You have found the person of your dreams and you have decided to ask this person to marry you. Traditionally, as part of the marriage process, an engagement ring is secured and then when the moment is right the marriage proposal is made and the engagement ring is presented. It is a wonderful moment and a memory that lasts a lifetime.

However, prior to the revealing of the engagement ring it is important to select the perfect ring from a variety of engagement ring styles. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the various engagement ring styles and the selection of the appropriate style of ring for your beloved.

Various Engagement Ring Styles

They say that variety is the spice of life and when selecting an engagement ring the individual certainly has a vast variety of ring styles to choose from. In addition to the various styles that are available there are a number of choices in regards to the precious metal that will be utilized.

For example, the precious metals that are utilized today are gold, silver, platinum, titanium, etc. In addition, there are different engagement ring styles. Specifically, those styles could be modern or traditional. Also, the style could be elaborate or subdued.

The basis of the choice of engagement ring styles should be in keeping with the tastes and style to the one that you will be presenting the engagement ring to. Therefore, it is important that if the person of your dreams has an elaborate flair then the engagement ring style should match that person’s style or if they are understated then the appropriate ring should be chosen.

How to Choose the Appropriate Engagement Ring Style

There are many ways and methods that an individual can use when wanting to select the right engagement ring style for that special person. Three of those ways include observing, asking and involving.

The first way to choose the appropriate engagement ring style is by observing that special person. This can be accomplished by listening and taking note of their comments as they walk by a jewelry store. Often, subtle hints will be dropped such as that ring is beautiful or who would ever wear such a ring. Also, listen when comments are made about other people’s engagement rings.

The next method of choosing the appropriate engagement ring style is by asking those individuals who have known your love interest for a long time. Ask them what that person likes or what may have been shared with them.

Finally, when all else fails, take that special person to the jeweler’s themselves and ask them to select their own engagement ring. Although, it may not be necessarily romantic it certain speaks volumes of wanting to secure the right engagement ring style that best fits their taste.

A traditional engagement ring would and will always have a diamond as its precious stone. It has often been quoted that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but with everyone wearing diamonds, it seems that having a diamond engagement ring is no longer a novelty.

Not to be a bringer of bad things, broken engagements have lately been a trend. So if you want to inject luck into yours, perhaps veering away from the traditional diamond and instead buying an engagement ring with Columbian emerald might just bring you good tidings.

Why Buy An Engagement Ring With Columbian Emerald?

Emeralds that are of excellent quality can even be more expensive than diamonds. In fact an emerald that is of the same quality and carat as a certain diamond will be more expensive.

Did you know that the Columbian emerald has a legend founded in love and faithfulness? What better to give your fiancé than an engagement ring with Columbian emerald whose origin was supposed to be that born out of love?

If you’re the savvy investor, perhaps the knowledge that emeralds that come from Columbia are the best when it comes to quality will definitely pique your interest. Emeralds that come from Columbia has a rich green color that sometimes tinged with just a bit of blue. It is the most beautiful in the world.

How To Buy An Engagement Ring With Columbian Emerald

Before buying an engagement ring with Columbian emerald you have to know the “4C’s” is a standard for buying all types of gem stones, and not just diamonds. Although it was originally formulated for diamonds, it can be used to determine the value and quality of emeralds.

The value of any engagement ring with Columbian emerald is based on the setting and your emerald’s clarity, color, cut, and carat. If the attributes of the Columbian emerald in your chosen engagement ring rates high in terms of color, cut, clarity, and carat then the value of your engagement ring with Columbian emerald can be quite high, higher even than a diamond engagement ring.

The most important thing you should know about choosing an engagement ring with Columbian emerald is to associate color with value. A vividly green colored Columbian emerald is deemed a lot more valuable than lighter or darker colored ones. Clarity is not so much an issue with emeralds as inclusions do not devaluate an emerald.

There are ideal cuts for engagement ring with Columbian emerald as well as the ideal carat. Everything still depends on your budget, as emeralds can be a bit pricier than diamonds. But, if you know how to look you can find an engagement ring with Columbian emerald that just might fit your budget.

Engagement rings are a beautiful symbol of a couple’s love for each other. It signifies the moment that they agreed to embark on a lifelong journey together. Sometimes this symbol needs to be updated for various reasons. You want your ring to represent the love that you have at present, does this mean you should buy another diamond ring?

Buying anew ring can be more expensive and you may not want to stop wearing your old engagement ring for sentimental reasons. There is a way to update your old ring without paying too much or having to take off your old ring.

Enhancing a Ring

Engagement ring wraps can be used for several reasons; one of them is to enhance your ring. If you have a solitaire diamond ring for example you can use engagement ring wraps that have accent diamonds to accompany your solitaire diamond. Smaller diamonds can add sparkle to your ring or symbolize the years that you have been married.

