When it comes to buying an engagement ring many individuals take their lead from various movies or other sources when purchasing the ring and popping the question. Unfortunately, many potential buyers of engagement rings don’t know the first thing about engagement rings let alone buying an engagement ring.

Therefore, it is important to take some advice before purchasing that special symbol of love and devotion. Some of that advice includes the selection of an engagement ring that fits the person’s style and taste, paying attention and listening.

Buying an Engagement Ring That Fits Her Style and Taste

One of the failsafe ways to buying an engagement ring that will be perfect is to allow the individual for whom the ring is intended to make their selection. This ideal way of buying an engagement ring will allow that individual to make the selection which matches their taste.

Obviously, this is not the most romantic way of presenting an engagement ring as part of a wedding proposal. However, it is the best way to assure that the ring that is selected is the most welcomed.

Paying Attention

Before paying money on an engagement ring, it would be prudent for the purchaser of the ring to pay attention to the one for whom the ring is intended. There are a number of ways that various hints can be gathered that will aid the individual whose intent on buying an engagement ring.

First of all a critical factor before buying an engagement ring is to take note of the jewelry that is currently worn by the one you are courting.. For example take note of the color of the metal or the style of the jewelry that is worn. Some of those mental notes that are taken should remember whether the favorite color of metal is silver, platinum, gold or a combination of any of these metals.

In addition, is the taste of the individual in jewelry one in which the item worn is moderate in size or is the jewelry larger in size. Also, it is important to take note of the individual’s taste in jewelry. For example, is the jewelry modern in appearance or does it appear to be traditional in style?

Finally, it is important to match the style of the engagement ring with the lifestyle of the individual. For example, questions to ask would be does a large stone with a large setting be out of place for the workplace of the individual or is a large diamond out of place in regards to this individual’s personality? Also, listen to comments made by your true love when they talk about other pieces of jewelry. This, in particular, can be very helpful when making considering buying an engagement ring.

The natural progression of a couple falling in love is to eventually exchange their vows of commitment and faithfulness during a wedding ceremony. Often, a ring is used to symbolize the love of one individual for another. Generally, the ring is circular in design. This circular design symbolizes the love between the two individuals in that there is no beginning and no end.

However, before the wedding ceremony there is one additional act of commitment and betrothal. That act of intention is the giving of an engagement ring. Often an engagement ring is made of a precious metal and is crowned with an expensive jewel. Often this expensive jewel is a diamond.

In addition to a standard diamond engagement ring being used to express one’s intention of marriage another form of an engagement ring that has become very popular is the Celtic engagement ring. The popularity of this type of engagement ring is due to its uniqueness and deep symbolism.

The Celtic Belief

The Celtics believed in the universality of all life. Simply put they believed that everything was interconnected and that life was interdependent. That is why much of their symbolism is expressed in knots which symbolize the belief that all of creation is intertwined.

Uniqueness of the Celtic Engagement Ring

One of the unique features of the Celtic engagement ring is that not only does it represent the devotion of one individual for another, but expresses that interdependence for life and being on others. Specifically, in the case of the Celtic engagement ring, this independence for life and being is dependent upon the one upon whose finger the Celtic engagement ring is placed.

In addition, the uniqueness of the Celtic engagement ring is reflected as part of a heritage. This is due to the fact there are very few designs especially reflective of particular cultures. Therefore, the giving of the Celtic engagement ring not only expresses one’s love and devotion, but represents a respect and deep appreciation of a culture and heritage that was proud, resourceful and unique.

Deep Symbolism of the Celtic Engagement Ring

Above all, the Celtic engagement ring is a powerful symbol of love, unity and devotion. This symbolism is portrayed on the surface of the ring through the trinity knot. That trinity knot represents two cords or, in this case, two lives being bonded together as one life. Therefore when an engaged couple gaze upon the ring they are reminded of their unique individuality and yet their lives dependent on each other for meaning.

