Engagement Ring Buying Guide

Metal Colour

We recommend starting here if you are surprising your partner and don't know where to begin! Think about their favourite colours perhaps and what other jewellery do they wear? White, yellow or rose gold or how about a mixture of all three? If they usually wear silver jewellery then white gold would be the most suitable for an engagement ring, or even platinum and palladium if your budget stretches to this. At this point you should also vaguely bear in mind the wedding ring - this should match in metal colour and carat to avoid the metals wearing down. We offer 9ct and 18ct gold engagement rings, with 9ct being the most popular metal as this is often the most affordable. If you see a 9ct engagement ring online then please do enquire with us as to its availability in 18ct and platinum as we are often able to produce this especially for you. Click to view:

White gold engagement rings
Yellow gold engagement rings
Platinum engagement rings

Stone Shape

After colour of the ring, we find most people searching for an engagement ring state that the shape of the stone is very important. Does your partner like round or square stones, or perhaps pear shape, cushion cut or emerald (rectangular) cut? Round brilliant stones are the most popular shape followed by princess (square) cut. Round brilliant cut diamonds consists of exactly 58 facets (cuts) in a pyramid shape which is seen to be the 'most ideal' pattern to allow maximum light in and out of the stone (creating maximum sparkle). Princess cut stones are usually more expensive because fewer stones are cut in these proportions and (as with emerald cuts) it is much harder to hide any inclusions. You therefore generally tend to find princess cuts with higher average gradings. If you are interested about the cut and quality of diamonds, please click to read more about the 4 C's. Click to view:

Round brilliant cut engagement rings
Princess cut engagement rings
Oval cut engagement rings
Marquise cut engagement rings
Pear cut engagement rings
Heart cut engagement rings
Emerald cut engagement rings

Style

Once you are happy with the metal colour of the ring and the shape of the stone you want, it's time to start thinking about how you want the stone set. We offer a huge selection of different styles because we recognise that everyone has different tastes. Traditionally, single stone, round brilliant cut diamond solitaire rings are the most popular engagement rings, followed by cluster rings and today also the beautiful trilogy rings. Single diamonds in varying shapes can be set with 4, 6 or 8 claws and can boast twist and crossover settings; it all depends how ornate you want the look to be. Or to soften the look you could opt for a single stone diamond that is flanked either side with diamonds set into both shoulders. Cluster rings can be set with a larger stone in the centre encircled with lots of smaller stones (the halo design) and trilogy rings can often have a larger stone in the centre which is flanked by two smaller stones either side, often with in different shapes and gemstones. If you're still thinking about the potential wedding ring, why not opt for a Bridal Set where the engagement ring and wedding ring are designed and manufactured together to ensure the perfect fit. You can purchase these at the same time which takes away the worry (and expense) of the wedding ring later down the line. Click to view:

Diamond solitaire engagement rings
Single stone engagement rings with stone set shoulders
Cluster engagement rings
Trilogy engagement rings
Engagement and wedding ring sets

Stone Colour

Most couples opt for diamonds in their engagement ring, but you are of course not limited to this. Diamonds are known to be the world's hardest substance so can withstand a lifetime of wear and are infamous for their rare natural beauty and lustre. Coloured diamonds are becoming increasingly popular however are quite hard to find on the high street. We are proud to offer our One in a Million range of beautiful pink diamonds which is an exclusive collection. If you want something a bit different, diamonds can be complimented with other gemstones such as sapphires, rubies, emeralds and now the popular tanzanite. Again you should bear in mind the colours your partner likes and colours they wear in existing jewellery. Click to view:

Diamond engagement rings
Pink diamond engagement rings
Ruby engagement rings
Tanzanite engagement rings
Sapphire engagement rings
Emerald engagement rings

Practicality

So now you should pretty much have in mind the outline of the ring; the metal colour, the shape (and number) of stones, the type of stone plus how these will all fit together. But....you will need to consider practicality too. We advise you to think about the type of profession your partner works in as this can possibly affect your decision on ring settings. For example if they work outside, say as a riding instructor, it would probably not be practical to have a high-set ring that may catch on things and become damaged. Most rings and professions do not present a problem, however it is just something to be aware of when making your selection. If your partner has particularly small fingers, we would generally not advise stone set shoulders or band rings as any adjustment (which is highly likely if their ring size is not stocked as standard) is likely to open the setting and cause the stones to fall out.