Choosing Engagement rings & Wedding bands

The proposal is a very emotional moment in life and choosing the ring she (or he) will like without letting them know can be a real challenge. Today it is, however, common to involve your partner in the process of choosing the rings. Here are three easy steps to choose the right ring for these important occasions.

Choose engagement rings in three easy steps

1. Define a budget

According to an old custom, the engagement budget should amount to two monthly salaries. However, we think that whatever the budget, quality and emotional value is more important. An engagement ring of gold is cheaper than a platinum ring, while diamond prices keep increasing. This means that a 1-carat diamond costs more than twice as much as a 0.5-carat stone. Think about how much you want to spent on your engagement ring.

2. Choose a ring type

With your budget set, we recommend you continue by choosing the type of engagement rings. With a lower budget, we recommend a high quality one-stone (solitaire) ring. With a little more to spend, a solitaire ring with side stones is the better choice. With a fairly large budget, we recommend a three-stone ring.

One-stone ring One-stone rings are the most common engagement rings in the world. A diamond in the middle is the perfect choice to reflect light nicely. At Lamastone you can even buy matching wedding bands at one time.

	One-stone ring with side stones A one-stone ring with side stones is a popular engagement ring which reflects light in an extraordinary way. At Lamastone you can even buy matching wedding bands.
	Three-stone rings A three-stone ring usually includes a diamond, a stone popular in the past, today and in the future. Three-stone rings are not as common for engagement as one-stone or side stone rings. There is, however, something more with these rings and if they fit your budget, we really recommend you take a look.

3. Choose ring material

With budget and ring type already decided, the choice of material is easier. Consider which type of jewelry she (or he) owns. What type of metal are they made of? Ask her friends or mother if she has ever mentioned any specific type of style she is fond of. Choose then between gold, platinum and palladium for your engagement rings.

	Character	Price	Care/Service
White gold	Modern Engagement and wedding bands in white gold have become more and more common and are today the most obvious choice	Affordable White gold only costs slightly more than yellow gold due to the rhodium plating	More common /Easy Soft, flexible metal Decays over time Easy to polish and repair Preserves its shine
Gold	Classical Yellow gold is traditionally the most common metal used for engagement rings	Lower price Yellow gold is obviously cheaper than platinum and slightly cheaper than white gold	More common / Easy Soft, flexible metal Decays over time Easy to polish and repair Preserves its shine
Platinum	Durable Platinum is the most durable and purest jewelry metal, usually with 90-95% purity	More expensive Platinum is less common than gold and costs about six times more	Less common / Costly Very hard and inflexible metal Does not decay Hard to polish and repair Preserves its shine
Palladium	Trendy Light metal, recently more and more trendy. Perfect for rings and earrings	Costly Palladium is significantly cheaper than platinum and slightly more expensive than white gold	Less common / Medium Hard but light metal The white color does not change over time Relatively easy to polish and repair Preserves its shine

Want to choose a wedding band?

Traditionally the wedding band is worn on the same finger as the engagement ring. Therefore it is important for the rings to match.

Matching set At Lamastone we offer matching sets of engagement and wedding bands. They are designed to match symmetrically and to maximize all the diamonds’ brilliance.

A unique combination Creating your own unique combination is not only popular but also easier than you might think.

Wedding bands and wedding rings for men As the man, you should first choose the ring’s thickness or width. Then choose which metal you prefer. Platinum or white gold are the most common, even if the popularity of yellow gold has still not fallen. Male wedding bands are usually plain with or without diamonds. A plain wedding band with channel set diamonds gives a modern and masculine look.

How many rings, which hand and what type?

Usually engagement and wedding bands are worn on the left hand. There are, however, countries where the rings are worn on the right hand (e.g. in Poland). In most cultures it is only the woman who gets a ring for engagement. There are, however, countries like Sweden and Finland where it is common for both women and men to receive their own engagement rings. There are even other varieties, like in Spain, where it is common for women to receive an engagement ring and for men to receive an engagement watch.

In most countries the man gives a ring with a center diamond and possibly some side stones for engagement and a plain diamond ring without any center stones at the wedding. Sometimes women wear three rings. The third one is often some kind of anniversary ring, a gift from the man to the woman after many years of marriage.

How to choose a ring without your partner knowing?

Study what type of jewelry she (or he) owns. What type of metal is it made of? Ask her friends or mother if she has mentioned some specific type or style she is fond of.

Consider also that it is common to discuss the engagement together and therefore not unusual to choose engagement rings and/or wedding bands together. This is of course the only way to be sure that your partner likes the ring.