It's beginning to look a lot like summer which means holidays and this is one of the peak times to get engaged. The last few years have thrown a massive spanner in the works when it comes to engagements.
Let's face it most people want a really nice romantic and special proposal but with being in lockdown this wasn't something that could be done so if last year is anything to go by summer 2022 is going to be full steam ahead for engagements.
Getting engaged is a huge life milestone and there is no wonder you want to celebrate this massive commitment you are making to each other. It is huge you are telling the world of your love for each other and your intentions to be together forever. There are so many elements to the perfect proposal but as important as the question is and the setting for it is there is nothing more important than the ring itself.
The ring is one of those make or break elements. If your other half gets it wrong you are stuck with it on your finger for a long time and if you hate it what can you do? Very little without causing a commotion.
Today I want to discuss the ring and make you a have a little more clarity on what to look for in your ring of choice and why you need to consider the vintage ring market.
We might as well get this out the way there is no harm in telling or showing your other half what you like and what you really hate. We all have different styles and choose different types of rings.
Here are my top 3 things to think about when choosing your ring
1. What to look for in a vintage ring
Now there are so many elements to a ring for example which metal do you like? gold, silver, rose gold platinum. These are personal choices But one thing you should understand is the diamond if you are indeed choosing a diamond. So let's start with the 4'c of diamonds. Understanding these will give you a great place to start on your journey.
Cut - this is the type of stone or shape to make it simpler these can be oval, princess, round, cushion, pear, emerald and so on.
Colour - This is the colour of the stone itself. This is graded in colour so a true clear colourless diamond is graded D, E, F and this goes all the way down to a light yellow diamond graded between S to Z. The near to D you get the better the colour of the diamond is.
Clarity - This is where it starts to feel a bit overwhelming with code but it doesn't have to be. This is how perfect your stone is. If you look under a magnifying glass and you can see little imperfections this is called included. Diamonds with lots of imperfections get the code I1 to I3 this then goes up in gradients so slightly included, very slightly included, very very slightly included and then internally flawless or no inclusions.
Carat - This is easy on to explain this is the size of the diamond. This can start anywhere say 0.25ct the stone size is 4.1mm whereas a 5ct diamond is about 11mm depending on the shape of course.
Now, this should give you a better understanding of the actual ring itself. The higher the quality of all these elements the more expensive the ring will be. That does not mean you need to look at the highest quality of all these items in your budget in fact if you did you would more than like to have a very small stone.
2. What to avoid - Mass-produced
Firstly I want to recommend avoiding mass produced rings. I have worked in a jewellers and I have seen first hand how this can go badly wrong. That is why I am recommending looking at the vintage rings market.
Time for a storytime.
I was working as a small-town jeweller in my 20's. I had helped a groom choose a lovely engagement ring for his future bride. It was lovely but very much a standard mass-produced ring. The proposal went amazing and she said yes and everything was sunshine and rainbow. She proudly showed off her ring and her friends ooed and aaaed. This sounds good so far right? Here is where it gets juicy.
Not one but two of her closest friends got proposed to with the same ring and I mean the exact ring from the shop I worked in. I know one had chosen the ring as she had loved her friends so much and I am not sure how the other was picked. But to say the first lady was angry would have been an understatement. she stormed to the store and demanded we did something to change it. Of course, there was little we could do at the time. It is a widely popular mass-produced engagement ring and I am sure it was on the figures of many betrothed couples all over the UK.
I never forgot that and when I knew My boyfriend of the time was looking at taking the next step I made one thing clear. I know what I wanted I wanted my own special ring, not a cookie-cutter anyone and everyone has it ring.
3. Budget/Value
Now, this is where we talk money. You need to be realistic with your budget here. There is no point in cashing out all your saving on a ring and having nothing left. Be open with a budget. Your finances are your own and you need to think so hard about the future and not spend all your saving on a ring.
Here is my massive money-saving tip. I feel like its a well kept but super important one to share
You will get more for your money if you look at vintage rings. The vintage ring market is incredible. You will not be able to beat the quality you can get going vintage.
Let me show you some examples
This is 0.37ct diamond in 18ct white gold solitaire vintage ring £1205. That is gorgeous and such good value
This is a 1.10ct diamond set in 18ct yellow gold. £3795. I mean it is so unique No one else will have anything like this.
There are so many reasons to look at the vintage engagement ring market. There are so many amazing deals out there your money will go so much further and you will be able to have something one of a kind and your ring will have had a bit of history to it also. Plus do we even need to mention the stability elements of buying vintage?
I hope this post has helped you on your engagement journey. There are so many options out there but I highly recommend looking at the vintage ring market there really are some amazing and special rings out there and best of all your budget no matter what the size will go further in this market.
Congratulations on your amazing life milestone.
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