Ultimate Engagement Ring Guide: What to Know Before You Shop

Starting to shop for your engagement ring? You’ve come to the right place! We’ve created the ultimate guide to help you select your ideal engagement ring style.

Of all the possessions you’ll own throughout a lifetime, none will hold as much significance as your engagement ring. It symbolizes the moment you solidify the bond with your partner and signifies the start of a new journey together. It will adorn your left hand for a lifetime, potentially being passed down to future generations. Overall, it represents love, commitment and family.

Continue reading to learn more about engagement ring details to help you discover your ideal style!

Discovering Your Engagement Ring Style

Material

The most common engagement ring bands are made up of yellow gold, rose gold, white gold or platinum. All gold rings come in either 10K, 14K or 18K options. A karat measures how pure the gold is, therefore, the higher the karat, the larger percentage of gold.

While platinum and white gold look almost identical, there are some significant differences. The main one being that platinum is a much more expensive option. Platinum used in jewelry is more pure, therefore higher in cost. This material is also stronger and more durable than gold.

There is no best option for engagement ring material, as there are pros and cons to each. The decision of which band to choose relies heavily on the bride-to-be’s preference.

Settings

An engagement ring’s setting refers to how the stone is mounted to the body of the ring. The significance of the setting contributes to how the stone is displayed and ultimately, the overall design of the ring.

Solitaire – possibly the most popular setting, features one, single stone in the center of the ring

Three-Stone – includes a trio of stones, the most common style being two smaller stones set on either side of a larger stone

Bezel – this setting surrounds the stone, holding it securely in place with a thin rim

Halo – a collection of smaller diamonds or gemstones encircles the center stone

Pavé – from the French word, “pave,” as in “paved in stones, the body of the ring is completely adorned with smaller stones

Gemstones

While, most people think of diamonds when it comes to engagement rings, there are many other gorgeous gemstone options. For the girl who dares to be different, popular alternatives include sapphire, ruby and emerald gemstones. Many are attracted to these options for their unique aesthetic and significant meaning.

Below we recap the meaning of sapphire, ruby and emerald gemstones:

Gemstone Meanings

Sapphire – Faithfulness and Sincerity

Ruby – Love and Passion

Emerald – Luck and Longevity

Shape

The stone shape is the most prominent detail of an engagement ring, which can make it the most important choice of a ring’s details. Fortunately, there are various options of elegant cuts that can create the ultimate wow factor. Here, we recap some of the most popular stone shapes for engagement rings.

Cushion – combines a square cut with rounded corners

Pear – teardrop or “pear” shape, rounded bottom with pointed top

Emerald – elongated, rectangular shape with step-cuts that give an elegant appearance

Princess – square in shape when viewed from above, usually with pointed corners

Oval – elongated, round shape