If you’re on the hunt for an engagement ring, you have our congratulations! This is one of the most exciting steps to eventually tying the knot with the love of your life, but it can also be equally overwhelming considering the sheer abundance of options out there.
You want a ring that not only represents the bond you share with your partner but also complements the wearer’s personality. It’s a significant investment that you’ll likely be making only once, so you must choose wisely.
This guide contains AZEERA’s best tips for how to buy an engagement ring to help you navigate this important decision with ease. Let’s dive in!
Get Measured for a Snug Fit
The first tip is the most obvious one—knowing your ring size. You don’t want your precious ring to cut off circulation because it’s a tad too tight or fall off because it’s a tad too loose. The right fit will ensure the ring stays on comfortably at all times.
If you’re buying an engagement ring for yourself, you can either go to your nearest jeweler to get fitted or measure yourself at home by ordering a free ring sizer from AZEERA. Simply head to the description section of any ring on our website and then click on the ‘Ring Size Guide’ option next to the Ring Size section and then click “Apply”.
If you’re looking for how to buy an engagement ring on the sly, see our ring measurement guide that has tips on how to find someone’s size secretly.
Explore Options Beyond Diamonds
If you want your engagement ring to be a little different and budget-friendly, then you’ll want to follow this tip from our engagement ring guide. Diamond is undoubtedly the traditional choice of stone for engagement rings, but there exist many alternative engagement ring gems that are just as stunning.
Colored gemstones such as blue sapphire, ruby, garnet, pink tourmaline, and more, make excellent center stones or accents and are just as meaningful as diamonds. You can choose an engagement ring with your or your partner’s birthstone to add a personal touch or choose a color that holds sentimental value for you both. This is how to buy an engagement ring to win their heart.
Understand the 4 Cs of Gemstone Grading
Whether you’ve decided on diamonds or colored gemstones, there are four things you need to understand in order to choose the best option. The 4 Cs of gemstones—color, clarity, cut, and carat weight—is the global standard for assessing gemstone quality and thereby, price.
Stones with a rich color, pure clarity, symmetrical cuts, and a higher carat are naturally more valuable but the difference between a highly-valuable and moderately-valuable gem may be visually imperceptible to you if you’re not a gemologist. Gems that are just shy of common weights such as half-carat or one-carat are also significantly cheaper with a barely discernible difference in size. This is something to keep in mind if you’re looking for how to buy an engagement ring on a budget.
Familiarize Yourself With Gemstone Shapes
Having a stone shape or “cut” in mind before you begin shopping will make your ring-hunting journey a lot faster and easier. A brilliant round cut is a classic choice that maximizes the stone’s sparkle but it also tends to be the most expensive since it’s shaped from larger stones using a complex technique.
Opting for fancier cuts such as marquise, princess, and teardrop is how to buy an engagement ring that’s unique and affordable. Check out some of our engagement ring guides for more options.
Choose a Suitable Metal
You’ll find engagement rings made from a wide variety of metals including rose gold, yellow gold, white gold, platinum, and palladium. Each metal has its own properties and care instructions and will add a different charm to your ring. If you’re going for a modern look, white gold, platinum, and palladium are some excellent choices of metal for rings. Among these, palladium is the most durable.
If you want to buy an engagement ring that’s traditional, the answer is yellow gold. Its rich warm hue will enhance the beauty of any gemstone and add a layer of elegance to the design. If you’re going for gold, consider your lifestyle while choosing the karat because alloys with a higher percentage of gold scratch and dent more easily.
To Match or Not to Match With Your Wedding Band
It’s easy to get swayed by all the breathtaking engagement ring designs out there and purchase the one that catches your eye, but before you commit to a design, you should consider how it will look with your wedding ring.
If you’re searching for how to buy an engagement ring that’s comfortable and aesthetically pleasing alongside a wedding band, you’ll want to explore stackable ring options that have a curvature for a snug fit against your band.
Acquaint Yourself With Different Styles
Popular ring styles change throughout different ages. If you want yours to remain timeless then it’s worth looking up engagement ring guides to see the different styles you have at your disposal. Familiarize yourself with different settings, stylistic elements such as milgrain and filigree, and designs to narrow down your options.
If you want something with contemporary appeal, then keep tabs on the latest jewelry trends for ideas that can be incorporated into your design.
Pick a Reputable Jeweler
Besides knowing how to buy an engagement ring, you also need to know “where”. Quality is of the utmost importance when it comes to purchasing an engagement ring or a wedding band. A good jeweler will have relevant certifications, glowing customer reviews, and ample expertise to answer your queries with patience. They’ll be able to guide you towards options that fit your requirements or work with you to craft one that does.
At AZEERA, we pride ourselves on our 75+ years of family heritage as expert gemologists. We’ve mastered the art of crafting exquisite and durable engagement rings with ethically sourced gemstones and are here to help you on your journey of how to buy an engagement ring that’s perfect for you. Hope this engagement ring guide has been helpful for you!
Book a call with us now to bring your dream ring to life!