The worst financial and relationship decision you could ever make would be buying your future bride a cheap engagement ring and telling her it’s the real thing. Many men have been busted by their bride-to-be, right after she returned from the local jewelry store. Even is she does not find out right away, she will know later on when her finger turns green.

If you want the marriage to last, then don’t buy her a cheap engagement ring. Instead, save a lot of money by designing the engagement ring yourself. Because you will need to select the precious stones to be used, you might want to break tradition and get her involved.

Precious Stone

A gemstone or gem — also known as a precious stone or semi-precious stone – can be cut and polished so that the mineral can be used to make jewelry. Most gemstones are very hard, and this attribute can be used in detecting counterfeit cheap engagement rings. Of course, the rarity of a gem greatly affects its value. Besides hardness, genuine gems have attributes of a refractive index, dispersion, specific gravity, cleavage, fracture, and luster.

Diamonds

Real diamonds — not the counterfeit ones found in cheap engagement rings – are a girl’s best friend. The diamond is a gemstone whose value is determined in a different way than all other gemstones. Traditionally, a diamond is valued mostly for its physical properties such as hardness and brilliance.

Rubies

Ruby originates from the Latin word “rubber,” which means red. Rubies have an ancient history in civilization, being the most frequently named precious gem in the Bible. Known as one of the four precious stones, rubies have a hardness level of 9 on the Mohs scale, but diamonds are the hardest of all, with a level of 10. Oftentimes a bogus, fake, cheap engagement ring can be uncovered by the recipient trying, and failing, to cut glass with the “diamond” or “ruby” gemstone.

Sapphire

Being as hard as a ruby, with a 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphires are used in many applications in addition to jewelry, such as infrared optical components, watch crystals, and wafers for the deposition of semi-conductors. Although blue is considered the normal color for sapphires, they can be found across a full range of spectral colors like brown, colorless, grey, and black. Some natural sapphires are completely transparent, or “white.” They usually come out of the ground as light grey or brown and are then heated to make them clear.

Emerald

Emeralds have a hardness of 7.5 on the Mohs scale and are included, so their brittleness is classified as generally poor. Emeralds come in many shades of green and bluish green. There is a large spectrum of clarity, depending on the inclusions and fractures in the crystal. Remember that there are a lot of counterfeit, cheap engagement rings out there that are very difficult to detect. If the deal appears too good to be true, then it probably is!

Is the special woman in your life in love with vintage style? Does she love shopping in thrift stores and looking for perfect dresses from the fifties and forties? If she does, then she probably wants an unusual engagement ring. Not any old ring that you can pick up from a jewelry store will make her happy.

For the woman who appreciates the romanticism of vintage fashion there is the cushion cut engagement ring. This unusual cut last popular in the 1800s is now making a comeback. Getting the perfect cushion cut engagement ring is sure to wow your fiancé.

Shape and Proportions

The cushion cut engagement ring has the characteristics of emerald, princess and oval cuts. In appearance in can either look rectangular or square, its corners are soft and rounded rather than sharp and pointed. A cushion cut engagement ring can come in many proportions, but it is important in this cut to have a diamond with great clarity. The fewer facets in a cushion cut engagement ring means that any flaws the diamond has will be more visible if it does not have good clarity.

The name for this gorgeous diamond comes from the resemblance between its shape and an overstuffed cushion. The shape was developed so that it would shine brilliantly in candlelight back in the 1800’s and 1900’s, before the advent of electric light bulbs. For the best setting a diamond with this cut should be set as a solitaire so that it can be the central point of attention.

The perfect setting for a cushion cut engagement ring is a four-prong setting. Most vintage and antique rings will come with an eight-prong setting. These two settings are best for this shape and other settings will not show off the diamond’s beauty as well. The soft curves of this shape need the four or eight-prong setting to sit nicely.

