Engagement Ring Guide 14th January 2021 – Posted in: News – Tags: , , , , ,

So here we are in Lockdown 3.0 and I sincerely hope you are all well and are coping under the circumstances. On a normal year I’m a bit of a wedding nut, I love wedding programs tacky or not, I love to see the fashions change and re-appear (not showing my age here). Most of all I love that even though there are set cultural traditions, certain conventions to be adhered to, there is always a wonderful sense of individuality that can be seen in all weddings. 

Last year was so interesting….(being the operative word), in more ways than one, but from a wedding perspective it has truly captured my imagination. They say that necessity is the mother of all invention and I love how this phrase applies to our current situation so well. I have been hooked on stories of zoom weddings, gazebo weddings, Grannies as brides maids and drive-thru weddings.

Every single engagement ring is individual and unique in its own right. Once given, it has its own history imprinted onto it, its own symbolism and meaning. Recently it has become more the norm to see a less tradition ring. When I say ‘engagement ring’, the image that immediately springs to mind is that of a beautiful sparkling brilliant round cut diamond, in a classic solitaire four claw setting in luminous platinum or bright gold, however now many different types of stones, styles of ring and materials are being completely acceptable, which in my opinion, I’m all for it! When buying an engagement ring its handy to remember the 3S’s (no, not s***, shower and shave) Stone, Style and Setting!

According to the powers that be it takes 1-2 years to plan the perfect wedding and 8 weeks to plan the perfect proposal, so if your planning a Valentines Day proposal ,your just in time if you get your thinking cap on. 

Romancing the Stone. 

Diamonds are traditionally used due to their durability, their ability to be cut into many different shapes, their ability to sparkle and of course their price. You may wish to think what kind of stone you are going to use. A good idea would be to research different types of gem stones, and the significance and symbolism of each on.

You might want to go for a regal blue sapphire like Kate Middleton, or a ravishing Ruby like Jessica Simpson. Stunning stones such as Citrine have a wonderful sparkle and a champagne colour, which is becoming more popular and works well on a budget. You may want the gemstone to have a certain meaning or even speak to your perspective fiancé in the way of their birthstone or their favourite colour. Click Here for a helpful guide to Birthstones

Stone of a different Colour

One of the beautiful characteristics of choosing a coloured stone is that there are so many variations of that particular colour, you could have a darker deeper hue or go for a fresher lighter hue of a particular stone, emeralds and amethysts are a wonderful examples of this. 

You may still want to stay with a traditional diamond in which case there are some wonderful variations and different colours of diamond that might take your fancy, pink, champagne, yellow even two-tone Salt and Pepper diamonds. If you want to learn more about diamonds and choosing the quality of a diamond click here to read our previous blog on the 5C’s of Diamonds.

Style is substance. 

You may want to give a quick thought into the style of the ring itself, this can be an extension of your prospective recipient. Do they like sleek, modern styles? Do they like to be up-to-date with fashion? Do they prefer antiques? Do they like a particular era in history? Art-deco or Victorian era? You may wish to consider is the style of the ring and the way the stones are set. The most popular style is that of a solitaire diamond, elegant and sophisticated it draws all attention the main centre stone. It also means that a variety of wedding bands will compliment this style of ring. Added flare such as detail on the shoulders is also a nice touch which is extremely popular. You may also choose multiple stones, such as a trilogy or stones to draw attention to the centre stone. Another style which is extremely popular is that of a halo ring, where the shape of the centre stone is mirrored by surrounding diamonds of a smaller size, thus creating a halo. 

A Little Metallica. 

This final element is of course the metal to which your ring will be made of, there are several options for this and once again is up to personal taste. Yellow Gold is beautiful and vivid and is considered to be more traditional. White Gold is another popular choice, due to its luminous appearance however it does require maintenance and we recommend that you have have you white gold rings Rhodium Plated every 6 months to maintain their colour and shine. The final popular choice is Platinum, this is a very durable metal, that doesn’t require much maintenance. There are a few other metals such as palladium which are become more and more popular but the three mentioned above are ones you are likely to encounter. 

Family Matters.

You or your fiance may have a family heirloom in mind that you would like to use instead of getting something new, an idea which we love. In this eventuality we would like to remind you that we offer a ring sizing service as well as a cleaning and a rhodium plating service.

Whatever you choose it will be beautiful and will instantly be full of meaning, symbolism and most importantly love. The beginning step of a wonderful, life long journey.

If your are planning to pop the question we of course wish you the best of luck. 

Stay Safe and Take Care, 

Katie.