Top 6 Tips for Engagement Ring Shopping Together
You've seen it in your favorite rom-com. He drops to one knee and pulls out a diamond ring and pops the question, while she stands in shocked surprise. Proposals don't necessarily look like that anymore. There are more kinds of relationships. There are more knds of diamonds. And most proposals today aren’t a total surprise. Deciding to get married is a big milestone in your life together so it makes sense that most couples today are talking about it and deciding together.
Proposals have changed before. They date back to Ancient Rome, but instead of the kind of romantic expression of love they are today, getting engaged was a formal financial and legal transaction between families. Getting down on one knee to promise marriage began in the Middle Ages. But it wasn’t really until the 18th century that people began to marry for love instead of money and family. Since women had no legal standing, men were the ones who made the decision to marry. Proposals didn't become romantic-style diamond-ring surprises until the post war boomtime of the 1950s, when a mining company named De Beers began advertising diamond engagement rings.
Once couples became more equal, talking about marriage before the proposal began to be more common, even though the engagement ring was still most often a surprise. Today most proposals involve collaboration: complete surprise is pretty rare. And thanks to online shopping and social media most people now have strong opinions about the engagement ring they want. That's why today it makes sense to shop for the ring together instead of one partner having to have all the pressure to surprise the other with the perfect ring. Deciding how much surprise you want is now something else you can also talk about.
Do you want to pick your engagement ring? Would you like to narrow down the choice to a few rings and have your partner choose? Do you want to design the engagement ring together? All of these are great options that some of our customers choose. Here is our advice drawn from the experiences of real life couples on how to navigate shopping for the engagement ring together so both partners end up on the same page.
Start with a Budget
Although the idea of spending two months salary on an engagement ring one of those things that have changed, it's still a good idea to start your collaboration by talking about how much you want to budget for an engagement ring. You don’t want to spend months looking for your dream ring and then realize that it doesn’t fit into your budget. To set a budget, you will have to get an idea of what different options cost. Shopping online gives you a great way to get a broad overview of what your options are at each price point. Remember that you will wear your engagement ring every day for the rest of your life so make sure it is well-made and durable enough to last generations. That's why diamonds, mined or lab grown, are a great choice.
Pick Your Diamond Origin
A decade ago, we admit we saw a lot of engagement ring sticker shock from our customers. People wanted the big beautiful two or three carat mined diamond engagement rings they saw on Instagram or on their favorite celebrity's finger. When they discovered that those rings had five-figure price tags, they were disappointed. Today, that's changed thanks to the availability of lab-grown diamond engagement rings. Lab-grown diamonds look exactly the same as mined diamonds but they cost a lot less, especially in larger carat sizes. That means you can afford the kind of engagement ring you really want and stay within your budget. And thanks to sustainably grown diamonds created using renewable energy from retailers like Brilliant Carbon, you can feel good that your lab grown diamond engagement ring is carbon neutral.
Shape Up
The first big style decision is the shape of your center stone. If your taste changes or trends shift over the decades, you can always change the style of your engagement ring. But the shape of the center stone can’t be changed. That's why it's a good idea to choose the cut that you'll love forever. The cuts for lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds are the same. Rounds are the most brilliant cut and still the most popular, although oval engagement rings and pear engagement rings have been trending over the past few years. We love the unique look of emerald cut engagement rings (Beyonce and Amal Clooney agree.) If you want a geometric shape with lots of brilliance a princess lab diamond engagement ring is the best choice.
Get in Style
Engagement ring styles may seem endless but they fall into four basic categories that include the vast majority of options. The first category, which inspired the emoji, is the solitaire engagement ring: a classic diamond on a gold band. The main variation here is the shape of the center diamond. The second is a solitaire with a diamond covered band, called a pave engagement ring. The third is a halo engagement ring: a solitaire with a ring of smaller diamonds surrounding the center diamond. The fourth category is the three stone engagement ring, which has two stones flanking the center diamond. Once you choose one of these categories, you can focus on the details, like the side profile, diamond shapes, accent diamonds, and metal color. If you get the category right, you are almost there. Make sure you think about your lifestyle and make sure your ring design will suit you. If you are active, you might choose a simpler design. If you enjoy dressing up, you'll probably prefer a more elaborate style with lots of detail.
Add a Little Surprise
To add romance to your proposal, make sure to add an element of surprise. Your surprise could be the timing or setting of the proposal. Or a huge surprise engagement ring party afterwards. Or a double proposal, where both partners propose to each other, sometimes called "proposing back." Even if you shop for rings together, you can add a surprise element, like an engraving, hidden detail, larger center stone, or a special box. The idea is to go above and beyond expectations to make the moment feel special.
Enjoy the Journey
Engagement ring shopping together can be fun. Deciding that you want to spend the rest of your life with the person you love is a beautiful thing. Your engagement ring will serve as a daily reminder of your love story and all the incredible feelings you had when committing to forever together. Enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
