
When you’re thinking of buying a diamond, you will be met with a dizzying array of choices when it comes to engagement rings. It’s very important to have a price range in mind. Starting your shopping experience with parameters will help your jeweler find the right engagement ring to fit your budget.
The style of jewelry a lady may prefer is critical. Is she more classic or modern? Feminine or sophisticated? Does she wear white or yellow gold? Do her pieces tend to be more delicate or heavy? Simple or ornate? Have this information in mind when you set out to shop. If you stay near her current taste, it would be hard to go wrong.
Knowing the proper size is very helpful, so borrow a ring she currently owns. Trace the inner ring on a piece of paper, or press the ring into a bar of soap for an impression. You can also slide it down one of your fingers and draw a line where it stops. Our jewelers at Diamond Jewelry )Southside Jewelry) can use the measurements to identify her approximate ring size.
If she doesn’t wear rings, estimate in the following way. The average ring size in the US is 6 (based on the “average” US female being 5’4” and weighing 140 lbs.) If she is slender or fine-boned, her ring size is likely to be in the 4.5 to 5.5 range. If she is heavier, larger-boned or taller, she will probably be in the 6.5 to 7.5 range. It’s always better to buy a ring a bit bigger than you think, because sizing a ring down is much easier than increasing its size.
Consider buying an unset diamond. Shopping for one is easy at Southside Jewelry, because we have extensive access to loose diamond inventory, with a GIA diamond graduate to assist with helpful advice. If you choose the diamond first and have the setting made later, you can include “her” in selecting the style and final details of the ring (always a good idea) and avoid the awkwardness of choosing a ring that’s more in your taste than hers.
If she hasn’t made it easy on you by already voicing an opinion on the subject (or admiring someone else’s engagement ring) here are a few tips to keep in mind when considering shape:
She will be wearing this ring 24/7 every day of her married life. It will need to go with everything from jeans to evening wear. If you’re uncertain about her shape preference, it’s smarter to stick to the classics. They become classics because they appeal to the most people over time.
Shapes with fewer facets, such as emerald or square, require higher clarity. The fewer the facets, the more visible the inclusions will be. Certain shapes pair more successfully with other gems in multi-stone rings. Round, oval and marquise all work well. Pear and heart shape are more challenging.
Taste in shape is often reflected in other tastes a woman may have. If she prefers clean, modern lines in furniture, for example, she may appreciate the same lines in an emerald or square shape. If she tends toward the traditional, a round shape rarely misses. More bohemian types may prefer less-traditional shapes, such as trilliant or marquise.
Finally, for actual setting design, consider her lifestyle and how that design will fit into it. If she’s more active or outdoorsy, look for low-profile, less ornate, more sturdy choices, which are less likely to get caught or knocked on things. If she’s more of a glamour girl, look for statement settings, with a higher stone profile and more intricate ring detailing or unique motif.
Diamond Jewelry d.b.a. Southside Jewelry has everything needed for today’s consumer. Loose diamonds, available in all price ranges. Over 200 mountings to consider. GIA diamond professionals on staff for any technical help or advice. Stone-settting, ring-sizing specialized fitting will be performed by a bench jewelry team with over 40 years of experience. To complete our available service, routine inspections are conducted for free. Necessary jewelry repair is completed on-site in a state of the art modern workshop at prices that are low by comparison and affordable.