Message to the Groom!

Finally the time has come for you to get an engagement ring for the woman of your life. If things go right, you'll only be buying one engagement ring in your lifetime. With your lack of experience, how are you going to make sure you find one that your sweetheart likes but is still a wise purchase? The following steps will help you find the perfect engagement ring:

Determine Your Budget: Always remember that the amount is not tied to how much you spend on a ring. You should figure out how much you can afford to spend before you step foot in a store. 


Choose a Stone: Choose the diamond separately. It helps if you know what shape your sweetheart wants i.e round, pear, marquis, etc. The most classic shape is a round solitaire.  


Choose the Setting:  After you've got your stone, then comes the setting. You could go for simple with a solitaire setting, or you could add filigree, extra side stones, and other details. You can choose gold, white or rose gold, platinum, or even titanium.

Maximize Your Budget: If your intended is always talking about huge diamond engagement rings, but two months of your salary wouldn't buy a Big Mac, you're going to have to stretch the budget. Ask for a stone with more surface area – it won't sparkle as much but it will look bigger. Ask for stones that are slightly less than the next carat (0.8 instead of 1 or 1.9 instead of 2) – the almost indiscernible difference can add up to big savings. Instead of a diamond solitaire engagement ring, consider a less expensive center gemstone (such as tourmaline, blue topaz, sapphire) flanked by two small diamonds. Choose white gold instead of platinum. And consider an antique engagement ring.


Get a Buddy: Don't go into a jewelry store alone. They're scary places full of way too many choices. If you can, bring your sweetheart's best friend or mom along to help you choose. But if you're worried they'll spill the beans, bring a trusted buddy of yours. Make sure they have taste, or you'll be trying to propose with a ring pop. Also, assuming they like the person you're buying it for, this is a great moment to bond with your parents and get their advice. Think About Bringing Your Sweetheart With You. You'll lose the element of surprise, but you'll be sure that she likes her engagement ring. More and more couples are doing it this way.


Get a Quality Jeweler: Ask for recommendations from friends and family. Before you buy, find out what the return policy is so that you can exchange it if you didn't do your homework properly.


Pay Attention: Is it going to be gold or platinum? Modern or traditional? Flashy or understated? Look at the jewelry your sweetheart wears on a daily basis. If it's all silver with intricate designs then look for a platinum engagement ring with intricate designs. If it's just a few heavy gold pieces, well, then go in that direction.

Plan Ahead: You may not be able to just walk out of a jewelry store with a ring. Not only will you need to save up for it, but depending on what you order it could take a couple weeks for them to set the stone, do any engraving, or even custom design your ring. So if you want to propose on a certain date, make sure you start working on the ring early.