How To Choose An Engagement Ring

Written by Daniel Brisk

August 16, 2024

4 min

So, you’re ready to pop the question – congratulations! This is such an exciting time in your life – and the life of your partner – and you’re going to want to ensure it all goes as smoothly as possible, which means planning things out in advance. It’s likely you’ve already rehearsed what you’ll say a million times, and perhaps you’ve even worked out exactly where you’ll get down on one knee, but could there be something else you need to think about?

Tips for Finding the Engagement Ring

What about the ring?

Although you don’t technically have to have a ring on you when you propose, if you do want to have one to give to your partner, then it’s wise to understand exactly how to go about choosing an engagement ring so you can be sure they’re going to love it and want to wear it forever. With that in mind, here are some things to think about so you can make the right choice and ask your all-important question with confidence.

Know Your Budget

It's easy to get carried away when ring shopping, especially with so many options to choose from. That's why it's essential to set a budget before exploring the engagement rings we offer at Regal Hatton Garden. An engagement ring is a significant investment, so it's important to select one that fits comfortably within your budget.

Getting a fancy ring that looks stunning is great, but it’s not so great to get into debt over it. Be sensible and only pay what you can afford, and once you’ve narrowed down your search, you’re sure to find some beautiful rings that suit your finances.

Metal Options

Whether you want to have a diamond ring or not, you’re still going to need to think about the type of metal you want because there are a number to choose from, including yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, platinum, and two tone.

Apart from how they look, each metal is different when it comes to durability, comfort, and even how hypoallergenic they are, so once again, research is important, especially if you’re considering the differences between similar-looking metals like platinum and white gold.

Style

As you’ve probably noticed by now, engagement rings come in a wide range of different styles, and here’s another decision you’ll have to make – do you want something traditional like a classic solitaire diamond design (a single diamond, in other words), or do you want more stones? Which ones (we’ll come to that later)? What should the band look like?

It’s not an easy choice, but one way you can get some idea of the right option is to look at your partner’s jewellery because that will give you a good idea of their preferred style.

The fact is that most of the time, your partner is going to love whatever ring you pick out because of the sentiment behind it, but if you can match it up to their particular tastes, that’s even better.

Ring Size

→ Perhaps the most difficult aspect of choosing and buying an engagement ring is getting the ring size right. You could buy the most beautiful ring on earth that ticks all the boxes and that you know your partner will adore, but if it doesn’t fit, you have to start all over again (or get the ring resized, which may or may not be possible, depending on the style you’ve chosen).

→ The problem is that if you want to surprise your partner with a ring, it’s going to be hard to get their ring size without making them suspicious, which means you do have to be a bit sneaky. One way to do it is to borrow a ring from their jewellery box and measure it, or take it to the jewellers with you if you’re buying in person – just make sure it’s a ring they’re not going to miss if you’re taking it out of the house.

Ring Size Guide

"The best thing to hold onto is each other."

Audrey Hepburn

The Gemstone

We mentioned diamonds above, but we also said that you didn’t have to choose a diamond if you prefer something else, and picking a different gemstone is a great way to personalise the ring.

If you want something different, think about your partner’s favourite colour, their birthstone, the stone that matches the month you met, and so on. There’s a gemstone for everything, so no matter what you want the ring to symbolise, you should be able to find a stone that works.

Engravings

You can customise an engagement ring in many different ways, and it’s fun and romantic to do it, but perhaps the best way is to go for a simple engraving on the band. You can add dates, quotes, initials, or anything else you want that means something to you both.

The reason so many people like engravings is that they tend to be on the inside of the ring, meaning they’re hidden from the outside world, and they can be a romantic and fun little secret between the two of you.

Lifestyle

Something else to think about has to be your partner’s lifestyle – what is it they do for a living, and what are their hobbies? If they’re active or have a hands-on kind of job, you might prefer to pick a ring that’s made of harder metal and where the stones are inset so they don’t stick out, for example. This could make a big difference as to how often they’re able to wear their ring, so definitely think about it.

Final Thoughts

Choosing an engagement ring might seem daunting at first, but once you consider all the points we’ve made above, you’ll see that it’s a matter of thinking things through one at a time until you come up with the ideal ring to show your commitment and love. Put like that, buying an engagement ring becomes something to enjoy.

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