Buying engagement rings - where to start?

You have finally met the girl of your dreams. She is the one. It has been a long time coming and you have done your share of the female equivalent of kissing oh so many frogs before finally meeting that Prince. I wonder how best to analogise that? Anyway, the time has arrived for proposing to take her hand in marriage. For the girl, how it is done is important - obviously - but not as important as the ring! Your girl will like gold, or not; we take this as a given and therefore it is an easy start. After this you have to consider the style of engagement rings that your girl has glowed over in the past; either on one of her friends' hands, or in a shop window. I am certain she will have either hinted or blatantly pointed out a one that she likes. I cannot think of anyone that does not like the simplicity of a diamond solitaire, however, I know of many ladies that love to be unique. You should also take this as a given, owing to the amount of choice that there is. Antique Edwardian and Art-Deco engagement rings are massively popular right now; they give a great resonance of yesteryear in a contemporary and technological driven lifestyle. You can begin by looking online if you are conscious of yourself when peering through high street store windows on a Saturday afternoon. One thing guaranteed about that is you will get many nods of approval from passing ladies!

It will be a ring that she will wear almost every moment of every day, so do consider that she will not want some sharp-edged cumbersome piece that can snag a woollen or catch easily on something. Then there is the stone, the size and its' shape: from a Marquise cut to a Cushion cut and to a Princess cut, and the several others in between; this is to be considered, unless the stone is a small one, then the shape will not be so noticeable. You can design your own too. There are quite a few websites that are dedicated to the purchasing of engagement rings and they also have a great tool where you can select the cut, metal, ring style and size from a set of simple steps and again, quite a few options! There are many gemstones you can select to use; your girl may be a fan of rubies or emeralds, you could choose her birthstone as the centrepiece or simply whatever looks the prettiest. There is no right or wrong way to go about this, but there are wrong choices. This is going to be a ring which will be worn for a long time, firstly; secondly, it is the symbol of a future wedding and therefore, will be shown off at every opportunity as she spreads her joyous news. Do not take the decision lightly. Be the chivalrous gentleman and seize the situation. Take your time. Then you will have to think on how to propose. After this, that will be easy!