Points To Consider When Choosing An Engagement Ring
Choosing The One
As a jeweller, I see many men and women on a daily basis seeking the perfect ring - the one that will represent their immortal union. An engagement ring is one of your most important material possessions because it represents a pivotal point in your lives. It’s important you get it right.
You sometimes hear stories about women who knew what kind of ring or dress they wanted back when they were a little girl. The truth of the matter is very few of these choices survive into adulthood as it is human nature to change. Our wants and desires change from child, to adolescent, to young adult, and to middle age and beyond, so how do you go about choosing an engagement ring that will last throughout this state of flux? I will give you a few pointers that will see you well into your twilight years with a ring you will be proud to show off to both young and old alike, then proudly bequeath to a family member.
Fashions and fads
If you can help it, don’t become a victim of fashion or fads. Certain types of settings or ‘looks’ go in and out of fashion all the time. The trick is to choose something timeless and that will age well, like a good bottle of red. Likewise, don’t choose a ring because a designer you like at the time is ‘so hot right now.’ Chances are they will be just be kitsch and embarrassing in a few years from now. If you truly love the design for what it is, then by all means go for it, but make sure you listen to that little voice of reason inside you.
Longevity
Any jeweller worth their salt should advise you on what sorts of designs are likely to withstand the test of time in terms of durability. A flimsy, ephemeral designs with a band less than 3mm wide, studded with pave diamonds will likely wear out in your lifetime. To top it off, you will likely pass on the repair bill to whomever you bequeath it to in your twilight years. If you look at the classic, timeless designs of yesteryear they are usually the ones that will last a lifetime due to their construction as well as their look.
Maintenance
Depending on your attitude towards maintenance on a ring, this may influence your decision about what metal you choose. If money is not so much of an issue, go for platinum: it is naturally a white metal and strongest of all the precious metals. Platinum polishes up something spectacular too! Maintenance on platinum is usually quite low, depending on the design.
Yellow gold also has low maintenance on it provided you choose 18k (or 14k, if absolutely necessary). It is naturally yellow and won’t need more than the odd clean and polish through the years. 9k or 10k at times can ‘tarnish’ over time due to the other metals within the alloy itself. Also depending on which country it’s from, gold can contain some metals which are allergens, which for some extremely sensitive people can cause an allergic reaction.
White gold is a very fashionable metal at the moment. However, white gold is naturally a very pale yellow colour, the whiteness is usually achieved by adding a white rhodium plating to the ring. This means that eventually the plating will wear off, leaving behind a dull yellow-greyish metal exposed. Depending on how hard you are on your jewellery, your ring will need re-plating every 5-10 years. Be prepared for this as an ongoing expense if you choose white gold.
Palladium is a relatively new metal on the market and I can only sing its praises. It is in the same family as platinum, but cheaper. It is also a naturally white metal. It is ever so slightly greyer that platinum, but this is not noticeable to most people. And, like platinum, it is very strong.
The other factor to consider with maintenance is prongs; flimsy or fine prongs will wear out quicker and will need to be re-tipped sooner than other types of stone settings. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for them, as many beautiful designs feature fine prong tips. Prongs should only need to be redone once or twice in your lifetime and is a fairly minor job. But if you are going for a particularly large or expensive diamond, it would be prudent to choose a strong setting capable of holding the stone for as long as possible.
Wearability
This is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing an engagement ring. Some questions you should ask yourself are:
The answers to these questions will heavily dictate what sort of ring design you end up with. Rings that will receive heavy wear or will be exposed to difficult conditions should be sturdier in design and construction, the body of the band should be solid, and at least 3mm wide. The palm side of the band should be wide and thick and the stone setting should have a good wide connection point within, or on top of, the band itself. Pave set bands are fine provided they don’t go past halfway down the shoulders of the ring. Channel, invisible set, or tension set stones are not ideal.
If the ring is only going to be worn occasionally then you can really get away with whatever kind of design you like. Just make sure you don’t lose it!
If your ring is likely to need resizing in future then you need to steer clear of designs which incorporate stones or designs all the way around the band.
Diamonds
There is a plethora of information out there regarding diamonds, but in a nutshell if you stick to the following you will be in good standing:
The easiest part in all of this is choosing something that represents your style and personality. Good luck and happy hunting!
Source: http://nzjewelleryonline.com/?q=blog/2013/03/09/points-to-consider-when-choosing-an-engagement-ring
For more advice about jewellery visit http://nzjewelleryonline.com/
As a jeweller, I see many men and women on a daily basis seeking the perfect ring - the one that will represent their immortal union. An engagement ring is one of your most important material possessions because it represents a pivotal point in your lives. It’s important you get it right.
You sometimes hear stories about women who knew what kind of ring or dress they wanted back when they were a little girl. The truth of the matter is very few of these choices survive into adulthood as it is human nature to change. Our wants and desires change from child, to adolescent, to young adult, and to middle age and beyond, so how do you go about choosing an engagement ring that will last throughout this state of flux? I will give you a few pointers that will see you well into your twilight years with a ring you will be proud to show off to both young and old alike, then proudly bequeath to a family member.
