How To Choose An Engagement Ring

choosing an engagement ring can be tricky business especially if your partner has very specific taste.

The modern day tradition is to take your partner with you to pick the perfect ring, however if you are an old romantic here are a few tips that will make choosing an engagement ring easier and less stressful.

The first thing to mention is you need to be very sneaky to pull this off. Make sure your partner is not home when you do your research and be sure to shop for the ring when you know your partner is at work or elsewhere and can not run into you at the jeweler.

Start by looking in your partner's jewelry box. Take note of the styles and size of the rings. Take photos if you can to show the jeweler. Taking note of the size and shapes of the rings will help to decide what shape and style of engagement ring to buy. Ask yourself these questions, does she like big stones? Diamonds or colored stones? White gold, yellow gold or rose gold? All of these things will come in handy at the jeweler.

Take one of her rings and trace the inside and outside of the ring, this will help when choosing a size. There is nothing worse then her saying yes and the ring not fitting her finger! Don't forget to ask if the ring can be resized. Some rings that have stones that cover the entire band can not be resized.

When it comes to diamonds bigger is not necessarily better. Diamond quality varies substantially from ring to ring and quality should definitely be at the top of your list.

When you are shopping for diamonds you will hear the four C's - Clarity, Cut, Color and Carat.

Clarity - defines the purity and clearness of the diamond. The clarity is decided by the inclusions (blemishes) in the diamond.

Cut - is described by the final finish of the diamond and includes the symmetry, proportions and polish of the diamond.

Color - refers to the amount of color the diamond has. Ranging from white (colorless) to Yellow. Many diamonds can come in a variety of colors with the most popular being yellow or pink. If you are purchasing a white diamond, the less color the diamond has the more it will sparkle and the clearer it will look.

Carat - is a unit of weight when measure the weight of diamonds. 1 carat is equal to 0.20 grams. The heavier the stone the rarer it is, this is why larger stones are expensive.

The most important thing to remember when choosing a ring is follow your heart. Choose something that when you look at the ring you see your partners face light up.
If you follow these tips you can't go wrong when buying and engagement ring!