A Mans Guide to Choosing an Engagement Ring
By: Sharon JacobsenSo the time has come to pop the question eh If youre thinking of going down on one knee and asking her to marry you in the traditional way that women love youd better have the engagement ring ready.
While its becoming more popular for couples to decide to become engaged in an offhand manner and then venture down to the jeweller to choose the engagement ring together many women still feel theres something special about wearing a ring that their beau has chosen especially for them.
Making the Right Choice of Engagement Ring
Before you can even consider looking at rings you need to find out a few basic things:
What is her ring size
Does she prefer yellow or white gold
Does she prefer simple styles or would she prefer an engagement ring that will be instantly noticed
By studying the kind of jewellery she generally wears you can find out a lot about her tastes. If she wears simple jewellery this is probably a sign that a diamond solitaire may be more appropriate than a flashy engagement ring carrying a cluster of gems.
Be aware of any jewellery she admires especially engagement rings. If she appears to be particularly impressed by a certain ring make a mental note of the cut and shape of the stone and the colour of the gold.
The ring you choose should reflect her personalityshell be wearing it for a long time after all.
The Cost of An Engagement Ring
Once youve decided on a style its time to determine how much you can spend on the ring.
Traditionally a man is expected to spend at least the equivalent of two months salary although a lesser amount is acceptable these days.
There are several reasons why the engagement ring was expected to be so costly.
So that the young ladyand not least her familywould know that you had made a conscious effort at saving in order to propose to her.
By saving for the ring you show that youre also capable of saving for a future home.
Should the couple fall upon hard times there would always be the ring to pawn in order to get through.
As most young people no longer live in their parents homes
but have outgoings of their own unless youre an especially high earner nobody will expect you to prove your worth by spending two months salary on an engagement ring. What is important is that you spend enough to show her just how much she means to you based on your own personal budget.
Buying the Engagement Ring
Once youve decided on a style and the amount youre happy to spend its time to head for the shops.
But before you go charging into the first jewellery shop you come across stop for a moment and remember that this is an engagement ring and as such probably the most important piece of jewellery youll ever buy.
Before you go shopping ask around and try to determine which jewellers offer the kind of service you need. If youre buying a diamond set ring youll want a guarantee that the stone is conflict free and youll want resizing included in the price. Youll also want at least a 12month guarantee against loss of the stone due to faulty craftsmanship or defects in the materials used.
Decide on a two or three shops give them your maximum budget minus ten percent and ask to see the available collections.
Why minus ten percent
In order to tempt you into spending more a jeweller will almost invariably include a few pieces that are slightly above your maximum budget. This way even those rings will still be within your real budget.
Make sure the metal is properly hallmarked that diamonds carry a certificate including the carat and grading of the stone and that the jewellery provides a guarantee that the diamonds are conflict free.
Once youve procured your chosen engagement ring all that remains is for you to find the perfect moment and hope that shell accept your ring as a perfect symbol of the love you feel for her.
Sharon Jacobsen is a fulltime freelance writer living in England UK. For a competitive fee shell happily provide quality compelling and keyword rich articles for your website newsletter or any other Web publication on any subject of your choice.
To contact Sharon or to find out more about her work please visit http://www.sharonjacobsen.co.uk
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