One of the major challenges of planning the perfect proposal is finding a ring that she will really love. You need to be prepared to overcome a few challenges before you can start picking engagement rings. These challenges range from setting a budget to find out her ring size. You should also take time to research the basics of ring anatomy and what drives the price up and qualities that are undesirable. Without much ado, here are four challenges you need to overcome before you can secretly go engagement ring shopping:
Setting A Realistic Budget
A seemingly obvious advice, setting a budget goes a long way into ensuring you get a great ring for the price you are willing to pay. The best way to start is by going to online jewelry websites such as Elma Jewellery and looking at the different ring options and prices. This will give you a fair idea about the cost of engagement rings. Using that knowledge, set a realistic budget before you start picking engagement rings. While it is okay to go a little overboard when picking an engagement, it is smart to decide on a never-exceed budget to ensure you do not overspend.
Understanding Your Partner’s Preference
If you are planning to surprise your girl with a sudden proposal, there is no way you can ask her directly about her style preferences. The best approach is to look at what she wears currently to get an understanding of her style choices. You can even strike up a “casual conversation” about ring designs to understand what she likes and dislikes. However, it is important to tread carefully as prying for information may make her suspicious.
Finding Out Her Ring Size
It is a popular misconception that all rings can be resized after buying. This is why it is always better to find out her ring size before heading to the store. If you are planning to keep it a secret, there are a couple of ways of finding out the ring size without giving her a clue. You can borrow one of her rings and take it to the jewelry store. If you do not want to borrow her ring, you can take one of her old rings and trace the inner outline on a paper. You can also slide it up your finger and mark the area where it gets stuck. When at the store, jewelers can measure the circumference of the marked area and get an accurate measurement.
Understanding The Four C’s
Carat, color, cut, and clarity are the four basic parameters of judging diamond engagement rings. Carat is the weight of the fitted gem. Heavier the gem, larger the size, and more expensive the asking price. Clarity refers to the total number of imperfections, which is graded from Flawless (FL) to Included (I1, I2, I3). The color indicates the transparency of the gem. For reference, a clear diamond is more expensive than a diamond with a tinge. Anything from a J, which is a near colorless grade to a completely colorless D grade is great for engagement rings. The cut refers to the shape of diamond or gem. There are five basic cuts to choose from, round, emerald, princess, marquise, and pear. Try and find out about your partner’s preferences on cut, color, clarity, and carat before committing to a particular ring.
