While the traditions regarding marriage bend further every day across Europe, one still holds quite strong – the practice of buying a diamond ring as an engagement gift and symbol. The strength and resilience that diamonds have is a quality that everybody wants for their future marriage.
While solitaire style engagement rings are the most popular style of diamond engagement ring, three-stone diamond rings, with a stone to represent the past, the present and the future of a relationship are one of the fast-rising trends in engagement rings. These can also be used as wedding rings for men.
Engagement rings must have several qualities.
Practicality and comfort: This includes things like the band width and thickness. Depending on the shape of your hands, you may be able to have a thicker or wider ring than usual, while still maintaining comfort for everyday wear. A good way to check whether you’ll be comfortable is to buy a low-cost ring of the same thickness and width as your preferred engagement ring, and wear it for a week.
You also need to consider the height of your setting when choosing an engagement ring. If your ring is likely to get caught on things while you are working, or if you have active hobbies, a lower setting is preferred.
Wear resistance: Your engagement ring will be worn every day, and its beauty will quickly fade if you choose a lower quality style of diamond engagement ring. Choice of metal is the most important factor here, as all diamonds are equally tough and scratch-proof. However, you also need to consider the diamond setting, as well as the size of the diamond proportional to the width of the band.
The metal you choose as a base for your diamond engagement ring should be able to withstand mild soaps and detergents, as well as minor knocks and scratches.
Setting security: We mentioned that common prong settings for side-by-side stones, channel setting, bezel setting and flush setting are the more secure settings for diamond engagement rings. Prong setting for solitaire diamond rings is one of the most traditional types, though. Choose a diamond engagement ring with a 6-priong setting rather than a 4-prong, if possible.
Appearance: This is a completely personal choice. Many good diamond stores have an online preview option, where you can choose your band metal, width, shape and thickness, then add diamonds of varying colour, carat, clarity and cuts in differing quantities. You can also add accents with other gemstones – these have become a popular way to personalise a diamond engagement ring, while still maintaining tradition. That said, there is no substitute for seeing designs in person – once you have made a shortlist, it is best to visit diamond buying stores personally.
Buying Diamond Engagement Rings
Customer service and prompt contact will be some of the premier factors in choosing where to buy diamond engagement rings online. Look for stores that have a wide range of diamonds, and are able to personalise other aspects of your ring to any degree you desire.
