If you are in love and plan to get married, you are probably thinking about an engagement ring. There are many different kinds of styles, cuts, and colors to choose from and it can become overwhelming.The best method to use is customizing your engagement ring. This way you can ensure it will be exactly what you want and will be perfect for you or your partner.
However, whether you are looking for your own engagement ring or one for your partner, there are some basics you need to know.
Stone Shape
The first thing you can do to narrow down your search is to find the stone shape you like. There are many different styles of engagement rings, but some of the most popular are princess, round, oval, emerald, cushion, marquise, pear, baguette, and heart. Certain types of stone look better in certain shapes, so you should take that into consideration if you are looking for something other than a diamond. If you or your partner enjoy more traditional engagement rings, the round and oval shapes are the most common. Princess and cushion shaped stones are larger and therefore usually more expensive, but are also quite traditional. If you or your partner enjoy more unique rings, you should consider a marquise or pear shape. Both are a kind of twist on a traditional oval ring. However, if you are very unique and move to the beat of your own drum, a baguette or heart shaped ring might fit you best. Both are uncommon, but still beautiful shapes for a stone.
Stone Color
Once you figure out the shape you want, you should find the type of stone you want to use. Traditionally, diamonds are the most popular stone, however there are many different options. If you want something colorful, common stone choices are colored diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, opals, and citrines. If you are looking for something traditional, but a little different, a colored diamond might be perfect for you. These are uncommon, but are still a diamond. A little more opulent, but still traditional are sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. All are commonly used in engagement rings, but because of their color are not necessarily popular. If you want a truly unique ring, you should consider an opal or citrine stone. Opals are a beautiful off white stone, but can be very fragile. For that reason, they have to be in a protective setting. Citrines on the other hand are another unique option, but are a yellow gold color. This stone is strong, but still easily reflects light.
Band Metal
The next step in designing your own ring is to choose the metal to use for your band. Traditional choices are tungsten, titanium, and platinum, however there are many other options out there. Tungsten, titanium, and platinum are all very strong and durable metals that hold up well to scratching and tarnishing. However, you can also use something like ceramic. This is a newer material for engagement rings, but can be made in many colors, which means it can be perfect for someone who likes unique things. Stainless steel is another less popular metal choice because it is strong and durable. The downside to stainless steel is that it can be hard to resize. Finally, cobalt is another option for your wedding ring. It’s color is similar to white gold which can make it desirable and it is still scratch resistant and durable like some of the more traditional metal choices. However, cobalt is so durable that resizing isn’t possible at all, so that is something to keep in mind.
Stone Settings
Finally, you should decide if you want other stones set into you or your partner’s engagement ring. This is something that you may need a ring designer for, but having additional stones can make your ring more unique and interesting to look at.
Getting married is an exciting part in most people’s lives. By designing your own engagement ring, you are ensuring that it will be a part of your life for many years to come.
