With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, love is in the air. If you’ve found Miss Right and you’ve been meaning to pop the question, now is the perfect time to go and choose that ring.
Of course, this isn’t just any ring, it is the ring. No pressure then to find something truly exceptional that will not only make her say ‘yes please’ but that she will love to wear forever.
Unique and unusual engagement and wedding rings are not as difficult to find as they once were. On the contrary, with such a dazzling array of sparklers to choose from to reflect every type of personality, individuality and style, where do you start?
Traditional wedding etiquette suggests that you should expect to be spending 1-3 months’ salary on an engagement ring. Obviously, it’s up to you but the wisdom to take away from this is: don’t skimp. This may well be the one occasion where you need to express the extent of your love in monetary terms.
Any metal is good as long as it’s precious. Classic gold or silver, romantic rose gold, contemporary platinum or titanium, or a combination of several materials – the choice is yours. Try to match the ring design to your fiancee’s style and personality. Is she an old-fashioned girl, the romantic type, a modern career woman, a style fashionista?
When it comes to precious stones, diamonds are reputedly a girl’s best friend. However, there are many tantalising alternatives that could give ‘your’ ring that special je-ne-sais-quoi. If a diamond ring is too predictable or just not your (or her) thing, why not add some sparkle with red rubies, green emeralds, blue aquamarines or sapphires instead?
Of course, you may already know exactly what the perfect ring should look like; you’ve seen it in your mind’s eye. Or you may have just been given thousands of hints during the time you’ve been together, so it’s almost impossible to get it wrong at this point. In that case, the decision is easy: go now to sites like Gema & CO if you have every last detail thought about, or go and speak to an experienced goldsmith or silversmith with a flair for design and have a bespoke ring made to your precise instructions.
To get you started in your quest for the perfect ring to prove your honourable intentions, here are 5 quirky sparklers to feast your eyes on.
Pave set diamond cluster ring with diamond shoulders
Black Gold Pink Sapphire Engagement Ring
Platinum Inverse Spiky Engagement, Wedding and Eternity Fitted Rings
1970s Vintage Heart Diamond Emerald 18K Gold Engagement Ring
V Set Princess Cut Diamond & Platinum Ring
Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer in the fashion industry – working alongside a selection of companies including Sussex-based jeweller Pruden and Smith, who were consulted over the information in this piece.
