When it comes to buying an engagement ring, women have many different criteria. But when contemplating the basic style, there are those who lean towards classic, while others gobble up every passing trend. If you’ve surveyed your girlfriend’s jewelry box but you’re still unsure about what to get her, there are a few things to consider before you buy the ring she’ll wear for the rest of her life.
The most important thing is the stone. Obviously, you’ll want to get a diamond. The setting, including any the band and any accents, are really only there to display the central stone, so that’s what you should focus on first. So you must address the four Cs. Color is a good place to start. While colored diamonds (pink, yellow, blue, even black) have become very popular in recent years, and they can be extremely beautiful, there are a few problems. For one thing, they can be rare and subsequently, carry a heftier price tag. In addition, they will most likely go in and out of fashion, so you can’t expect them to hold their value. Even beyond that, color preference is subject to individual taste, so if you’re considering this as an heirloom piece that will be passed on to your daughter or granddaughter, you may want to ensure that it’s something any woman would wear. Of course you should take your soon-to-be-fiancé’s feelings into account. If she has her heart set on a pink diamond, you’d better get her what she wants. But if you’re unsure, you really can’t go wrong with the traditional, classic, colorless diamond.
If you do decide to go classic, it will probably give your budget a little wiggle room, so use your extra cash to go for a larger stone (higher carat), or better clarity, which will ensure the stone holds its value over time. As for cut, there are several options, but deep, round-cut diamonds offer the most brilliance, which is why they are the staple of the diamond solitaire ring. As for setting, you can go modern or traditional, with a simple band or loads of baguettes, depending on her taste, since it is easy enough to re-set the stone if she changes her mind.
