Top Tips For Choosing Your Engagement And Wedding Rings
When you propose or say your wedding vows you are entering into a lifetime commitment of love with your partner and your engagement and wedding rings are the symbol of that devotion.
Therefore it is important that the rings you choose will last the test of time both in structure and in style, and this is where a bespoke jeweller will come in to their own in helping you find the perfect bands that are personal and unique to you.
Here are some top tips on what to think about when you are choosing them.
Construction
The construction of any ring is important both in its design and durability. Choosing a bespoke hand made piece means it will be well made with no hollowness. While you may save money getting a mass produced ring, it may be thin at the back meaning not only is it more fragile but you may also not be getting your money’s worth.
It is also important to ensure that there is enough metal in a ring’s construction to hold any stones firmly and that the setting is robust enough to keep it all in place. For example, if a diamond is on too thin stilts, then just one knock and it will move and eventually fall out.
Choice of metal
Your choice of metal is also important. Platinum is harder and more durable than white gold, so if you have a manual job platinum will last longer and will be less likely to bend. Platinum is also good for holding in any stones, as after 20 years the settings for white gold rings can be severely worn.
Choice of metal is also important if you are wearing both an engagement and wedding ring – if one is platinum they should both be ideally, as platinum can wear down gold. However, the extent of this can depend on the design and how they sit together, so if you want to mix metals discuss this with your jeweller to find out if wear and tear can be mitigated.
For example, if your engagement ring is in yellow gold and has settings that stick out and you choose to have a platinum band it will wear away at the setting.
However if you make a fitted band to slot around the engagement ring and they click together then there will not be much movement, therefore wearing will be minimal.
These are all things a jeweller can explain to you so you can see what your options are.
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Real over synthetic?
Recently, the option of either natural or man-made diamonds has been introduced. Man-made or lab-grown diamonds are generally cheaper than their natural counterparts, which can enable you to have a bigger cleaner stone for your budget. However, this can give them a slightly fake or costume jewellery look. They also lack the subtlety and magic of a natural stone that has been created many millions of years ago, dug up and then hand cut to bring out all its individual, inherent sparkle.
Natural diamonds have a particular kudos over man-made, being the hardest and one of the most valuable and beautiful of earth’s natural resources, which has been fought over and treasured for hundreds of years.
Stone durability
There’s also a lot to think about when choosing the individual stones to go in your ring. Certain stones are harder and more durable than others – diamonds are very hard, while sapphires and rubies still quite hard and don’t scuff easily.
If you would like to incorporate emeralds in your ring, bear in mind they are more likely to chip, scuff and break and are quite brittle, while aquamarine and tourmaline are also likely to get scuffed, so it depends on your lifestyle as to whether this is the right choice for you.
Of course the beauty of a bespoke ring is that this can be mitigated by the way they are mounted. There are things a jeweller can do, but you will need to discuss how this fits in with your design.
Choose quality over size
The cost of a stone is proportionate to cleanness. When choosing your stones remember that a nice clean stone will sparkle from across the room as it will have fewer inclusions and black or white marks. You will not get any life from a cheap stone, so use your budget to get the cleanest stone, rather than the biggest. As the most popular choice for shape of stones is circular, quirky shapes such as oval or pear are cheaper and often overlooked. As the cut and shape affects the price of the stone this is a great way to get a clean stone at a cheaper price.
The colour of your diamond
The colour rating of your diamond will affect the look and price of it and therefore is very important. Those rated as D, E, F or G are very clear, but anything below that will have a yellow/brown colour to it.
Not everyone wants a clear diamond, so if you decide to go for a coloured one then it needs to be coloured enough to look purposeful – so if you are going for it, make sure you go far enough. However bear in mind coloured diamonds such as canary yellow diamonds can be more expensive. It is also worth considering cinnamon diamonds, which are also beautiful.
Sapphires
When you think about sapphires people usually imagine a deep blue colour, however you can actually get every colour under the sun with this stone. So it is worth remembering that while the ‘best’ and most expensive sapphire may be blue, it may not be what you personally want. For example teal sapphires are very popular and while not classed as ‘the best’ it may just the colour for you, and less expensive too!
Whatever colour you choose what is important is that it is a clean stone – the fewer the marks, the better the twinkle. Plus the less flaws in the stone, the less likely it is to break.
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A design to suit you
A good design is all about proportion. Slight fingers usually suit a fine layout, whereas a more chunky design may suit bigger fingers. Like any item of clothing and jewellery you buy look at what suits you rather than being driven by what you have seen on someone else. It’s all about embracing your fingers and designing something that works for you, and that’s where a bespoke jeweller will come in to their own.
Be practical
Remember that you will be wearing the ring all day, every day and for many years and fashion eras to come, so ideally you want to choose something that is classic and timeless. You don’t want your engagement or wedding rings to get dated, so try to choose something individual but not way out there.
You also need to choose something that suits your lifestyle. For example if you are a nurse or someone who uses their hands all of the time you won’t want something that is going to catch on things, so maybe opt for a simple design with few raised areas.
Budgeting
Getting a bespoke and individual ring designed for you is not necessarily more expensive. It is all about working out your budget. A jeweller’s cost is divided between the time it takes to make it, the cost of the metal and the cost of the stone(s). As there are no wholesalers or middle men this cuts costs, so the rings will only be as expensive as your budget will allow.
A lot of bespoke jewellers can explain and show you your options and then make a ring that is perfect for you. They can source stones depending on your budget and show you four or five to choose from.
The jeweller will work to your budget and give you a design that can be realistically done within it and then you will have something that is unique and special to you.
Go bespoke
Bespoke essentially means your rings are hand made properly with quality and individually picked stones. As everybody is different and has different requirements and lifestyles, if you get something created bespokely all of this will be taken into account.
If you have seen something you love on the internet or in a magazine, then it can be adapted and designed for you, to suit you, incorporating the design features of it that you love, but that will work with your needs.
Opting to go with a bespoke jeweller gives you the opportunity to have something truly unique and personal to you as a couple, reflecting your personalities and your love for each other.
This article is sponsored by
Kent Jeweller - Justin Richardson Bespoke Fine Jewellery – craftsmen of unique custom-made jewellery and bespoke silverware – based at 23 Sun Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2HX.
For more information, call the Team on 01227 471693, or visit the website www.justinrichardson.co.uk
Top & Homepage Image by Justin Richardson
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