler’s to check the size. The average size ring is a size seven, you can try and judge it based off that, but if it’s wrong you’ll have to take it in to get it resized. That puts a big damper on the proposal because they won’t be able to wear their ring right away. Plus having the engagement ring resized can make it more expensive in the long run.
7. Now for the best part, make the purchase and start planning your proposal.
When you get the phone call that your engagement ring is ready we recommend picking up the engagement ring just before the proposal so you don’t have to worry about losing it or your girlfriend finding it.
Also, consider getting proper insurance for the engagement ring because this is perhaps one of the most expensive items you have purchased. We recommend getting it done before you pop the question so you don’t have to worry about the hassle right after the ring was received.
Finally and most important it’s now time to get down on one knee and propose to the love of your life!
Keezing Kreations would love to help walk you through this process as well as a number of other steps along the way so that you can design your own engagement ring right here in Boston, MA!
We’ve worked with countless couples to help design the perfect engagement ring. No matter your budget, we will make sure that you get as much sparkle and bling for your dollar.
You can simply drop by our Boston jewelry store during store hours or call to set up an appointment with our jewelry designers at a time that fits into your schedule.
For more inspiration be sure to check out the Engagement Ring section of our Design Gallery!