If at the time that you got engaged you could not afford a very expensive but now you can, this is a simple way of updating your ring. There are different types of engagement ring wraps that will suit this purpose. Depending on the shape and size of your gemstone you can have a ring wrap tailored to your ring to enhance the stone already there or add more.

Engagement ring wraps can also be used to create a wedding and engagement ring. If you don’t like the idea of wearing more than one ring you can easily find an engagement ring wrap that will combine your wedding band with your engagement ring. This way you only have to wear one ring. The ring wrap can be soldered to your engagement ring so that it sits nicely without any danger of getting out of place.

Protecting Your Ring

Engagement ring wraps also act as an excellent protection against bumps, scrapes and scratches. It is an unfortunate but true fact that in the course of your day-to-day life you will scratch your precious ring.

Using engagement ring wraps can protect your ring from getting scratched at all. If you do use your hands a lot and find yourself bumping your ring against things quite a lot then you should seriously consider this as a way to protect your ring.

Find the right wrap for your ring, to do this you should try and purchase your wrap from the same place you bought your ring. If you can’t do this then consult with a jeweler first on the best wrap for you. Customized or unusual diamond cuts may need customized ring wraps.

Presenting an engraved engagement ring can be a very romantic and thoughtful way of expressing one’s love for another individual. In addition, an engraved engagement ring not only expresses one’s love and thoughtfulness, but an engraved engagement ring can symbolize the uniqueness of the couple’s relationship.

There are many ways to accomplish this engraving. In fact, it is best to think through this process and consider a number of factors. Obviously, the most important factor is what message you wish to have engraved. Secondly, it is important to think through where you wish this engraving to be placed.

Engraved Engagement Ring Ideas

If the decision has been made to engrave the engagement ring, the next decision to be made is what message will be etched on to the band? There are many traditional messages or symbols that have been permanently placed on these symbols of commitment and enduring love.

For example some couples have chosen to place their initials on the band. These initials can be separated by a heart or other expression of devotion. Also, some couples choose their wedding date or the date of their engagement as part of the enduring message on the engraved engagement ring.

However, the couple does not need to be bound by these traditional messages. Examples of unique engraved messages could be a symbol that only has special meaning to the engaged couple. Such messages could be a Celtic Trinity knot, dove, religious symbol or an oak tree where maybe the couple first carved their initials.

Where to Place the Engraving

Another decision that needs to be made in regards to the message that will be on the engraved engagement ring is where to place that message. Often a couple uses the inside portion of the band. This message can run in its entirety on the complete surface of the innermost part of the band or can be just on a selective portion of the inner surface.

In addition, the outermost part of the band can be used for the unique engraving of the engaged couple. For example if the Celtic Trinity knot is used this in itself can be the engraved focus point of the engagement ring.

One other surface part of the ring that can be utilized for the engraved message is the outermost part of the ring or the sides of the band. This particular idea is especially acceptable if the ring is thicker in size and allows for a greater surface area for the message to be etched.

Buying an engagement ring can be scary, a very important question is being asked along with the giving of that ring. How to buy an engagement ring is quite simple when you think about it, you want to buy the best ring that you can afford and you want to buy something your girlfriend or boyfriend will like.

Yes, that’s right it’s acceptable in this day and age for a woman to ask a man to marry her. Keep in mind those two simple factors of quality and what your future spouse likes and you will find that how to buy an engagement ring is simple.

Something to Suit Your Beloved

Buying a diamond engagement ring is clichéd and believe it or not it’s not what every woman wants. Some women just don’t like diamonds or have ethical issues with purchasing diamonds, whatever the reason a diamond ring may not be the best choice. The first step in learning how to buy an engagement ring is to get really good information.

If you can’t decide yourself what type of ring to buy then ask the people close to your beloved. The first place to ask would be the future-in-laws, this gives you the advantage of letting them know that you want to propose to their daughter and allows you to find out what type of ring she would like.

If your girlfriend is close to her mother then this is a good source of information. Sisters and female friends of your girlfriend are also good people to bring along when you go ring shopping. This will allow you to find something suitable and give you the assurance that you are picking the right ring.

Another important step in how to buy an engagement ring is to make sure that it is of the best quality. You don’t want to give your beloved a cheap ring that will look bad. Find a reputable jeweler and go in armed with some knowledge about the type of ring you want to buy.

Research alternatives to the traditional engagement ring. Having something unique is also key in how to buy an engagement ring. Celtic rings are a popular alternative and you don’t have to have a Scottish ancestry to wear these rings. Having a ring inscribed with a special quote or message is another possibility. You want to make this ring special so think of ways you can do that for your fiancé.

Opals are also known as “The Queen of Gems” and they rightly deserve such accolades, being extremely beautiful. They also make for excellent jewelry pieces because they radiate the different rainbow colors in a most simple spell binding fashion.

