Even if you’re planning a surprise proposal, you will never be alone when it comes to finding the perfect ring. Fortunately, there are professionals on hand ready and waiting to help guide you through the process. To make both your and their lives easier, you can expect to have to field a few crucial questions when starting out on the ring shopping journey.
To help you prepare, here are three of the most common questions that you should be ready to answer to help you find the ring of your partner’s dreams.
Which of the 4Cs is most important to you?
This particular question may well be preceded with: “how familiar are you with the 4Cs?”. It is one of the most important elements of engagement ring shopping and doing at least some rudimentary research into the 4Cs beforehand will stand you in good stead when you start your search. The 4Cs are colour, cut, clarity, and carat, and they dictate the quality of the diamond in the ring. It is vital to know which of these is most important to you and your partner. This will help your jeweller to present more appropriate styles to match your tastes, since there are thousands of options available.
Unless money is no object whatsoever, diamond rings will always come with some level of compromise. Elements of a diamond that determine its quality will vary in importance to different shoppers. For instance, if your partner has their heart set on the sparkliest diamond but isn’t necessarily concerned about the size, focus on cut and clarity over carat.
What’s your budget?
It may seem obvious, but heading to the jewellers with a vague idea of how much you have to spend will certainly help to speed up the process and narrow down your options. When deciding on your budget, it’s important not to let outside factors interfere, as there are no rules as to how much or how little you should spend on a ring – and jewellers know this.
It can feel uncomfortable discussing money, particularly if your budget is tight. However, your jeweller will be experienced in finding rings to fit all types of budgets and they will be able to point you in the right direction whether you’re spending three months or three weeks’ wages.
What’s your partner’s ring style?
This will have a huge bearing on the sort of rings you will be looking at. Your jeweller will be interested to know about your partner’s lifestyle and fashion preferences to ensure they can find the best possible match. Your answers to these questions will affect factors like choice of metal, choice of ring setting and shape of diamond, among many other elements.
For instance, if your partner favours a more vintage style, they may be better suited to a cathedral setting which offers a more traditional yet stylish look. Similarly, if they have a particularly active lifestyle, your jeweller may recommend a bezel setting, which offers better protection for the diamond whilst still showing it off.
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