Asking someone to marry you is both exciting and nerve-wracking. That’s why it’s important to take some time to plan how you want to pop the question. For example, do you want to propose with a ring, or wait until you’re engaged and pick the perfect ring together with your partner?
Budget - Prices for engagement rings vary hugely depending on things like the cut and quality of the stone and which metal you choose. While in the past, a popular rule of thumb has been to spend two months’ salary on an engagement ring, but in reality there are no hard and fast rules. Over the years we have sold thousands of engagement rings to many happy couples whose average spend is between £1500 and £2000. The most important thing is to find a ring your partner will love, however you should only spend what feels right and what you can afford. An engagement ring is a symbol of love and commitment in a relationship and if you pick a style your partner likes, it really doesn’t matter how much it costs.
We always have a variety of designs and styles to accommodate most budgets. Just phone or email and we can put together a collection of rings for your perusal.
If you feel confident about your partner’s taste, or they have dropped a heavy hint about what kind of ring they would like, the next step would be to pick the right engagement ring to suit your partner’s style and activities. Engagement rings are usually worn daily, so if you want it to stand the test of time, there are a few more things to consider. What colour metal do they usually wear? The warm tones of yellow or rose gold or perhaps the silvery tones of white gold or platinum?
Yellow gold is the classic and timeless choice. If you are thinking of yellow gold wedding bands then this would be your perfect choice. The purity of gold is measured in ‘Carats’ - 24 carat being pure gold all the way down down to 9 carat which is gold alloyed with other metals like silver and copper to increase its hardness and durability. We would recommend 18 carat gold as being a great choice for an engagement ring worn on a daily basis, as it has both the quality of a high gold content piece combined with excellent durability.
White gold is a very popular choice. Diamonds look particularly splendid in a white gold setting. Whilst you can mix and match both yellow and white gold, a white gold engagement ring would usually be paired with a white gold or platinum wedding band but the choice is yours! White gold tends to be 18 carat and is an alloy of 75% yellow gold and 25% palladium which gives it its silvery colour. It is a durable metal and suitable for everyday wear.
Rose Gold has a romantic and warm pinkish hue and is created using an alloy of yellow gold and copper. First invented in Russia in the 19 th century and popular during the 1920’s it has recently found popularity again in recent years. A slightly more considered choice but nonetheless just as durable as yellow gold.
Finally we turn to platinum. A fantastic choice for an engagement ring due to its strength and durability, in fact the hardest of all the metals. Any gem stone would look fabulous set in platinum (in fact platinum is often used as the metal for the settings of precious gem stones even in yellow/white gold rings) and it will never tarnish. A matching platinum or even white gold wedding band would complete the look.
Choice of stone -Then there is the colour of the stone to choose: a stunning colourless and timeless diamond or something more colourful like a blue sapphire, red ruby, or green emerald.
Some precious gem stones are harder than others and the best choice for an engagement ring is a harder stone that will stand up to daily wear. Gem stones are rated in hardness on the Mohs scale: this was created in 1812 by a German mineralogist Freidrich Mohs which indicates their resistance to scratching from 10 being the hardest and 1 being the softest. Diamonds score 10 on the Mohs scale, with sapphires and rubies scoring 9, followed by emeralds and aquamarines scoring 7.5 - 8
Styles - Finally you need to carefully consider the way the stone has been set into the ring. The more the jewel sticks out, the more likely it is to get scratched or knocked. Remember that even the hardest stones can be damaged, so it’s a good idea to remove the ring during physical or hazardous activities.
There are numerous styles of engagement rings to choose - from a simple single solitaire diamond stone to solitaires with diamonds on the shoulders of the ring.
Or for something different, there’s a choice of a two, three, or five stone rings in many different styles, or a cluster ring with a central stone surrounded by diamonds. A ring with more stones will often be better value for the total diamond weight when compared to a single, solitaire stone.
It’s also worth thinking about how each ring will sit with a wedding band. We can show you this at our retail shop in Battle or in photos and videos if you are not able to see us in person.
Finger size - Whilst it’s advisable to know the size of your loved ones finger its not essential as most rings (with the exception of full eternity rings) can be resized. However here are some tips to try and find out their ring size:
Finally, we can reserve any number of rings for you prior to a physical visit to our shop. Have a good look at our website friarhouse.com and note down the SKU numbers of the rings, let us know and we will keep them to one side until your visit. Once in the shop you are welcome to look at any other rings we may have currently in stock. We have noticed over the years that ring often chooses the person and very occasionally doesn’t even need resizing – a ‘serendipity’ ring!
Surprise purchases - If you are buying for your partner as a surprise, it’s good to understand their style in clothing and jewellery, and look at other pieces of jewellery they wear to have a feel for the design that will suit best.
Rings can also be, and often are, bought directly from our website. Please just email us contact@friarhouse.com or phone us on 01424 777721 for further information (please see the resizing section for more details)