In fact, opals are also known to be unique and also very popular and that is why they make an excellent gemstone for any engagement ring. As a matter of fact, an opal engagement ring is an excellent alternative to diamond engagement rings because opals are truly rare which is not true for diamonds, because in reality, diamonds are rather common even though they are priced very high.

Half as Hard as Diamonds

Before you opt for an opal engagement ring, you should realize that it in effect means getting a gemstone that is quite soft. It is also unlike the extremely hard diamond and actually, the rating of an opal is about half that of diamonds.

So, before you make up your mind about which the better gemstone is for your engagement ring you need to understand how the hardness of the precious stone can make a difference to your engagement ring. Also, when you choose an opal engagement ring you need to also realize that it will require taking special care of the opals so that they do not break as a result of mishandling or for any other reason.

What’s more, boulder opals are the best choice as far as type of opal is concerned because they will ensure that your opal engagement ring will prove to be stronger and more robust, and they are also harder and thus will last longer. Where it concerns the setting of the opal engagement ring, you need to look for the securest setting which may be either rub-over or bezel setting, which is better than setting as a claw because claws can easily wear away with the passage of time.

To conclude, before you choose your opal engagement ring, you must check out the hardness of the opal and also ensure that it is set in the most appropriate manner. No doubt, opals face stiff competition from diamonds that without a doubt are a girl’s best friends.

Still, if you ask the experts or even a knowledgeable jeweler, you will find them recommending an opal engagement ring which has a number of qualities that are far superior to diamond engagement rings. The bottom line is that an opal engagement ring is unique as well as very original, and it is also a lot more affordable.

A pave engagement ring is something to truly dazzle your fiancé with. The name comes from pavement and the setting is meant to look like cobbles stones. A pave engagement ring gives the illusion that the band is made up entirely of diamonds or mostly diamonds with very little metal showing.

For a girl who truly loves glitter and sparkle this is the perfect engagement ring. Not a ring for a shrinking violet, this is for someone with personality and likes being the center of attention. There are things you should consider before buying this ring as it does require some extra care due to the way it is made.

What it Looks Like

A pave engagement ring looks as if part of the ring is made up entirely of diamonds. This look is achieved by setting lots of small stones on either side of a band with one larger central stone. Usually tiny prongs are used to hold the small diamonds in place so that it looks more like a solid diamond surface and minimizes the appearance of metal on the ring.

The central diamond is usually a princess or round cut as these cuts go well with the many accent diamonds surrounding it. The center stone can be a colored diamond to add drama to an already spectacular pace engagement ring or it can be some other gemstone. The choice is up to you depending on how sparkly you want your pave engagement ring to be.

Cost

A pave engagement ring may sound expensive, all the little diamonds will only add to the cost right? Not necessarily. It really depends on the quality of the diamonds you use. The smaller diamonds do not have to be perfect as you can easily hide any flaws with the recessed setting. The metal you use can also help to improve the color of the diamonds, for example using platinum or white gold.

Another option is to use imitation diamonds or cubic zirconium instead of real diamonds. They will look just like the real thing and because of their small size not many people will actually notice. Or you can choose to have the entire pave engagement ring to consist only of the small diamonds and eliminate the central stone completely.

Colored gemstones instead of a central diamond are also another way to make this an affordable engagement ring. Depending on your budget you can play around with the various elements of the pave engagement ring to make it more affordable.

If you were to ask people to say the first word that popped into their mind in response to the word diamond, you would get a variety of answers. Some of those answers could include pretty, expensive, jewelry, hard, girl’s best friend, etc.

Also, if you would ask about the color of the diamond more often than not you would get the answer of white or clear. However, to be more accurate, most diamonds are colorless with the exception of those quality diamonds that have colors. Some of those colors could include orange, red, brown, green and yellow.

In addition, there is one diamond that is extremely popular and, like most diamonds of color, is mined in the country of Australia. The popularity of this colored diamond is due to the fact that the many individuals seek this colored diamond to be part of a pink diamond engagement ring.

If in the market for a pink diamond engagement ring it is important to keep in mind a number of attributes that should be looked for in the diamond. Those attributes include the four C’s and the cost of the diamond itself.

The Four C’s

When shopping for a pink diamond engagement ring it is important to remember the four C’s in your selection of the diamond. The four C’s are clarity, color, carat and cut. The clarity of the diamond is a critical factor to be considered. The clarity of a diamond speaks of its purity and freedom from what is known as flaws. These flaws could be described as feathers, cracks, spots, or other impurities. In addition, any clarity flaws will be more pronounced because of the pink color.

The second C to observe when looking for a pink diamond engagement ring is the color. This is because quality diamonds are rated on the deepness of the diamond’s color. Therefore, a light pink diamond engagement ring is not as expensive or is a higher quality product as is a salmon colored diamond.

