ENGAGEMENT RINGS; WHERE TO START?

Ready to propose?

If you’re thinking about popping the question, thinking about what type of ring to buy, even where to go, this post is for you… It should help answer a lot of questions.

For I’ll not only show you what types of diamonds to buy, the quality, the shapes, but also what styles of mountings are popular and what price you should expect to pay.

It’s the fastest way to catch up on current trends, and buy a ring she’ll absolutely love.

Because these engagement rings are in style, hot, and what’s selling in the stores today.

Starting with…

1) The Engagement Ring Setting:

Right now, there are 2 main types of rings that are dominating the industry; the pave mounting, and the halo mounting. As seen below:

You can’t go wrong with either of these settings. They are bold, beautiful, full of sparkle and dazzle, and really adds a lot of light and pizzazz to any engagement ring.

Both styles are quite similar, they both have pave set diamonds, meaning, the diamonds are small, set close together, and held in place by tiny beads or prongs. The difference between the two styles is that the halo mountings have a circle around the center stone (a halo).

They are both best sellers and almost every ring sold is either one or the other.

See all the pave mountings here, and all of the halo mountings here.

2) The Type of Metal:

Hands down, the metal of choice is 14k white gold (probably 95% of all rings sold). Sometimes you’ll see a dash of rose gold or yellow gold thrown in, but the mounting is generally white, like these beautiful rings here:

3) The Center Diamond:

The most popular cuts (shapes) for the center stone are: Round, Oval, Cushion, and Princess. Just like these diamonds here:

They all look great in a pave or halo mounting, and the carat weight doesn’t even need to be large either, because a halo mounting will always make a diamond look larger.

Check out these diamond shapes here:

• Round Brilliant Cut Diamonds
• Oval Cut Diamonds
• Cushion Cut Diamonds
• Princess Cut Diamonds

4) Diamond Quality:

You don’t need to learn everything there is to know about diamonds to buy a great looking ring. You just need to stick with the average quality or higher and you’ll be okay.

The average quality (and the most popular because of price and appearance) is SI1 clarity, G-H color or higher. Just like these stunning diamonds below:

CARAT, CLARITY, COLOR, SHAPE	PRICE	VIEW
1.00+, SI1+, D-E-F, ROUND	$5,000+	VIEW
.75+, SI1+, D-E-F, OVAL	$2,300+	VIEW
.90+, SI1+, D-E-F, CUSHION	$2,500+	VIEW
1.00+, SI1+, G+, PRINCESS	$3,000+	VIEW

(Prices good at the time of this post.)

I would advise against diamonds of I clarity, they have eye-visible inclusions in them (but they are way cheaper). Most brides-to-be don’t want to see flaws for the rest of their lives.

SI1 puts you into a diamond where you’ll need a microscope to see the imperfections, and that’s the perfect way to see them and identify them.

G-H is a fine white color. Any diamond color that’s considered ‘white‘ is the best color to choose. You won’t see any off-color, brown or yellow in the stone (my favorite diamond colors are D, E, and F).

5) Engagement Ring Price:

The last thing that can really help you out is the average price range for an engagement ring; they usually vary between $2,000 and $5,000… Keep in mind, retailers like James Allen and Blue Nile sell the mountings and diamonds separately (that way you can design your own one-of-a-kind ring), like these gorgeous mountings shown below:

Add a diamond, and you’re good to go!

This average price range puts you into a beautiful setting, with a great quality diamond, and a carat weight that is probably around .50-1.00 carat. It’s the perfect size and an affordable price.

In other words, the perfect ring to propose with!

And if you want to step it up a bit, think designer…

Like these pave/halo designer rings by Verragio (sold here at James Allen).

They cost a lot more, but WOW!!!!

Talk about stunning!

And if you want suggestions on where to buy, check out James Allen or Blue Nile. They are the biggest diamond retailers online, and their prices beat out any competitor (compare them with mall store prices and you’ll be pleasantly surprised).

Plus, with James Allen or Blue Nile, you’ll get certified diamonds (a.k.a. diamond reports), and the best warranties in the business.

And that’s how you start…

Now all you have to do is to ask for her hand in marriage.

Congrats, and CHEERS! :)