Engagement Ring Buying Guide
Buying an engagement ring is a huge decision and will possibly be the most important piece of jewellery you will ever buy. If you are reading this page then the hard part is already over, you have found someone you want to marry and spend the rest of your life with and now we can help you to find the perfect ring to mark the ocassion.
Below is a guide to planning for the proposal and how to pick the perfect ring.
Plan & Research
There are many steps to plan when you decide to propose, we always advise our clients to take their time and not rush any decisions. It is most important that you take your time to research, plan and save!
Research
Study what type of jewellery your future fiance wears, what colour metal and whether her jewellery is dainty and delicate or more chunky. Pay attention as to whether she wears understated jewellery or if she wears quite sparkly jewellery. When you start to look at engagement rings you will quickly learn that there are plenty of choices, the style of the ring, the metal used and the types of gemstones within the ring. You can do some diamond research on our diamond information page if you would like to learn more about your options.
Possibly ask friends and family for their advice if you can trust them to keep a secret! Most of the time women confide in their mums, sisters or close friends so it is most likely that someone will know exactly what she wants!
Ask us for advice, we can help you to decide what to buy. The more you tell us about your partner the better help and advice we can give you.
Plan
It is always a good idea to plan ahead of time, figure out when you want to propose, plan how you want to propose and plan a comfortable budget you would be willing to spend. To design and make an engagement ring will normally take a few weeks, if you estimate the design and making process to be 4-6 weeks then you will have enough time to get the perfect ring for your partner.
Design
Designing an engagement ring is a very personal thing to do which is why we like to take time with our clients and talk through their design ideas and thoughts. The best way to start the process of designing or buying an engagement ring is to book an appointment with one of our team, once you are here we can discuss any ideas you have and we can show you a variety of different styles. Once you have an idea of what you want then we can start discussing diamonds or gemstones, we will bring in a variety of diamonds or gemstones for you to look at, admire and choose from and at this stage we will teach you all about the stones! Once we have the main stone we will then move forward with making the ring for you. We will keep you informed with the stages of your ring, this way you can pop in and see the progress whenever you like!
Three Stone Cluster Halo
Different Gemstones
When you think of an engagment ring most people think of a white diamond either in a solitaire setting or with other diamonds in a halo or on the shoulders. It is becoming increasingly popular to include other colour stones in an engagment ring, for example Kate Middleton with her Sapphire & Diamond ring, Mariah Carey with a Pink Diamond or Carrie Underwood with a Yellow Diamond. We have had customers choosing pearls, sapphires and other gemstones for the centre of their engagement ring, it can sometimes make a nice change and some women may prefer a different stone possibly her birth stone.
Insuring Your Ring
With any high value piece of jewellery you purchase from us you will receive a valuation of your item, this will include all the details of your item, a description and the current value. In the worst case scenario that the item was lost or stolen a jeweller should be able to recreate your item using the valuation but we also recommend that you take photos of any valuable jewellery as a reference.
There are two ways to insure any high value jewellery, either as a listed item on your current home insurance or through a seperate specialist insurance policy.
When insuring your ring or any other high value item check with your insurance provider that you are covered when overseas and at work. Also ensure the level of cover is high enough for your peace of mind.
Wedding Ring Guide
Ladies Wedding Ring
When thinking of what wedding ring to buy you should always consider what will match with the engagement ring, it is important to make them into a matching set as they will be worn together for the rest of your life. The engagement and wedding rings should compliment each other therefore there are a few things to consider;
Most people will choose a wedding ring that has the same style band as their engagement ring but alternatively you could choose something completely different. Please come in and speak to one of our experts who will help you choose the style of band to suit you and your engagement ring. We bespoke design many wedding rings, anything is possible and we also have plenty of designs here ready for you to try on.
Gents Wedding Ring
There are many different styles of wedding rings for men, sometimes it can be overwhelming when you first see the large selection available to you! It is best to consider the following points;
We have a wide variety for you to look at and try on which will help make these decisions easier.
Expert Check-Up
We offer check and clean service for all valuable jewellery bought from us. We always advise our customers to pop in whey they are passing by so that we can check and clean their items. This service involves us checking all diamonds or gemstones are secure and their settings are still in tact and are not damaged or have not started to wear away, we then clean the item and return it looking sparkly and refreshed!
This is a free of charge service available for you whilst you wait.
If you have any queries or would like to book an appointment with one of our design team please contact us on 020 8449 6644 or email us at info@vjewellers.co.uk