The third C stands for carat. Carat speaks to the weight of the diamond. Generally, the more carats, the heavier the weight of the diamond and therefore, the more expensive the stone is. However, the larger the pink diamond is the more the color is diminished. Therefore, more carats in a pink diamond engagement ring does not necessarily equate to a more expensive ring.

Finally, the 4th C is cut. The cut is the precision-like action taken by the jeweler to enhance the appeal of the diamond. However, unlike other diamonds, the pink diamond is in itself already an appealing diamond without any cuts needed by the jeweler. Often when purchasing a pink diamond engagement ring, the stone itself draws the attention of those around.

Cost

Due to the uniqueness, quality, beauty and popularity of the pink diamond engagement ring one can imagine that there is an associated cost. Therefore, it is important to realize that a pink diamond engagement ring is an expensive symbol of one’s love and devotion.

If you are star struck about your lady love and wish to really make an emphatic statement about your love for your partner. And, provided you can back your intentions with solid greenbacks, you won’t be able to do anything more romantic or better than consider giving her a platinum antique engagement ring.

Of course, the platinum antique engagement ring is going to set you back a lot of money but in the end it will be well worth the price. This is especially when you consider that it helps to show how deep is your commitment to the other and also because it is a one-off expenditure that is also going to have a lifelong appeal.

Matchless Beauty and Excellent Durability

In addition, there is perhaps no other engagement ring that can quite match the beauty as well as durability of a platinum antique engagement ring. Although platinum is quite a recent discovery, if you can find a platinum antique engagement ring from about the end of the eighteenth century, you would certainly be able to find some excellent pieces.

One thing you can be sure of when you opt to buy a platinum antique engagement ring for your love is that is that it will be truly unique as well as exude a lot of class. What’s more, today’s brides-to-be appreciate being given something that expresses their individuality and so a platinum antique engagement ring would make for a wonderful engagement ring.

Of course, the only constraining aspect to buying a suitable platinum antique engagement ring would be your own budget as well as personal choice and in fact, it would also mean having to hunt high and low before you can hope to find a suitable piece. Even so, with many online stores to check out, you may not actually need to move out of the comfort of your home in order to find a suitable platinum antique engagement ring.

As you will also soon come to find out, the platinum antique engagement ring was actually popularized during the period known as the Edwardian era because it was a time when platinum was being used quite a bit – mainly because it allowed for creating very intricate types of details. The bottom line is that, if you have upwards of two thousand dollars, you will not find it too difficult to purchase a useful platinum antique engagement ring.

A princess cut diamond engagement ring is just one of many different cuts that have been developed in order to best utilize a diamond gemstone’s superlative material properties. A diamond cut constitutes a more or less symmetrical arrangement of facets which together modify the shape and appearance of a diamond crystal. Diamond cutters must consider several factors, such as the shape and size of the crystal, when choosing a cut.

History of Princess Cut Engagement Rings

The practical history of cutting diamonds goes at least as far back as the Middle Ages, before which time diamonds were enjoyed in their natural octahedral state. Long before a princess cut engagement ring had ever been produced, improvements on nature’s pure design of the diamond involved a simple polishing of the octahedral crystal faces to create even and unblemished facets.

In 1370, the first diamond polishers’ guild was founded in Nuremberg, Germany. During this time diamonds were chiefly valued for their adamantine luster and superlative hardness. A table-cut diamond would be black to the human eye, so rubies and sapphires made up the majority of jewelry during this period of time.

The development of diamond saws and quality jewelry lathes boosted the development of modern diamond cutting and produced the first cut diamond; the “round brilliant” cut. In 1919, Marcel Tolkowsky analyzed this cut by taking both brilliance and fire into consideration, creating a delicate balance between the two. Tolowsky’s calculations still serve as the basis for brilliant cut modifications and standards around the world.

Today we know that a diamond’s appearance is composed of many light paths that reflect considerably more than two times within the diamond, something Tolowsky did not know. Today’s new technology, that includes laser cutting and computer-aided design, has enabled the development of cuts whose complexity, optical performance, and waste reduction have completely changed the industry.

Princess Cut

Princess cut engagement rings are the second most popular in sales because they accentuate a diamond’s fire rather than its luster. The top of the diamond is cut in a square shape and the overall shape is similar to a pyramid. Princess cut engagement rings are relatively new, the first one being produced in 1970. This cut has been gaining in popularity ever since then, currently right behind the round brilliant cut where the top of the diamond is cut in a round circle and the bottom forms a point like a cone.

Chances are, if you are wearing a princess cut engagement ring today, the diameter of your diamond is smaller but the length is usually longer than a round cut. The princess cut is sometimes referred to as a “square modified brilliant,” as it combines the brilliance of a round cut with an overall square or rectangular appearance. A princess cut engagement ring does sacrifice some brilliance in order to have its unique square shape.