How to choose the perfect style of engagement ring for your finaceé-to-be
Engagement ring shopping can be daunting enough, its an emotional purchase, with lots of information to take in You may have swotted up on the 4Cs, but what style of engagement ring are you looking for?
Lisa Statham is owner and designer at Harlow Fine Jewellery, she recommends asking yourself the following few questions before you make your decision.
What jewellery does your partner wear?
A good place to start is to take note of the jewellery they wear; is it gold or silver in colour? Simple or bold? Do they have a favorite piece they wear everyday? Or if they don’t wear jewellery, look to their wardrobe for inspiration, as well as the décor in their home. If they're obsessed with minimalist simple design, for example, you might want to consider a contemporary bezel set design.
Do they work with their hands all day?
If your partner has a job in which she uses her hands all day– a landscape artist, say, or a nurse –you’ll want an engagement ring setting that sits low on the finger, to minimize the risk of damage to the stone. we recommend choosing a very simple, classic and low set engagement ring.
It’s important to consider the ring’s setting height, as a diamond or gemstone set too high off the band can make for an impractical design, especially if you are choosing it for someone who isn’t used to wearing rings at all. When designing a ring for someone who isn’t used to wearing jewellery, Lisa recommends constructing the setting so it holds the diamond or gemstone close to the band which allows you to create a practical and wearable ring.
Fire, Brilliance, Scintillation; Do they love sparkle?
If your finaceé-to-be adores sparkle, classic and feminine accessories, a round, brilliant cut diamond solitaire is a perfect option.
By specification, a round, brilliant cut diamond has 58 facets, meaning the surface of the diamond has 58 individual faces, each of which captures and projects light giving this classic cut an incredible sparkle and a fire and vibrancy that is hard to match with any other diamond cut.
A round brilliant cut diamond can be considerably more expensive because of the technical skill and precision required to achieve its outstanding sparkle. An expensive by-product of a round, brilliant cut diamond is the amount of rough stone its cutter must discard in order to achieve 58 perfectly cut facets.
Oval, pear & marquise cuts, known as ‘fancy cuts’ can save you up to 25% more than a round, brilliant cut diamond of the same carat size, quite simply because there is less wastage in the cutting process. These shapes still have complex faceting, excellent light performance and fire, offering a good balance between sparkle and budget.
Make a statement | If bigger is better
It can be tricky to balance budget and style when looking for an engagement ring with a big, impressive setting. To get the most from your budget, Lisa recommends opting for a halo engagement ring. Halo engagement rings feature a single centre stone surrounded by an eye-catching circle, or halo, of diamonds which give the illusion of a much larger and more visually impressive setting.
Halo engagement rings can create a bold and lavish style for a confident wearer looking to make a statement.
A dominant halo will give a bolder look and more grand appearance, whereas a simple and neat halo lends itself to a more delicate design. It completely depends on your unique style and taste.
If you do choose a more simple halo, off-setting the claws on the halo to give the illusion of a crown is becoming an increasingly popular trend.
It’s also commonplace to play around with the versatility of a halo design, customising the engagement ring with a fancy cut - oval, pear, marquise - centre stone; opting for a coloured gemstone or working with different claw, bezel or semi-bezel settings.
Capture the zeitgeist. Is your other half a trendsetter?
We LOVE designing alternative engagement rings! While we adore traditional designs, we firmly believe that the old rule book of diamond engagement ring design is well and truly out the window!
At Harlow Fine Jewellery, we love working with our clients to create something unexpected, unusual and alternative.
If your fiancee confidently owns their own style and isn’t afraid to break from the mould, let's get creative and think outside the box!
Capture the zeitgeist with an unusual setting like a Toi et Moi (you & I in French) setting which dates back to the late 19th century. With its two prominent stones, the Toi et Moi engagement ring has become steadily more popular with celebrities including Emily Rataajkowski and Ariane Grande both opting for this romantic design or mix up your engagement ring style with an alternative cut diamond, hexagon and kite shape diamonds will be a big trend for 2021.
If you think your other half will love an alternative engagement ring style. Why not consider a precious gemstone like a gorgeous grey-green Montana sapphire, a stunning teal tourmaline, a soft peachy morganite or a raspberry rhodolite garnet? There are endless options, each as unique as your bride-to-be.
Do you have a family heirloom you’d like to use?
Proposing to your loved one with a family heirloom like a Grandmother’s or great-grandmother’s engagement ring can be hugely romantic, but it’s important to consider whether or not your fiance(e) will love the ring. Remember, it has to be something they will want to wear every day for the rest of their life!
Don’t be afraid to propose with a family heirloom, but do be prepared, and perhaps offer the option, to remodel it.
We have over 20 years’ of experience designing and redesigning rings and can work with almost any style of ring and precious gemstone. By remodelling a family heirloom, we can create something modern but timeless that you and your fiance will love, while ensuring we retain the essence and authenticity of the original ring.
Would she prefer to choose?
Take some time to consider whether your other half will appreciate
having an engagement ring chosen for them. Countless brides have told us that they are absolutely smitten with the piece of jewellery that their partner picked out, but this isn't the right route for everyone. An engagement ring is a lifetime commitment, and it's only natural that many people will prefer to choose their own. If you're not sure how your other half feels about the subject, you could always or play it safe with a Harlow proposal ring, and choose the actual ring
together at a later date.
Buying a Harlow proposal ring with which you can pop the question allows you the traditional experience of presenting a ring to your fiancee and allowing them the opportunity to choose your forever ring, both yourself and your fiancée can be part of the creative process where we will work directly with you to refine the design, source the right diamonds and gemstones to suit your style and budget and go about creating your completely bespoke and unique engagement
ring.
The Harlow proposal ring is simply a classic gold band set with a single diamond with which you can propose, then you can either:
a) Trade the Harlow proposal ring in against your forever ring, or
b) Keep it as a memento of your proposal - many women choose to wear their proposal ring on their right hand as a treasured keepsake of the special occasion.
Choosing an engagement ring? We’re here to help!
When the time comes to propose to your love, we’re here to help you design the perfect ring. We love to hear about proposal plans and we can offer endless advice on how to choose the perfect proposal ring and how to design a stunning engagement ring your fiancee will wear forever.
Give us a call whenever you are planning to propose and we can arrange a chat to discuss our bespoke design process!
