There are so many beautiful engagement rings available on the market that it's hard to know where to start when you're in the fortunate position of being able to choose one. Before you get carried away with all those beautiful engagement rings, there are a couple of things to think about. I know that that sounds sensible and boring when you're euphoric and excited but bear in mind that (hopefully) you'll be wearing this ring for the rest of your life.
Size: Cost apart, wearing a 3 carat engagement ring on your finger all the time can be tedious; it may catch in your tights or stockings and other clothing especially jumper and coat sleeves. Sometimes smaller is better. If you're determined to own a whopping great ring, why not save up and get a dress ring for special occasions. Do consider the size of your fingers and hands as well. Large rings can look rather unbalanced on very small hands or thin fingers as well as the opposite being true.
Stone: You may have always wanted an opal or a pearl engagement ring but neither of these are very practical in that they're not very hard wearing so, if you lead a normal life, you just won't be able to wear one of these all the time. Unless you're a very disciplined person, remembering to remove an opal or pearl engagement ring every time you need to wash your hands or do the washing up or do a bit of gardening, could be difficult.
Cost: Assuming you're planning to get married reasonably soon after the engagement, you are going to have a lot of expenses coming up. Don't blow your life savings on one of those beautiful engagement rings you see in all the shop windows and have no money left for your wedding celebrations.
Okay, that's the boring stuff out of the way; let's get to choosing the ring. Obviously, the stone is important and so is the setting so here are some options:
Precious stones: Traditionally, diamond, ruby, emerald or sapphire are used.
Precious metals: Yellow gold, white gold or platinum.
Shapes/cuts: Here there are round, princess, emerald, marquise, oval, radiant, pear, heart or cushion shapes and cuts to choose from, to name but a few.
Settings: There's the classic setting with four or six claws, cathedral or contour settings.
Again, you need to think about the practicalities of a ring you'll be wearing constantly. Heart shaped engagement rings may be pretty and romantic but they may catch in things and it may be difficult to get a wedding band or an eternity ring to fit with them. George Howard