Finding the Perfect Ring

Looking for a cushion cut engagement ring can be difficult as this is not a popular modern cut though it is starting to come back. This means that you will have to do your homework a little and may have to look in places you would never have thought to look. Pawnshops, antique stores and vintage jewelry stores are places that you can find this diamond shape. Some modern jewelers may be able to cut a loose stone into a cushion cut and set the stone just for you.

A custom engagement ring can be made of a long list of different materials and look like no other ring on Earth. You select the material and also have final say on its design. Learn more about the history of some of the precious metals most commonly used today in creating a custom engagement ring.

Gold Custom Engagement Ring

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol of Au. The root of the word means “shining dawn.” For many centuries, gold has been highly sought after to be used as money and jewelry. Gold is dense, soft, and shiny and the most malleable and ductile of all the known metals on Earth.

Pure gold has a bright sparkling yellow color and is frequently chosen by women who love to be the center of attention for their custom engagement ring. Gold dissolves in mercury but is insoluble in nitric acid, which dissolves silver and base metals. This is the basis of the gold refining technique known as “inquartation and parting.” Nitric acid has long been used to confirm the presence of gold in items, and thus the origin of the “acid test,” referring to a gold standard test for genuine vale.

Silver Custom Engagement Ring

Silver is a chemical element with the symbol AG, and translates from Latin to English as “white shining.” This luscious metal has the highest electrical conductivity of any of the metals and also the highest thermal conductivity of any metal.

Most silver is as a by-product of copper, gold, lead, and zinc mining. It has long been recognized as a precious metal used to make jewelry and high value tableware and utensils. Silver is stable in pure air or water, but tarnishes when exposed to ozone or hydrogen sulfide.

The silver in today’s custom engagement rings is sterling silver, an alloy of 92.5% silver with 7.5% copper. Sterling silver is harder than pure silver and has a lower melting point than either pure silver or pure copper.

Platinum Custom Engagement Ring

Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol of Pt. It is resistant to corrosion and naturally occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits.

In addition to custom engagement rings, platinum is used in catalytic converters and spark plug tips. In the eighteenth century, King Louis XV declared platinum the only metal fit for a king.

Titanium Custom Engagement Ring

Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol of Ti. It is very light, strong, lustrous, and corrosion resistant, with a grayish color. Titanium obtained its name from a god in Greek mythology. In its unalloyed condition, titanium is as strong as some steels, but 45% lighter; just another reason why it is a popular choice in custom engagement rings.

Having decided that you are giving your heart to another, you are now ready to make a statement with which to express your commitment and love for the other and so your thoughts aught to turn to presenting an engagement ring to make things between you more permanent. Many times it happens that you will have an idea about how the engagement ring must look like though finding an engagement ring that matches your expectations and your budget may prove to be somewhat more elusive.

Picture Setting and Type of Stone in Your Mind

Nevertheless, if you are of creative bent of mind, you can then consider designing your own engagement ring and also take heart from the fact that this is not such a difficult task as you may imagine. However, before you design your own engagement ring, you should picture the engagement ring as being an ensemble of the stone and a suitable setting, and once you can picture these two aspects, you should then put pencil to paper and sketch or even make notes about the specific details of the engagement ring.

When designing your own engagement ring you must also be sure about the right type of material to be used for the engagement ring and only then can you get down to the specifics. Thus, you should make up your mind as to the type of stones to be used, their quantity as well as size and of course, diamonds will certainly prove to be a popular choice though you should leave your mind open to other stones as well including opals, sapphires and rubies.

Next, you need to be sure about the type of setting for your engagement ring and here you can choose from bezel or pave or even channel and of course, prong setting. While designing your own engagement ring you may also need to decide on the features of your engagement ring including whether to use white or yellow gold and even decide on whether platinum would not be more useful. Finally, you should select an appropriate size as well as shape of the setting and the best option is one that does the most to enhance the wearer’s personality.

