The Basics of Shopping for Engagement Rings

Settings, stones, sets, and solitaires – it can be easy to get overwhelmed when shopping for engagement rings. Fortunately, we've broken down the process to make it super simple to find the perfect engagement ring for your fiancee-to-be. First, think budget. It used to be the rule that an engagement ring should cost what you could earn in two months, but that's an old-school way of thinking. Simply buy the best ring you can afford without going into major debt. Still unsure? We've got great tips for getting the most for your money (like how to make smaller stones look bigger than they are!). Not sure what style to buy? We have hundreds of engagement rings to view in store as well as hundreds more to look at in catalogs – and advice for choosing the right ring to match her style. A new addition to our store is CounterSketch, a user friendly program that allows modifications to thousands of ring styles with the click of a mouse. It is the perfect answer to the comment, “It's perfect, except…”.

The Halo Style

You know the saying, "strength in numbers"? The same holds true for enhancing a stone. A ring with a halo setting (a circle of smaller diamonds around the center stone) can make the diamond in the middle look bigger. And it's not just a great way to create the illusion of additional carats – a halo can also completely change the appearance of diamond by giving it a vintage look that will stand out from an everyday solitaire.

Where To Start

Even before those 4 Cs (cut, color, clarity, and carat), you must know what shape your future fiancee loves. Shape indicates the actual shape of the stone, as opposed to cut, which relates to the angles of the facets in the stone.

The Ring Setting

A quality setting – the metal framework in which your stone is mounted – can set the tone for a ring. A classic round engagement ring stone gets a fresh and modern makeover in a bezel setting. A trendy oval can look more traditional in a four-prong setting. Getting the right combo of shape and setting is key.

Spy on Her

The trend these days is for couples to ring-shop together, but if you're more of a traditionalist and looking to surprise her with a ring she'll love, be sure to do some reconnaissance. You can ask her best friend or sibling for help – and swear them to secrecy. But if you're set on not telling anyone, pay attention to the jewelry she wears. Is she more of a platinum/white gold girl than a yellow-gold one? Does she gravitate to modern flash as opposed to simple, classic pieces? Watch her for a couple of weeks and take mental notes to size up her style.

Consider the Metal

When it comes to the band, you've got a variety of metals to choose from. One popular choice is platinum – it's extremely durable and especially pure, making it a great hypoallergenic choice for brides and grooms with sensitive skin. There's also gold, which comes in a variety colors, including white, yellow and rose. Beyond platinum and gold, you might also consider palladium (which has a grayer hue than platinum). Why not sterling silver? Silver is actually one of the softest of the metals and therefore not suitable for the everyday wear that something like an engagement ring will take.

Loose Stones

While we do have quite a few of our diamonds already set in ring mountings, we also have quite a few of our diamonds “loose”. In almost all cases we buy our diamonds separately from the settings. We want the chance to inspect and grade them as they are meant to be. Only when we are satisfied do we put them into a ring mounting. This includes our mountings as well as yours. So while sometimes everything works out perfectly, the perfect ring set with the perfect diamond many times you will select from our collection of loose diamonds. But don't worry, we have goldsmiths on staff that can set your diamond expertly into a setting.

Work Your Budget Well

Throw out that old two-months salary myth; You should buy the best ring you can without going into major debt. If she's a size queen and your budget isn't super-sized, go for a ring with a slightly larger table, or surface, area. You won't get as much sparkle, but a one-carat ring will look much larger if the stone isn't as deep. Don't want to sacrifice the look of your stone? Buying just shy of the next carat (1.8 instead of 2) can equal a budget savings. And when it comes to clarity, buying shy gives you the most wiggle room without affecting sparkle (often defects are not visible to the naked eye). We can help you maximize your budget effectively. One thing to note is that different shapes show or hide their characteristics differently than other shapes. We can help you through this part of the process with the expertise of viewing thousands of diamonds.

Shop Safe

We value and take pride in the reputation we have built since 1949. Please know we would do nothing to violate that trust. Lori, a certified Graduate Gemologist, inspects and grades every diamond that enters our store. It is her trained eye that will help us through this big decision. Backing up her opinion can be grading reports from grading laboratories including our preferred choices of the GIA and the AGS. These are the top two independent grading laboratories in the jewelry industry. It is our belief these two are the best due to their consistency and stringency.

Give Yourself at Least Six Weeks

Remember that once ordered, a ring can take up to six weeks to arrive, potentially longer if you're having it custom designed. This is more of a worst case scenario. Sometimes the ring will need to be made to your specified metal choice or more probably your specified ring size. Sometimes we can size an existing ring to fit but in cases where sizing an in stock ring will compromise the structural integrity of the ring we can not. These cases typically involve some drastic sizings.

