Choose a Ring Style

For the final article in our short series on how to buy a diamond engagement ring we deal with getting the correct setting for your diamond. To choose a ring setting you’ll need to select a style, a precious metal and a ring size, you’re probably going to spend most of your time on the ring style as their are a large amount of options available to you. One advantage of designing the diamond ring yourself is that you can create the exact style that you and your partner (but mostly your partner) prefers. Below we’ve outlined some of the more popular styles to get you started.

Remember, it’s important to match the diamond ring style that you choose with its intended recipient. If your partner is glamorous and outgoing an understated style is probably not going to be appropriate as it won’t fit with their personality…

Ring Styles

Classic Solitaire

 
A solitaire showcases a single diamond in the centre of the ring with a simple, classic and elegant precious metal band. It is by far the most popular engagement ring style with a round brilliant being the most popular diamond choice followed closely by the square princess cut. If your partners style is reserved and understated than a solitaire diamond ring design may be appropriate for them.

Glamorous

If your partner is more stylish and glamorous a diamond halo engagement setting might be more their cup of tea. A diamond halo adds a circle (or two) of diamonds around the centre stone which adds extra sparkle and makes the centre diamond appear larger. Paired with pave diamonds set into the band these diamond ring settings are absolutely stunning and will definitely catch peoples eye! 
 

3 Stone

Representing the past, present and future of your relationship 3 stone diamond engagement ring styles have become popular recently. Square princess cut diamonds are a fashionable choice for 3 stone diamond engagement rings as well as oval and round diamonds which are also a great combination. Working with us means you can try out any number of different combinations until you find the one that suits you perfectly.

Modern

If your partner has a more fashion forward style a diamond engagement ring with an unusual design may be more to their liking, diamond rings that experiment with non-traditional forms like triangular cut “Trillion” diamonds in a ‘by-pass setting. Rings with tension set diamonds are also becoming popular as they allow the maximum amount of light possible into the stone as there is no metal holding the diamonds from below or perhaps a double band cross or X style of ring may be more in keeping with their style.

Precious Metal Options




Once you have decided on a diamond ring style for your partner it is important to think about the precious metal that you want the ring to be made from. There are a large array of precious metals you can choose, from yellow, white and even rose gold to platinum so it is important to think about what type of metal that your partner prefers. Look at the jewellery they are currently wearing – do you notice that they prefer a specific metal? If your partner seems to prefer yellow gold for the majority of their jewellery it is a safe bet that they will want their engagement band to be made from the same metal.

Yellow Gold

Yellow gold is traditionally the most popular of the precious metals for engagement rings as it is one of the most malleable metals and very easy for a jeweller to work with. The gold that is used in the making of diamond rings and other jewellery is typically an alloy of gold and other metals such as zinc or copper. An alloy is used due to the softness of gold as pure gold would be far too soft and would be easily dented or scratched with everyday wear.

White Gold

White Gold is an alloy of gold and another white metal, usually nickel, manganese or palladium. It is usually plated with an extremely hard element called rhodium making it less susceptible to scratching and denting and as such it is much more durable than yellow gold. The look of white gold is similar to platinum but more affordable, however, the rhodium plating can wear away over time requiring re-plating every few years so it may end up costing more over time.

Rose Gold

Rose Gold is an alloy of gold and copper which is sometimes referred to as red or pink gold. Rose gold is actually the strongest of the three types of gold as the copper that the gold is alloyed with is very strong and the result is tougher than yellow or white gold. If you are choosing rose gold be sure that your partner really likes it as it is a very strong colour that is quite unusual.

Platinum

Platinum is the most expensive of the precious metals due to its stunning appearance and superior durability. Its cost is due to its rarity as only a few tons are produced annually. Platinum is bright white in appearance and requires very little maintenance, it is corrosion resistant, does not tarnish and is much tougher than gold so is resistant to dents and scratches associated with every day wear. It is also hypoallergenic so it is a good choice for those that experience reactions to lesser metals.

Ring Size

Getting the right ring size is very important as you want to be sure that the ring will fit your partner perfectly when you give it to them. There are several ways to find your partners ring size. The most accurate way is to have their finger measured by a professional but if that’s not possible don’t panic, you can always ask their parents or a close friend if they know their ring size or you can borrow a ring from them and use it to work out their size.

Free Ring Sizer


If none of the above are possible we can send you a free ring sizer which will make it easy to measure your partners ring size at home. Ring sizers are posted to our clients and it usually takes 2 to 3 days to arrive.

To request a ring sizer just email Donal at donal@parnellediamonds.ie with your name and address and he will get one in the post to you.

Ring Size Guide


If you need to determine your partners ring size immediately you can use our handy ring size guideline pdf. Just print the pdf while paying careful attention to the instructions and make sure to set “page scaling” to “none” on your print dialog box.

Download Your Ring Size Guide


Armed with your newfound knowledge of how to budget, how to buy a diamond and the different ring styles avaiable you should be in an ideal place to start looking for your perfect engagement ring. If you have any further questions or would like to speak to us about designing a ring for you please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Ready to Get Started?

Create Your Own Engagement Ring


    No Comments

    Be the first to start a conversation

    Leave a Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.