On July 28th I said yes to the love of my life. And on that day I also gladly said goodbye to the days of poring over ring accounts on instagram, reading about what the four C’s were and which were the most important. For all of you lovebirds out there ready to take the next step with your boo, here’s what I learned from my ring shopping experience.
- I’m picky(ish) – I now know that I am low key (ok I’m high key) picky and I wanted a style that most jewelry stores do not have in store to show (oval shaped). If your lady has specific taste, I HIGHLY suggest going to at least one jewelry store together at least get an idea of what she likes and doesn’t like. Why? Because my ring looks very different from what I imagined I wanted. Many girls I know have told me that their idea of a perfect ring changed during the process of ring shopping. HOWEVER, if she’s not picky – then don’t let her go to the store because then she’ll get a bunch of ideas haha.
- Different shapes – The most typical cut is round (duh). You can’t go wrong with a round.
- Benefits of a round, their cut is regulated so when you look at a GIA or similar certification online, you know exactly what you’re going to get. Read more here.
- If you want another shape like I did (oval, pear, emerald) then you’ll need to look at each spec and judge how it will affect the diamond.
For instance, an oval diamond can be either chubby, or long. A good L:W ratio will be about 1.4, a chubbier oval will be 1.2 – 1.3.
Okay you’re probably getting overwhelmed already… NO WORRIES! Let me cut to the chase.
- GIA reports – If a diamond didn’t come with a GIA report, we didn’t even bother looking at it. Also, it is possible to counterfeit reports, so you should always double check online to make sure the report matches the diamond you are looking at. The GIA report will have all the info for specs you’re looking for (cut, INCLUSIONS, measurements, clarity etc). Inclusions are flaws in the diamond.
- Tip: If you want a gold band, you can get a lower color diamond because the gold of the band will give the diamond a tint of yellow, so there’s no need for you to purchase a high color grade diamond.
- Cut will determine sparkle, sparkle is what will blind her girlfriends in the eye when she flashes it around. It is also what will blind your fiancé when she’s driving. You decide if those are pros or cons bahaha.
Ring Shopping: Other things to consider
Okay so you picked the diamond, now the hardER part in my opinion, the setting.
- Setting – Keep in mind what you want for a wedding band. I chose a plain setting because I knew I wanted a pave wedding band and I like simple, plainer things so I thought double pavé on my hand would be too much for me. However, if you don’t get pave on the setting then it may get little scratches.
- Under halo – Because I wanted a plain band, I decided to get the under halo on my ring to match with my future wedding band. This is also not very common and may require a custom creation. What’s an under halo? If you look in the first photo above you may see it. Or look here, you’re welcome.
- Platinum vs. white vs. yellow gold – Kevin got platinum and now that I wear it, I like it because it’s a little heavier and I can feel the ring on my finger, but before I didn’t have a preference between platinum and white gold. White gold will need to be re-plated every so often because it will eventually wear down and become more yellow. Also, I originally wanted yellow gold but then after hearing that it would affect the color of the diamond – decided against it.
Helpful resources
- Blue Nile – You may be thinking, what? I would never buy my diamond online. But did you know a lot of your local jewelry stores source from blue nile’s database? It’s costly for jewelry stores to invest in so many diamonds, especially the specially shaped ones that may not sell as quickly – so they will “source” diamonds for you and borrow from places like Blue Nile. So essentially you will cut out the middle man.
- Rare Carat – Another online resource that also allows you to shop jewelers in your area.
It’s a lot right?? Just remember! It’s a symbol of your bright AF future together. hahaha. 😀 😀 So thankful that Kevin was so patient and willing to get me exactly what I wanted haha. I genuinely hope that this helps with taking your love story to the next step 😉 Now get to shopping!
Stay tuned for more wedding tips as I bumble my way through this process.
Fun Fact: I also do wedding coordinating on the side so I feel a little bit ahead of the game 😉
