If you’re shopping for a wedding ring, this is one of the most exciting moments of your life! You’re probably bubbling to the edge with excitement, thrill, and of course, nervousness. Hopefully, this is a moment that only comes once in your life, which only makes it all that much more special. However, despite the excitement and thrill of taking this next step in your life and romantic partnership, there’s a lot to consider when shopping for wedding rings.
In fact, there’s so much to consider that it can often feel daunting, overwhelming, and even exhausting to get the ball rolling – especially with all the other wedding planning that you’ve got on your mind at the same time.
Take a deep breath, though, and try your best to relax. With the following rules in mind, you’ll actually be able to enjoy the ring-shopping process, and you’ll end up with a wedding ring that your partner will adore for the rest of their life.
1. Create a Budget
The first step you’re going to want to take in shopping for a wedding ring is similar to any other major life purchase: set a budget. This is a vital step to take before shopping for a wedding ring because it will inform a lot of the other decisions that follow.
Wedding rings, and diamond jewelry in general, can tend to get very expensive very quickly. Because of this, you’ll want to enter the shopping process with a comfortable spending limit in mind. This way, you can shop comfortably for a ring that will make your partner’s jaw drop without worrying that you’ll end up in a precarious financial situation.
By setting a budget for yourself and the wedding ring you’d like to purchase, you’ll successfully set yourself up for a smooth and enjoyable shopping and purchase journey.
2. Picking a Diamond
After you’ve set your budget, it’s time to get shopping. The first step in this process is going to be selecting a diamond. This is important because you have a lot of options to consider right off the bat. For example, two important decisions you’re going to be faced with right away are if you’d prefer a lab-grown diamond or a mined diamond, followed by selecting a shape that speaks to you.
Structurally, mined diamonds and lab-grown diamonds are identical. However, they come with very different costs. Mined diamonds, specifically, are diamonds that form naturally deep within the earth’s crust; it’s from here that they’re harvested or mined and then eventually enter the marketplace. However, the actual diamond-mining process takes a heavy toll on the environment, which is less than ideal.
Lab-grown diamonds, on the other hand, can be sustainably grown and produced in emission-free foundries.
After you’ve chosen your diamond, mined or lab-grown, you’ll also need to select a shape of which there are many. Each shape is unique and has its own personality, so you should try to align the shape of the diamond with the personality of your partner.
3. The 4 C’s of Diamonds
Getting a little bit further into the weeds, if you’re going diamond-shopping for your wedding rings, you’re going to need to familiarize yourself with the big 4 C’s: cut, color, clarity, and carat.
The cut of the diamond refers to the structural alignment internally; the less color in a white diamond, the better. Clarity has to do with how light enters and exits the precious stone, and the carat, of course, refers to the weight of the diamond.
All of these factors impact the ultimate price of the diamond, as well as its aesthetic.
4. Selecting the Setting
After making all of the above choices, you’re finally in the home stretch of the wedding-ring-buying journey. The last thing that’s left is selecting a setting that speaks to your partner’s personality while complementing the diamond you’ve chosen.
There are many different setting styles, from classic and traditional to more modern and sleek, and the setting really brings the whole piece together.
Not only that, but you can choose from a variety of metals for the setting as well, from gold to platinum, to white gold or rose gold. Many people prefer to choose a metal that compliments the skin tone of their partner.
5. Making the Perfect Proposal
Lastly, it’s finally time to plan the big proposal and ask the question. This is where you’re going to have to really let your creativity shine in order to make a perfect proposal.
With a hand-selected ring in your pocket, though, you’ll have one less thing to worry about.
A Few Last Thoughts
Shopping for wedding rings is extremely exciting, but it can also be quite daunting with how much information and how many options from which there are to choose.
Take some of the guesswork out of the shopping journey, and look to the rules above to help you select a wedding ring that you’ll forever love.
