Biggest Mistakes Made When Shopping For An Engagement Ring
There’s a lot to think about when buying an engagement ring. This makes it easy to overlook important details. Below are just a handful of mistakes that are made when shopping for an engagement ring for your partner – and they can be avoided.
1. Not Finding Out Which Style Their Partner Likes
The worst mistake a person can make when buying an engagement ring is not considering their partner’s preferred style. Buy the wrong style of ring and your fiancé or fiancée-to-be may not enjoy wearing it or in the worse case scenario, want to wear it.
On the lead up to settling down with that certain someone, when engagement and marriage has been talked about and discussed, many couples will drop hints as to what style they like. If your partner hasn’t done this, you may have to slyly pry the information from them. You could ask a friend or family member to secretly gain this information for you. Alternatively, you could go shopping together and ‘accidentally’ stop outside a jewellery shop window, where you may be able to prompt the conversation.
2. Buying A Ring That’s Too Small
It’s common to get the ring size wrong. If a ring is too big, it can usually be resized by a jeweller. If it is too small, it can be trickier. In most cases extra gold or platinum can be added to the ring but sometimes rings cannot be resized (and sometime they can be non-refundable).
In other words, if you have to estimate their ring size, it’s better to guess too big than too small. There are ways of indirectly working out someone’s ring size that could be worth looking into to try to get a more accurate idea.
3. Overlooking Bespoke Jewellers
Finding the right style and the right size can be a challenge. Many overlook bespoke jewellery services when shopping for engagement rings – which is a shame as it offers you, the buyer, the opportunity to manufacture a ring exactly to your specs.
Bespoke jewellers aren’t much use if your partner wants an authentic vintage ring. But if your partner wants a modern ring or even one that has a vintage look to it, and you can’t find their preferred style of ring anywhere, this could be the perfect solution.
4. Planning The Proposal Date Before Buying The Ring
A lot of partners plan the proposal date and then go ring shopping – however this can result in a tight deadline. Fail to find the right ring before the proposal date and you then have to cancel the date, go ahead without a ring or settle for a less-than-ideal ring (which is the worst option).
For the majority of couples it’s better to buy a ring before booking any hotels or restaurants. This way you can then spend as long as you need shopping for the right ring.
5. Prioritising Carat Over Cut
Cut and carat are two classifications of diamond. The carat affects the size of the diamond, while the cut affects the shininess. Many make the mistake of prioritising carat over cut when looking for the perfect diamond. However, in many cases, cut can have a more dramatic impact.
A diamond that has a small carat and high cut grade is likely to have more of a sparkle than a diamond with a larger carat and lower cut grade. It’s also likely to be cheaper – carat can affect the price much more than the cut. All in all, bigger is not always better when it comes to diamonds. You just need to work out what’s more important to your partner.
These tips are for those who wish to buy an engagement ring for a surprise engagement proposal. But of course there is always the exception, and the proposal can still be a surprise without a ring – where partners know that their loved one would rather pick out an engagement ring together. This option can be just as romantic and exciting. And at least you’ll have a better chance of getting it just right!
Photos by Nathan Dumlao – CCO Licence
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