Get It in Writing

GIA Certificate
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AGS Certificate
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Diamonds can be accompanied by a diamond-grading report issued by an independent gemological association such as the GIA or the American Gem Society. These reports include information related to the shape, weight, clarity, color and in some case the cut grade of the diamond. One other item that can be listed is whether or not your diamond is laser engraved. Some diamonds have a serial number engraved on the girdle which can provide absolute identification of your diamond in the future.

Once you've chosen a stone for your engagement ring, then the fun part starts: choosing a setting. Although the stone can account for most of the cost of the ring, the setting is what defines its look and showcases the stone to its best advantage. When shopping, be sure to check out a variety of rings, even those you might not like – these things can surprise you!

First Things First

When shopping for a mounting (the industry term for a setting before it is set with a stone), never let the addition of a wedding band stray far from your thoughts. An engagement ring may represent a promise but the wedding band ultimately outranks it in significance, and will likely be worn every day.

Double Up

One foolproof way to solve this dilemma is to buy a wedding set. This will include an engagement ring and woman's wedding band (duo) or an engagement ring and his-and-hers wedding bands (trio). The advantage of these sets is that the woman's engagement ring and wedding band fit together perfectly – most also look good separately – and share cohesive design elements.

Set Your Sights

Whether you are buying a set or building an engagement ring from scratch, every aspect of said ring – the stone, metal, and mounting – should be chosen with your lifestyle and budget in mind. Below are the advantages and disadvantages of the most popular basic settings from Renée Newman, GG, MA, author of Gold & Platinum Jewelry Buying Guide (International Jewelry Publications). The choices are endless, from a simple solitaire to a number of stones and combination of settings on the same ring. Luckily, it's relatively easy to reset your stone – and add stones – as your bank account and lifestyle permit.

The Settings…

Prong

What It Is: This most common type of engagement-ring setting involves four to six "claws" that hold a stone firmly in a metal "head" or "basket". Prongs can be pointed, rounded, flat, or V-shaped, and act as "pockets" for a square stone's corners. When deciding between four and six prongs, know that four prongs show more of the diamond, while six prongs are more secure if a stone becomes loose, but can overwhelm a small stone. If you have heart-, marquise-, or pear-shaped stone, be sure its points are cradled in a V-shaped prong for protection.

Advantages:

Permits the most light exposure from all angles and therefore maximizes a diamond's brilliance and "lightens up" richly colored gems.
Less metal means less time and money is required than other setting styles.
Allows easy cleaning of the stone.
Holds even the most fragile (soft) gems securely.

Disadvantages:

Offers less protection to the stone than other styles since most of the girdle (the perimeter of the stone) is exposed.
Can get caught in hair or snag clothing (especially when pulling on a long-sleeved shirt) as they become worn or pulled from the diamond.

Bezel

What It Is: A metal rim with edges fully or partially surrounds the perimeter of the stone.

Advantages:

Protects a stone's girdle from being nicked or chipped.
Conceals existing nicks or chips on a stone's girdle.
Secures a stone well.
The ring surface is completely smooth.
Metal can be molded to fit any stone shape snugly.

Disadvantages:

A yellow gold bezel setting can make a "white" stone such as a diamond appear less white because the yellow tint of the setting is reflected in the stone.
A bezel can make a the diamond look smaller due to more of it being covered by metal.

Channel

What It Is: Popular for wedding bands, this setting sandwiches a row of stones – with no metal separating them – between two horizontal channels for part or all of the ring.

Advantages:

Protects the girdle of the stones.
Provides better security for small stones than a prong or pave setting.
The surface is completely smooth and unobtrusive.

Disadvantages:

A ring set with stones all the way around, called an eternity band, can be difficult to resize (leave at least one third of the shank unset for greatest flexibility – this saves money, too)
Not recommended for fragile gems such as emeralds, opals, or tourmalines.

Bar

What It Is: This setting can also be applied around some or all of the ring, but instead of channels holding the stones, thin vertical bars of metal between stones secure them firmly in place.

Advantages:

Protects the sides of each stone's girdle.
The surface is relatively smooth and unobtrusive.
Puts a contemporary spin on a classic look.

Disadvantages:

Leaves the top and bottom of the stone exposed.
The uneven edges of some designs may cause discomfort.

Pave

What It Is: The French word for "paved", a pavé setting (pronounced "pah-vay") involves several small stones fitted into holes that set them level with the surface of the ring. Surrounding metal – white gold or platinum for white stones so as to be unnoticeable – is then raised to form beads that secure the gems. The setting can be flat or domed.

