Are you thinking of popping the question this Valentine’s Day?

Selecting the perfect engagement ring for your loved one can be daunting, with endless options and variants available. Let us guide you through each step of decision making and explain terminology, in the hope you can find your partner's dream ring.
We have an extensive range of engagement rings, new and pre-owned. We can also bespoke make a ring to your specifications.

Consider your partner's style

You want to feel confident in what you are going to present your partner. The best way to start is to conside what your parnter is going to like.

Take note of what style of jewellery they usually wear, whether this is coloured, simplistic, detailed, minimalist, extravagant, modern or vintage.

What is their day to day lifestlye like? We may recommend different rings depending on someone's job or hobby. For example, if somebody works with chemicals, works outdoors or with their hands, such as crafts and sports.

If you are comfortable to do so, you may want to seek advice from close friends and family.

Choosing your gemstone

Engagement rings can feature any gemstone you wish; however, it is worth considering the durability of the stone you select. Engagement rings are traditionally worn daily and are intended to last a lifetime.

Diamonds are often the stone chosen for an engagement ring as they are one of the hardest materials on Earth, meaning they will withstand wear more than any other gemstone.

Platinum Solitaire Diamond Ring 0.50ct £4500

Typically, diamonds are colourless but they are available in all colours, known as fancy-coloured diamonds, the most favoured of these are champagne yellow, light pink and chocolate.

18ct Yellow & White Gold Pear Champagne Diamond £4500

The second ranked gemstones in terms of durability are sapphire and ruby. Sapphires come in a variety of colours, typically royal blue. An iconic sapphire engagement ring belongs to the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Sapphire is often thought to mean honesty, sincerity and faithfulness.

18ct Yellow and White Gold Sapphire and Diamond Ring £2450

Choosing your stone cut

The most popular and traditional stone cut is ‘Brilliant’ (round). However, oval cut stones are becoming increasingly popular.
We have a selection of different cuts available, including pear, princess (square), marquise, emerald (rectangle), heart, radiant, asscher, baguette (rectangle) and cushion.

Every diamond is unique, they each have differences in cut, colour, carat and clarity. These are known as the 4 C’s. These each define the diamonds quality. You can learn more about the 4 C’s here.

All of our stones are hand selected to our preferred grade; however, we are able to source stones to your exact specifications.

The most popular setting is claw-set, this is when prongs bend around a stone to hold it in place. Other setting options include rubover and illusion set. This is when metal encases the stone to secure it in place. Illusion settings are cut slightly different to make the stone look larger.
More on settings will follow in our upcoming blog.

Choosing your metal

Traditionally engagement rings are set in yellow gold, white gold or platinum. Rose gold has become more popular in recent years.

Platinum – High-value precious metal, extremely hard-wearing, naturally white and will last a lifetime.
Yellow Gold – luxurious precious metal, rich colour that won’t fade, different purities available to suit all budgets.
White Gold – An affordable alternative to platinum, does need rhodium plating every 1 – 3 years to keep bright white colour.
Rose Gold – Fashion yet vintage rosy precious metal due to its copper content.

It is not unusual for customers to be unaware of their partners dream engagement ring. A popular solution is to opt for a silver dress rings to pop the question with. This allows you to both come into store, celebrate with a glass of prosecco and try on multiple rings until you find ‘the one’.

Silver and Pear Cut Cubic Zirconia DiamonFire Ring £75

We can do courtesy checks on any gemset jewellery brought from our stores, simply pop in and we will check over the settings, clean the item for you and advise of any maintenance needed to pro-long the life of your precious piece of jewellery. We recommend doing this bi-annually, but of course come and visit us sooner if you wish.

If you purchase your engagement ring from us, you will receive 15% off your wedding bands. Simply mention you have seen this offer.

To book an appointment with us click here. We look forward to seeing you in store.