10 tips on How to choose an engagement ring

Over the years we have designed and made thousands of bespoke engagement rings and in that time have learned a lot about how to choose the perfect engagement ring.  Here are our top 10 tips to make help guide you through your decision:-

(1)    Don’t worry about being too trendy

Try to think beyond what is very fashionable now. Your engagement ring is something that will stand the test of time. So think more about your personal style that you will be happy with for the long term…although of course re-design is always an option if your style does change in the future!

(2)    Metal Matters

It is important that you choose metal which compliments your skin tone. You may only wear silver because of the price, but that doesn’t mean it is the best metal to suit your colouring. Make sure you try on all the options available to you, yellow, rose and white gold (with and without rhodium) as well as platinum, palladium and silver.  They are all different colours.  You will be wearing this ring all the time so making sure it suits you is of the upmost importance.

(3)    Diamonds might not be a girl’s best friend

Picking a diamond as the main stone in your engagement ring is a relatively modern tradition, so don’t feel that you have to go with a diamond if that’s not really your thing. There are a huge variety of beautiful gemstones that can be incorporated into your design; cornflower blue and green sapphires, tanzanites, aquamarines, tourmalines and morganites, andalucite to name just a few and they all make beautiful engagement rings.

(4)    Shaped to perfection

Thinking forward to how you picture your wedding ring sitting next to your engagement ring. You can choose a prominently profiled engagement ring which is still designed to allow a flat ring to slip underneath it without needing to be shaped. Designers at Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery keep this in mind when creating the engagement ring, it is important to consider this as it can’t be changed easily at a later date without a remake of the engagement ring.

(5)    Fit it to your lifestyle

Take into account your lifestyle when choosing the different elements of your ring. Jewellery is made from relatively soft (malleable) metal. Even diamonds can break  or chip if handled roughly so don’t give yourself unrealistic expectations.  If you are looking for a matte finish, remember that these can often wear off in a matter of months, depending on the type of finish and on your finger shape and lifestyle.

Also consider the durability of the gemstone that you choose. Finding out a gemstones rating on the Mohs scale of hardness can give you a good indication of its hardness but doesn’t say anything about its toughness.  For example, Emeralds which have a high-sounding Mohs scale rating of 7 are actually not tough but quite brittle and can chip almost as easily as your finger-nail so are not recommended for engagement rings without careful consideration.  Also remember that the Mohs scale isn’t linear and diamonds are much much harder than emeralds even though they are only 3 points apart.  You may need some expert advice here from a highly trained designer or gemmologist.

(6)    You might know more than you think

It might seem quite daunting, being involved in the design of a piece of jewellery that you will be wearing for the rest of your life.  Thinking about your visual preferences in other areas of your life will help establish what kind of shapes and forms will suit you best.   For example what fashion designers do you like?  What style of kitchen might you choose?  You might favour organic shapes inspired by nature or straight geometric lines.

(7)    You wear it well

If you’re looking for a coloured gemstone, picking one that matches the colour of your eyes is always a safe bet. This will ensure that it goes with everything you wear. If this doesn’t appeal, colourists actually say that aqua is a colour that suits everyone. 

(8)    Try and try again

Try on a variety of designs before deciding what’s best for you. You may actually find that different shapes and styles suit you better than the ones you expected.  We have spoken to lots of customers who think they’ve fallen in love with a particular style of ring online but when they try it on they find they prefer quite a different style.

(9)    Education is key!

It might be seen as rude to presume, however, there is nothing wrong with a good bit of planning. Make sure your partner knows what your ring size is, if they’re planning a surprise then they will really appreciate knowing this in advance.

(10)Bespoke beauty for all

Bespoke design isn’t necessarily more expensive than ready-to-wear if you come to a bespoke specialist. The beauty of a bespoke design is that your engagement ring will not only be special to you it means that a duplicate will never be made.  Being able to incorporate the story of your relationship with your partner into a bespoke design gives your engagement ring even more meaning. We have designed rings inspired by everything from maths to music, so you can be sure that the final design will reflect your inspirations.