If the thought of asking the love of your life to marry you isn’t nerve-wracking enough, you also have the task of finding a ring they will wear forever. With endless variations to choose from, it can be difficult to know just where to begin.
Engagement rings don’t come cheap either, with the average couple spending $3,756 on their engagement ring in 2020. Understandably, you will want to invest your money carefully, choosing a ring that your partner will fall in love with. But how can you ensure they will be happy with your choice?
Here’s three ways you can put your mind at ease and all but guarantee you are making the right choice.
Shop together
Understandably, this approach won’t be for everyone, with lots of couples desperate to keep the surprise until the moment comes. But, it’s not uncommon for couples to shop for engagement rings together. In fact, 70% of rings are bought with some level of involvement from the partner – there really is no better way to ensure they will be happy with the end product.
Either browse online, or take a trip to your local jewelry shop to find out just what your partner is looking for from their dream engagement ring. You can also use the expertise of a jeweler who will ask you questions to get to know your preferences, and so can help you both to better understand your options.
Ask their family and friends
If you can trust their nearest and dearest to keep a secret, then use their expertise to find out what they think your partner would like best. Chances are they will have spoken about their dream engagement ring at some point, or even dropped hints when discussing each others’ rings. Even if they haven’t, your partner’s family and friends should certainly have an understanding of what they would want, or at least what they definitely wouldn’t want.
To get an even better insight, ask one of their friends to take them window shopping for rings and feed back to you. Use this information to inform your search for your own ring. Even small details like their favorite metal color, or preferred engagement ring setting can all be helpful in guiding you to the ring of your partner’s dreams.
Be inspired by their collection
If you’re completely in the dark when it comes to ideas, but want to keep up the surprise from even their family and friends, start by looking at your partner’s existing collection of jewelry. Take note of the styles and designs that they’ve picked out for themselves, and take this information to a jeweler who will be able to build up a pretty good picture of which engagement ring style would suit them best.
Look out for trends such as their preferred color scheme – is their collection predominantly gold or silver? If they have any diamond jewelry, assess whether they are more concerned with the size of the diamond or the quality, as this will help you to narrow down your search from the wide range of diamond rings available on the market.