Advantages:

Gives the illusion of more and bigger diamonds than they really are.
Allows an uninterrupted design flow of varying width.

Disadvantages:

Not recommended for fragile gems, although the proximity of the stones offers good protection for the girdle of each stone.
The surface is level but not as smooth as a bezel, channel, or gypsy setting.
Beads are not as reliable as other settings for securing stones.
This is definitely not a type of setting recommended for someone with an active lifestyle.

Engagement Rings: Ring Metal Glossary

Platinum: A rare, natural white metal known for its strength and purity – platinum is usually 90-percent pure.; Why you'll love it: Platinum's density makes it extremely durable, meaning it will keep your diamond or other gemstone protected and secure. It's also naturally hypoallergenic so it won't irritate sensitive skin. When platinum scratches (all metals do), there is very little metal lost, so your ring will withstand years of wear. Also, since it's a pure-white metal, it won't cast any tint onto your center stone.
Yellow Gold/White Gold: This naturally yellow metal gets combined with different metal alloys for added strength – it is usually 58.5%(14kt) or 75%(18kt) pure. The result is jewelry available in a rainbow of colors, including white, yellow and rose. Yellow gold is turned into white gold by alloying it with another metal (typically nickel) then plating the surface with rhodium, however, so the coating may eventually wear away and return to its original color.; Why you'll love it: It's also more widely available and therefore less expensive than some other metal options.; Why you'll love it: One of rose gold's especially attractive aspects is its underlying meaning. While white gold represents friendship and yellow gold means fidelity, rose gold represents love. Plus, it's durable and has a look that's pleasing against many skin tones.
Palladium: A lustrous silver-white metal, this natural ore is also used as an alloy in white gold.; Why you'll love it: Similar to platinum, palladium won't tarnish, is very flexible, and is hypoallergenic, but palladium's lower density makes it less costly. It also has a darker, grayer tone than platinum.

Alternative Metals (For the Guys)

Recent years have seen the growth in the alternative metal wedding band market. At first it was just titanium but since then many other metals have become popular, including tungsten carbide, cobalt, zirconium and more. The most sited attraction to these metals are usually the color – most often they are darker in color, and the price – usually a fraction of the cost of a precious metal.

Titanium: This sturdy metal has a cool, gray finish.; Why you'll love it: The tough name and rugged style of this metal makes it particularly ideal for men's bands. Corrosion-resistant and hypoallergenic, titanium is as strong as steel but as weightless as aluminum, making it perfect for men who don't normally wear any jewelry.
Tungsten Carbide: This is the hardest and heaviest of all metals having a dark gray finish similar to titanium.; Why you'll love it: The hardest of all metals means the most scratch resistant. Many wearers of Tungsten Carbide bands testify that their wedding band looks the same as they did when they got it even after years of wear. The only thing harder, diamonds.
Cobalt: The newest entry into the alternative wedding band market as well as the whitest.; Why you'll love it: Cobalt is a bright white metal similar in color to white gold, but that is where the similarities end. Cobalt is harder and less expensive than its look alike. Cobalt is hypoallergenic like some of the other alternative metals.

What to Do When No Bands Fit Snugly Against Your Engagement Ring

This has been a recent and growing trend. As engagement rings branch beyond the traditional shape wedding bands have had growing “difficulty” fitting in. In many cases a designer never intended a band to go with the ring so they never designed one. If this is the case we have a solution – the shadow band. A shadow band is a custom made band to fit your engagement ring. This process involves a goldsmith hand carving a wax to be cast or a CAD (Computer Aided Design) program being used to create the band. In either case the band being manufactured is for your specific ring, a shadow to your engagement ring. These bands typically are curved and therefore are not typically worn alone.

The Classic Styles

As we all know styles come and go – thankfully some go. So although there are some current trends in engagement rings there are some styles that remain classic and timeless. Of all the classic styles three jump to the forefront: the solitaire, the three stone ring and the channel set diamond band.

The Solitaire: Regardless of diamond shape the single diamond solitaire remains a favorite style. Bands can twist, curve or be straight but the focus for this style is the diamond. The solitaire has proved it will never go out of style.
The Three Stone Ring: The style began some years ago as the expression of past, present and future and has remained a popular style since. Three stone rings can come in a variety of styles including baskets, trellis and bars but the overall look is diamonds across the finger.
The Channel Set Band: Different setting styles can emerge and become popular but the classic channel set band is one that remains a complementary choice for any engagement ring. Growing in popularity is the channel set band as a right hand ring as an anniversary gift later in marriage.