Wedding Rings | Engagement Rings

You’re his sweetie-pie; he’s your honeybunch. He got down on one knee and you said “Yes.” Now it’s time to think about the really important stuff: which sparkly rock is he going to slide onto your ring finger?

Don’t settle for second best

Searching for the perfect wedding ring can be a daunting process. If you’re going to be wearing it every day for the rest of your life, you want the relationship between you and your diamond to be a genuine love story, not just a fling. So don’t cave in and buy the first ring that takes your fancy. Slow down and shop around until you find The One.

Express yourself

Choose wisely – your diamond says a lot about you. According to American gemologist Saul Spero, women who prefer Emerald-cut diamonds tend to display leadership qualities and have steady personalities, while Marquise-cut stones are a favourite with extroverted brides who enjoy excitement.

Lovers of pear-shaped diamonds are home-centred fold, while oval diamond cuts attract creative, independent women. And it almost goes without saying that true romantics go for heart-shaped diamonds.

Creative cuts and colours

Choosing the cut of your diamond is just the first step in buying a beautiful engagement ring. You also need to decide which on the various metals, diamond colours and ring settings you want.

There’s a world of coloured diamonds to choose from other than the standard colourless white variety. If you’re prepared to vary the traditional script, consider a diamond in a deep pink or a rich cognac hue. You might choose to have your ring set in white gold, rose gold, platinum or titanium instead of – or as well as – traditional gold. Setting can also be tailored to suit specific styles or particular gems. Quality jewellers will advise you as to what settings best suit your lifestyle, your skin tone and your diamond.

Wedding rings

Try to choose a wedding ring that is similar in shape and material to your engagement ring. Check that the gold is the same carat, and also that they fit snugly and don’t rub against each other. Ordering your wedding ring at least eight to 10 weeks before the wedding is a good idea, in case it has to be altered. Increasingly, grooms are wearing wedding rings, and matching bride and groom sets are available. Visit a well-established jeweller who can help you make your decision.

At the ceremony, the wedding rings are traditionally looked after by the bestman until they are needed. Alternatively, a ring bearer carries the rings tied onto a cushion. Sometimes pretend rings are used, while the bestman has the real ones.

Engagement rings

Many couples are now opting to choose their engagement ring together. When choosing a ring, take colouring and shape of the hand into consideration. Tall and long-fingered people suit large rings, while smaller people tend to suit simple shapes. Gold is the traditional metal for engagement and wedding rings. It varies in colour according to the other metals mixed with it – from white, to yellow, to re-gold. Platinum, a natural white metal, is very hard wearing and is often combined with diamonds.

A carat is the standard measure of gold and precious stones. It indicates the quantity of other metal included to make gold stronger and harder wearing. Pure gold is considered too soft for continuous ring wear; 24 carats is pure gold; 22 carats is 22 parts gold and two parts other metals; 18 carats is 18 parts gold and six part other, and so on. For precious stones, 1 carat is 0.20 and is a measure of weight not quality.

Birthstones

Consider an antique ring, or one with your birthstone. An engagement ringset with your birthstone traditionally brings good luck.

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