Congratulations! You are ready to take the next step in your relationship, how very exciting! I suppose it is only right that you ‘pop the question’ with a ring then? But what to choose?
Sometimes you will know exactly what your partner would like, down to the last detail, but what if you don’t know, if you don’t have the foggiest idea?!
My first piece of advice is to think about your partner’s style; are they classic, modern, quirky, bohemian…? Think about the jewellery (if any) that they wear at the moment and their fashion style. Is it a fad or have they always had a definite ‘look’? Once you start thinking about it, you will automatically start to discount certain designs and that is exactly what you want to do at this stage. Don’t worry about what they WILL like, just start to hone down what they really WON’T like. Believe me it helps! As you start to whittle the list down, a few strong styles will start to emerge and this is when you can start to look at more specific design possibilities.
When you‘re at this stage, I always recommend starting a private Pinterest board and pinning images that fit within your ‘like’ parameters. For example, if you know that your partner would like an organic style, try searching for ‘organic rings’, ‘asymmetric rings’ or ‘unusual engagement rings’. If you’re stuck for inspiration, have a look at our Engagement Ring board to get you started. Set a timer for 15 minutes (believe me it is really easy to get sucked in to the Pinterest time warp if you don’t!) and start pinning anything that jumps out. Don’t think about it too much, just use the time to capture as many images as you can. Once you’ve finished have a look back at all of the images, there usually are a few reoccurring designs.
Don’t worry if you’re not a Pinterest fan, if you prefer to have some human help you can always do this stage with us, at our studio in West Malling. We have plenty of sample rings for you to look at while we guide you and ask questions about you and your (soon to be) betrothed. Plus we do make a good coffee, even if I do say so myself ;)
Once the basic style has been decided, next is to hone down the design and add the details to make it uniquely yours. The colour of the metal, the addition of stones (remember not everyone likes diamonds), and even the finish (i.e. polished, matte or textured) all have to be chosen to achieve the perfect ring!
If you want to incorporate a stone, remember to consider your partner’s finger size. Depending on the design of the ring, sometimes a smaller stone can look better on a certain finger size. Bigger is not always better (although I am sure some people may disagree!)
“What if I’m really unsure what they might like?” If this is you, and it really is too risky to choose a design, what about proposing with a ‘substitute’ ring? This is a fake engagement ring that you can use to pop the question with. You can then design your engagement ring together, as a newly engaged couple. This can be a great solution for someone that is just too difficult to buy for. Plus, the whole ‘having something designed and made’ can be part of their engagement present!
Whatever you decide to do, I am sure your partner will be thrilled! Now there’s just the wedding to arrange…! ;)
If you are ready to get in touch, (or even if you have a few more questions) you can find out how to contact us here, we are only too happy to help. In the meantime, if you want to find out what it is really like to have an engagement ring made at Varoshe, then have a read of our blog post, ‘Rob & Valerie’s Engagement Ring’.