Fashions and fads
If you can help it, don’t become a victim of fashion or fads. Certain types of settings or ‘looks’ go in and out of fashion all the time. The trick is to choose something timeless and that will age well, like a good bottle of red. Likewise, don’t choose a ring because a designer you like at the time is ‘so hot right now.’ Chances are they will be just be kitsch and embarrassing in a few years from now. If you truly love the design for what it is, then by all means go for it, but make sure you listen to that little voice of reason inside you.
Longevity
Any jeweller worth their salt should advise you on what sorts of designs are likely to withstand the test of time in terms of durability. A flimsy, ephemeral designs with a band less than 3mm wide, studded with pave diamonds will likely wear out in your lifetime. To top it off, you will likely pass on the repair bill to whomever you bequeath it to in your twilight years. If you look at the classic, timeless designs of yesteryear they are usually the ones that will last a lifetime due to their construction as well as their look.
Maintenance
Depending on your attitude towards maintenance on a ring, this may influence your decision about what metal you choose. If money is not so much of an issue, go for platinum: it is naturally a white metal and strongest of all the precious metals. Platinum polishes up something spectacular too! Maintenance on platinum is usually quite low, depending on the design.
Yellow gold also has low maintenance on it provided you choose 18k (or 14k, if absolutely necessary). It is naturally yellow and won’t need more than the odd clean and polish through the years. 9k or 10k at times can ‘tarnish’ over time due to the other metals within the alloy itself. Also depending on which country it’s from, gold can contain some metals which are allergens, which for some extremely sensitive people can cause an allergic reaction.
White gold is a very fashionable metal at the moment. However, white gold is naturally a very pale yellow colour, the whiteness is usually achieved by adding a white rhodium plating to the ring. This means that eventually the plating will wear off, leaving behind a dull yellow-greyish metal exposed. Depending on how hard you are on your jewellery, your ring will need re-plating every 5-10 years. Be prepared for this as an ongoing expense if you choose white gold.
Palladium is a relatively new metal on the market and I can only sing its praises. It is in the same family as platinum, but cheaper. It is also a naturally white metal. It is ever so slightly greyer that platinum, but this is not noticeable to most people. And, like platinum, it is very strong.
The other factor to consider with maintenance is prongs; flimsy or fine prongs will wear out quicker and will need to be re-tipped sooner than other types of stone settings. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for them, as many beautiful designs feature fine prong tips. Prongs should only need to be redone once or twice in your lifetime and is a fairly minor job. But if you are going for a particularly large or expensive diamond, it would be prudent to choose a strong setting capable of holding the stone for as long as possible.
Wearability
This is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing an engagement ring. Some questions you should ask yourself are:
- Are you likely to be someone who will never take the ring off, or only wear it occasionally?
- What do you do for a living, and is the ring likely to get scuffed up or damaged day to day?
- Do you have any medical conditions that mean it will be likely the ring will need resizing in the future?
The answers to these questions will heavily dictate what sort of ring design you end up with. Rings that will receive heavy wear or will be exposed to difficult conditions should be sturdier in design and construction, the body of the band should be solid, and at least 3mm wide. The palm side of the band should be wide and thick and the stone setting should have a good wide connection point within, or on top of, the band itself. Pave set bands are fine provided they don’t go past halfway down the shoulders of the ring. Channel, invisible set, or tension set stones are not ideal.
If the ring is only going to be worn occasionally then you can really get away with whatever kind of design you like. Just make sure you don’t lose it!
If your ring is likely to need resizing in future then you need to steer clear of designs which incorporate stones or designs all the way around the band.
Diamonds
There is a plethora of information out there regarding diamonds, but in a nutshell if you stick to the following you will be in good standing:
- There is no such thing as a cheap diamond, only a poor quality one.
- Buy the best possible diamond you can at the time; it is an investment as well as a symbolic purchase.
- Remember the 4 C’s: cut, clarity, colour, and carat weight. Prioritise them in the order that makes most sense to YOU, not what someone else tells you. For example, if the clarity is most important to you then you can sacrifice on how well it is cut, or the colour and the carat weight. If you choose to get a ring custom made, you can communicate these priorities to your jeweller who can do all the diamond choosing leg work for you. At Jewellery Online, we have access to an impressive collection of diamonds from all around the world and can advise you accordingly.
- Remember that carat means weight, NOT size. If you are after a stone that appears larger then pay attention to what’s called the spread of the table, which is the surface area of the face of the diamond. This actually falls under the cut category of the four C’s.
The easiest part in all of this is choosing something that represents your style and personality. Good luck and happy hunting!
Source: http://nzjewelleryonline.com/?q=blog/2013/03/09/points-to-consider-when-choosing-an-engagement-ring
For more advice about jewellery visit http://nzjewelleryonline.com/