Your ultimate guide to buying the perfect proposal ring

So you’ve found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with - congratulations! Choosing the perfect ring to symbolise your commitment can be a difficult task, especially if you’re choosing to shop for your partner’s ring without any input from them. Luckily we’ve got some tips to share with you to make this easier.

Did you know that about 69% of people drop hints about what kind of engagement ring they’d like? Pay attention to any comments your partner makes about other people’s engagement rings and jewellery in general - they might just be trying to tell you something. Paying attention to their personal style can also give you some helpful pointers. Do they wear more gold-hued or silvery jewellery? Do they like simple, timeless outfits, or do they always keep on top of the latest trends? These factors can give you tips on what kind of engagement ring they’d like.

How to Choose Engagement Ring Style

When it comes to selecting an engagement ring that matches your partners’ unique style, the form of the main stone is everything. Each style sparkles differently and will appeal to different tastes. Therefore, it’s an important consideration when choosing between different engagement rings.

Round brilliant diamonds are the most preferred shape for engagement rings. Because of their amazing light presentation and timeless design, this classic style is the ideal sparkler. Princess-cut engagement rings are the second most popular, as the square shaped gem maintains more of the rough stone feel during the cutting process.

Other popular engagement ring options also include oval-shaped, and pear-shaped engagement rings for their timeless appeal, as well as square, cushion, and emerald-cuts. Marquise and heart-shaped engagement rings are quite distinctive and offer a lasting style statement.

How to Select the Setting For Your Engagement Ring

After determining the shape of your gemstone or diamond, the next step is to select a setting. There are countless alternatives, so let's have a look at some of the more popular ones. If you’re 100% happy with the standard setting’s don’t forget you can always build your own.

Solitaire: The focal point of an engagement ring setting is the single stone. It's a lovely approach to highlight your main stone that is ageless and classic.

Halo: The centre stone in a halo engagement ring setting is encircled by lesser stones, giving the impression that it is larger and more brilliant.

Hidden halo: A hidden halo rests behind the centre stone, nearer the base, in place of a row of diamonds framing it. Without taking away from the focal stone, this subtle embellishment enlarges the main stone and adds more brilliance.

Side stones: Different side stone styles, including baguettes, round, marquis, and oval, are available in a range of engagement ring settings. A traditional, well-liked option for a three-stone arrangement is to place two smaller stones on either side of the large centre stone.

Pavé: A ring setting with tiny diamonds spaced along the ring's band is referred to as pavé. Pavé diamonds are secured in place by metal prongs so that they resemble a road with cobblestones or pavement in the form of a continuous row of tiny diamonds.

How to Choose Your Engagement Ring Stone

One of the earth's most resilient naturally occurring materials, diamonds are still the traditional option for engagement rings. Diamond engagement rings are stunning, strong, and classic; they represent the kind of unending love that every single person hopes for in a marriage. Choosing between a lab-grown diamond engagement ring and a genuine diamond mined from the soil is one of the most important considerations if you've been dreaming of owning a diamond. The former are actual diamonds that scientists have grown in a lab, and they are becoming more and more popular among couples who want to choose something that’s both morally and environmentally sound.

For those seeking something more distinctive, coloured diamonds make a stunning substitute for colourless diamonds, which are the classic option. They are referred to as "fancy diamonds" in the jewellery industry and come in a variety of hues, saturations, and tones. Although they are found in practically any colour you can imagine, naturally occurring diamonds are considerably rarer in some hues than others. If you have your heart set on a specific colour, coloured lab-grown diamonds are a fantastic substitute and are also less expensive than coloured mined diamonds.

If diamonds aren't your thing, though, how about going with something entirely different? Selecting a stunning coloured gem for a proposal is nothing new; throughout history, several valuable stones have been utilised for this purpose. Sapphire, emerald, aquamarine, and tourmaline are a few examples of precious stones in the blue-green colour palette that are in demand because they are exquisite, one-of-a-kind, and incredibly wearable.

Which Engagement Ring Metal Should You Choose

Finally, selecting the metal for your engagement ring can give it a wholly new vibe. The metal you choose should be determined by the lifestyle of the wearer, as well as their style.

There is a metal for every taste and price range, ranging from titanium, tungsten, and sterling silver to gold, palladium, and platinum.

The most common option for wedding and engagement rings is classic gold, which comes in various colours like rose, white, and yellow. When choosing gold, exercise caution, as going for a higher carat gold doesn't always translate into a higher-quality ring in terms of longevity. 10k is the most durable of the four most popular gold purity standards, but it also contains the least amount of gold.

An engagement ring with a platinum diamond might be a more durable option. Platinum, the strongest, rarest, and most expensive precious metal, can withstand abrasions and be fully restored with a short expert polishing. Your diamonds will remain in their platinum setting for eternity.

Still unsure what style of ring to get? You could choose to shop for the perfect ring together following your engagement? In fact, about one in four proposals takes place without a ring, so if you know your partner is quite particular about their style, this might be a viable option. 

Find the perfect engagement ring with our experts Custom & Co.! Whether your engagement ring dream is to replicate a specific style, incorporate sentimental diamonds, or create something classic - Custom & Co. can make it happen.

Their expert goldsmith’s will develop a ring specification and design to suit your lifestyle and budget. With every wedding ring custom-made to order, there is no concern that you will need to shop around, leaving you with all the time to focus on planning your wedding day.