Lastly, to complete the design your own engagement ring, you need to know the better outlets from where you can buy the materials as well where to get the engagement ring made to your exact specification. Of course, you must first check and then double-check the designs that the jeweler come up with based on your specifications and only after you are satisfied that the completed designs conform to your expectations; you can then give the go ahead to turn your designs into action.

It is believed that engagement as a ceremony began sometimes during the early thirteenth century and of course it was mainly religious as it was an important occasion when a couple announced their intention of getting married. And, it also allowed anyone having objections to give voice to such objections.

However, the modern concept of exchanging engagement rings seems to have its origins (in the Western world, at least) from about the year 1477 when Maxmilian I, the Roman Emperor gave to Mary of Burgundy an engagement ring (diamond, of course) which consecrated their engagement and obviously, this was also the first recorded instance of a diamond engagement ring being given to a lady.

However, some people believe that the origins of the engagement ring dates back to the times of ancient Egyptians. They wore an engagement ring on their third fingers on their left hands since they believed that there were veins in this finger that connected directly with the heart.

Heavy Advertisement

However, whatever the origins of the engagement ring may be, there is no denying the fact that a diamond engagement ring is a universal symbol of love. Although, the popularity of the modern day diamond engagement ring owes more to heavy advertising as well as to the diamond making industry who spend millions of dollars promoting the benefits of choosing a diamond engagement ring over other types of engagement rings.

In fact, much of America and more particularly its youth are almost completely brainwashed into believing that there is no superior engagement ring than the diamond engagement ring. These young people are also willing to sacrifice a couple of months’ salaries to buy their sweethearts one such in order to prove how strong is their love for the other.

In any case, if you are desirous of buying a diamond engagement ring, there are a few things that you must consider before proceeding further that will help ensure that you get the best deal. To begin with, you need to check the ‘4Cs’ of the diamond which are its cut, color, clarity and carat. Then, you will need to research the price and then narrow down the choice to a few options that fall within your budget.

You can also choose to buy a diamond engagement ring online or offline though whichever option you choose, you must be careful that you only deal with a jeweler with whom you feel comfortable and who also enjoys a good reputation. Before buying the diamond engagement ring, you must also ask the jeweler for a money back guarantee and if you are buying online, then this is an aspect that you should give great importance to.

Finally, you need to obtain a grading report which is available for certified diamonds. This will help establish beyond doubt the quality of the diamond being used in the engagement ring.

As the years have passed there are more and more types of diamond rings. Different styles have come in and out of vogue and the prices of these rings reflect that. Throughout the years there has been one type of diamond ring that has always remained popular and elegant, the diamond solitaire engagement ring.

To some it may seem plain or dull to have only one stone set on a band but to others it remains a true classic and a simple statement of elegance. The diamond solitaire engagement ring is for the woman who appreciates the beauty of simplicity and personifies timeless elegance.

Maximizing the Stone

The diamond solitaire engagement ring is one of the most affordably styles of engagement ring. With this ring you can concentrate on acquiring one perfect diamond. Even if the diamond is a small one you can still use plenty of effects to make your diamond solitaire engagement ring breathtaking.

Using a thinner band is a good way to allow a small stone shine and take center stage. This is perfect for a woman with long tapered fingers. The shape of the band can also give the ring an interesting detail, instead of plain band used a wave or curved band to make the ring look more interesting.

The shape of the diamond is also important, as it is the main focus of the ring. Traditionally a diamond solitaire engagement ring uses a round cut diamond. Other styles such as a marquise, pear, heart shape or oval are all interesting ways to utilize cutting to add detail to your ring.

The type of band used is also very important. Modern engagement rings and modern brides usually prefer to have platinum or white gold bands. These metals give diamond solitaire engagement rings a polished and sophisticated feel. For a more traditional look choose 18 karat gold or rose gold for an interesting hue.

Another option is to have words engraved on either side of the diamond, perhaps a line from the couple’s song, or a favorite poem. Filigree patterns around the diamond are another way of creating interesting details that will give the ring a unique quality.

