When faced with such an exciting and memorable decision, you want to make sure your future spouse falls in love with the ring - as much as they have with you already!
But how do you pick out the perfect ring?
With a huge market, offering so many options: different gemstones, metals, designs and prices - how do you find the right combination? Well, that's why we're here to help!
Here at Woods, not only do we have an extensive range of engagement rings in our front window, both new and second hand, but we also have an experienced and knowledgeable team including 2 on-site Goldsmiths, Designers and a Gemmologist, all here to help you find your perfect ring. We offer a personal shopping experience with one of our team of specialists to help you choose something perfect. We will make the experience personal, fun and stress free, while educating you on everything you need to know to make an informed decision.
Still feeling overwhelmed?
Well, here are some tips to help get you started!
Budget
Working to a budget can help set some initial guidelines and narrow down the mountain of options you are faced with when you first start hunting for the perfect ring!
We will always work to accommodate your budget sourcing a variety of carat, cut, colour and clarity of diamonds, a large array of gemstones and setting them within different metals and designs.
Diamonds
Diamonds are the most popular choice for engagement rings, not only because of their enticing sparkle and fire, but also due to the fact that they are the hardest natural material known to man. This is going to be a ring worn every day for the rest of your partners life - and so choosing something that will stand the test of time is paramount.
When considering what diamond (or diamonds) you may like there are many things to consider. 'More options?' I hear you say! Well, I'm afraid so, but what's more exciting than choosing the perfect diamond for your loved one?
You may have heard of the 4 C's (cut, colour, clarity and carat) but if you haven't click here to take you to a handy blog post we wrote earlier all about them!
Here are a few of the attributes you may want to consider:
Stone Shape / Cut
- Round Brilliant
- Princess
- Marquise
- Pear
- Oval
- Cushion
- Baguette
- Radiant
- Emerald
- Asscher
Design
- Single Stone with plain shoulders
- Single Stone with diamond shoulders
- Cluster / Halo
- Three Stone
- Bespoke Design
Setting
- Claw Set
- Bezel Set
- Tension Set
- Floral / Organic / Ornate
Consider the practicality of the design. Is the person you're buying for very active, or do they have a job where the design may need to be more durable? If so, maybe a low bezel setting would work best. We can help you choose something practical that will work for your partner and their lifestyle.
You could also take a look at their current jewellery; you might notice that they have a particular style or design repeating throughout their collection. Another idea is to see what they point out when you walk past a jewellers' window.
A selection of rings we design and manufacture on-site here at Woods Jewellers Coulsdon.
Gemstones
Maybe you'd prefer something different to a diamond, or you'd like some colour alongside one.
Gemstones are a perfect way to add another dimension to the design, to add symbolism (in the form of a birthstone or something meaningful to you and your partner), and in some cases to lower the cost to fit within a budget, as carat for carat most gemstones are less costly than diamonds.
However, it's worth taking the time to consider what gemstone to choose. As we already know Diamonds are the hardest wearing stone known to man and therefore possibly the most practical choice for an engagement ring.
Stones such as Emeralds, Opals and Pearls are generally not ideal for everyday wear as they are brittle and porous.
A gemstones hardness is measured on something called the Moh's scale. giving each stone a number from 1 (softest) such as talc, to 10 (Hardest) such as diamond. Gemstones such a Sapphires and Rubies (both Corundum's) are an excellent choice as they score a 9 on the MOH's scale.
Finger Size
Not essential (unless you're choosing a design with stones more than halfway around the finger) but a nice touch! However, fear not - if it doesn't fit, we can re-size it afterwards.
You may have a ring they wear (on their ring finger) to use as a size guideline.
Metal
Another thing to consider is the metal. You can look at your partners existing jewellery and match that, or maybe your choice might be based on practicality and longevity.
Yellow, White or Rose Gold
Gold is a beautiful metal, all of our gold engagement rings are 18ct (750 parts to every 1000 gold) and we have a variety of yellow, white and rose in stock.
When creating a yellow or rose gold ring, we usually make the diamond setting in white - and the remainder of the ring in rose or yellow. This is because diamonds can reflect the colour of the metal they are set within. Generally speaking (unless we're getting into fancy yellows) whiter diamonds are more desirable, and so we really want to enhance that colour - not detract from it.
When considering white gold, it's worth remembering that Gold is naturally a yellow metal, and so over time it will go slightly "creamy" in colour. However, this is easily rectified with a clean, polish and re-rhodium. Dependant on a person's job and lifestyle, on average we recommend having this done approximately every 12 - 18 months.
We offer the first clean, polish and re-rhodium free of charge (this is great for just before the wedding when you want that extra sparkle and shine!)
Platinum
When looking for a white metal, Platinum is an excellent choice. It's naturally white, anti-allergenic, durable and purer than 18ct gold with 950 parts platinum to every 1000.
We hope you have enjoyed reading our Engagement Ring guide and found it helpful. Should you need any further help or assistance please do pop in, call or email and one of our team will be pleased to help you.