Symbolism

The symbolism of the diamond solitaire engagement ring is also very significant. The single diamond is symbolic of one love and one life that a couple is about to start together. Having a single diamond on an engagement ring is a powerful symbol and a reminder everyday of the couple’s commitment.

The emerald cut engagement ring is a very popular ring today and it is no wonder. The classic rectangular shape makes it a perfect blend of classic elegance and polished modern sophistication. Its long shape cut make the color of the diamond more apparent as they will be well reflected in the sleek lines of the diamond. Though it is important to note that an emerald cut engagement ring will have less ‘fire’ due to its shape. Any woman would love to have this particular cut sparkle as a solitaire from her ring finger.

Any Design You Could Want

Traditionally an emerald cut engagement ring is set perpendicular to a ring. However if you like you can have it set lengthwise to have a unique ring that not many others have. You can have your emerald cut diamond set as a solitaire for maximum impact or you can have a number of accent stones to play it up.

The shape of an emerald cut engagement ring makes it suitable for many different designs. For example, an emerald cut can be nicely incorporated into a bridal set ring that incorporates both an engagement ring and a wedding band.

Who Should Wear the Emerald Cut?

An emerald cut engagement ring is particularly suitable for a woman with long and slender fingers; long fingers will complement the stone and make it look sleeker. A woman with shorter and thicker fingers may find that her fingers look shorter with the rectangular shape of the emerald cut or that the diamond looks out of proportion.

Choose Carefully

The diamond that you choose for an emerald cut is very important, this cut is very ‘open’, and any flaws present will be easily seen. Because of this you need to make sure that you are getting the best emerald cut engagement ring you need to examine both color and flaws. If you can try and buy a loose diamond so that you can thoroughly examine the diamond before buying it.

That said this cut can make a significant saving in your wedding budget as it is more affordable than other cuts. Other cuts, especially round cuts, are more expensive as the workmanship that goes into cutting them will be factored into the price. Do a little research on how to pick a good diamond and find a jeweler who has a good reputation for good cuts and you should be able to have a beautiful engagement ring.

An emerald is an unusual choice for an engagement ring but it is a truly stunning stone. Its unique color will make any ring stand out. With the right skin tone an emerald engagement ring will look truly stunning. What’s more an emerald is thought to improve clairvoyant abilities and possesses healing powers.

If your sweetie believes in the realm of the unseen then an emerald engagement ring could be the perfect ring for her. Even if you don’t believe in these supposed properties an emerald is a very beautiful stone and it would make an especially meaningful engagement ring if your fiancé were born in May.

Color Variations

Usually the color of the emerald is green but there are variations in the color. Emerald engagement rings can also be blue green in color besides the traditional green. The hue of green can also vary from a very dark green to a lighter green. The most valuable emerald engagement rings are those with blue-green stones. Stones with brown or yellow hues should be avoided as they are not as attractive and are less valuable.

Inclusions to Look Out For

Just like diamonds there are certain inclusions that emeralds have. Inclusions lower the value and price of an emerald thus lowering the value of your emerald engagement ring if there are any inclusions present in your ring’s stone. A fracture in the emerald, also known as a feather, is a serious inclusion that you should check for in your emerald engagement ring.

The stone should be a clear color and should not change colors in different lights. You should also have an emerald with a transparent color. Sometimes darker emeralds will not have this transparency but if you like the color then go ahead and buy it. Emeralds should never be cloudy.

Making Cuts

Usually emeralds are cut into rectangular or square shapes. You can still opt to have other cuts such as heart shaped cuts, pear, and round. Be prepared to pay more for these cuts as it takes great precision to cut the stones into these shapes.

Double Check

There are some things you should ask your jeweler before buying emeralds. First you should ask if the emeralds are synthetic or real. Synthetic emeralds have been manufactured in a lab and are not as valuable as mined emeralds. Some emeralds have also been composed of a small emerald and a synthetic or imitation stone; check that you are getting the real deal.