Choosing the Perfect Ring

The wedding rings and engagement rings you choose will be one of the most enduring pieces of your wedding day. Your ring is not only a important element of becoming married, but its also a longlasting symbol of your love and commitment. Therefore, you'll want to choose rings that are timeless and high quality.

Style:
Follow your instincts with the look and design of your ring, while asking yourself if it will be a design you'll be comfortable wearing every day for the rest of your life. The traditional plain gold band will be in style for years to come. If that's too plain for you, consider a beaded edge or an engraved style. For a slighty flashier look, what about a ring of channel-set diamonds? Ultimately, choose a ring that you feel is expressive of your style and personality. I've heard of a couple that chose to have rings custom-made that resembled bicycle gears, reflecting their mutual love of bike-riding. There's really no wrong answer as to what style of ring you should choose.

Gold, Silver or Platinum?
Many couples choose the metal for their bands by matching it to their engagement ring. However, don't feel bound to this. A bride can choose to wear her engagement ring on her right hand, and wedding ring on the left. Also, each of you can wear a similar style in different metals. Consider which metals each of you wear regularly - is most of her jewelry silver? Is his watch gold?

Primary ring metal choices include:

• Yellow gold:
  the most traditional of ring metals; for many gold is a symbol of the warmth and love of a marriage. Look at the mark inside the band to see what quality the gold is - usually 14k, 18k, or 24k. While 24k is the most pure, it is also the softest. If you work with your hands, you may want to choose 14k or 18k to prevent scratches.
• White Gold:
  A hot trend because it coordinates with both silver and platinum jewelry, yet is cheaper than platinum.
• Platinum:
  This very stylish metal is also the hardest metal, making it for many a symbol of enduring love. Also, because its not mixed with the lesser metals that gold rings are, platinum is safe for those with alloys. However, you'll pay more for platinum than for gold.

Precious Gems
When considering precious gems for a ring, remember that you will likely wear this ring every day for the rest of your life. Therefore, while softer stones can be beautiful, they aren't the best choices for an engagement or wedding ring. The Mohs scale registers a stone's ability to resist abrasion; 10 (diamonds) is the strongest and 1 (talc) is the weakest. Anything less than a Mohs scale 7 is not recommended for an engagement ring. If you are a person who does a lot of activity with their hands (how long does a manicure last on you?) then I would advise limiting your selection to rubies, sapphires and diamonds.

To help you out, here's a list of common stones, and their hardness level:
Diamonds 10
Rubies 9
Sapphire 9
Emerald 8
Topaz 8
Aquamarine 7.5 to 8
Amethyst 7
Garnet 6.5 to 7.5
Opal 6

You should also know that a general rule of thumb is the darker the color, the more expensive the stone.

Diamonds:
Looking to buy a diamond engagement or wedding ring? Before you do so make sure you are well acquainted with the four c's - color, cut, clarity, and caret.

Men's Rings
Men, are you trying to decide whether or not to have a wedding ring? Here's some more information that might impact your decision.

Tattoos
The most adventurous couples are opting for tattooed wedding rings - a very permanent and personal decision. Why not read more about this new trend that's been around for centuries?

Top 10 Rules on Shopping for an Engagement Ring

A Guide to Finding an Affordable Engagement Ring that Your Sweetheart Will Love

If things go right, you'll only be buying one engagement ring in your lifetime. But an engagement ring is a big investment. With your lack of experience, how are you going to make sure you find one that your sweetheart likes but is still a wise purchase? Follow these ten steps, and you're sure to find the perfect engagement ring.

1. Determine Your Budget When a guy's shopping for an engagement ring, salespeople often do a sneaky thing – they make him think that the amount of his love is tied to how much he spends on a ring. Better to figure out how much you can afford to spend before you step foot in a store. The standard rule is two months salary – but – this is also a rule that the diamond industry created! However it's still a decent place to start, but then figure out your personal budget.

• Pay Attention You're going to have to make a lot of choices – platinum or gold? Modern or traditional? Flashy or understated? It's easier if you've done your homework beforehand. Look at the jewelry your sweetheart wears on a daily basis – if it's all silver with intricate designs – look for a platinum engagement ring with intricate designs (often called filigree). If it's just a few heavy gold pieces, well, then go in that direction.
• Choose a Stone While jewelers will sell you a preset ring, you can often get a better deal if you choose the diamond separately. It helps if you know what shape your sweetheart wants – round, pear, marquis, etc. The most classic shape is a round solitaire. More homework – read The Four Cs of Diamond Buying. You'll thank me later. Another money saving tip – look for a diamond with high color and cut, but with slightly lower clarity. Make sure you look at the stone with a jeweler's loupe (like a magnifying glass) – but most flaws (or "inclusions") can barely be seen even with a loupe.
• Choose the Setting After you've got your stone, then comes the setting. You could go for simple with a solitaire setting, or you could add filigree, extra side stones, and other details. You can choose gold, white or rose gold, platinum, or even titanium.
• Maximize Your Budget If your intended is always talking about huge diamond engagement rings, but two months of your salary wouldn't buy a Big Mac, you're going to have to stretch the budget. Ask for a stone with more surface area – it won't sparkle as much but it will look bigger. Ask for stones that are slightly less than the next carat (0.8 instead of 1 or 1.9 instead of 2) – the almost indiscernible difference can add up to big savings. Instead of a diamond solitaire engagement ring, consider a less expensive center gemstone (such as tourmaline, blue topaz, sapphire) flanked by two small diamonds. Choose white gold instead of platinum. And consider an antique engagement ring.
• Get a Buddy Don't go into a jewelry store alone. They're scary places full of way too many choices. If you can, bring your sweetheart's best friend or mom along to help you choose. But if you're worried they'll spill the beans, bring a trusted buddy of yours. Make sure they have taste, or you'll be trying to propose with a ringpop. Also, assuming they like the person you're buying it for, this is a great moment to bond with your parents and get their advice.
• Think About Bringing Your Sweetheart With You You'll lose the element of surprise, but you'll be sure that she likes her engagement ring. More and more couples are doing it this way.
• Get a Quality Jeweler Ask for recommendations from friends and family. My advice is to stick to the mom and pop jewelers and try to avoid the national chains – they often sacrifice quality for mass marketing. But make sure the store is accredited by the Jewelers of America or is a member of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Before you buy, find out what the return policy is so that you can exchange it if you didn't do your homework properly.
• Plan Ahead You may not be able to just walk out of a jewelry store with a ring. Not only will you need to save up for it, but depending on what you order it could take a couple weeks for them to set the stone, do any engraving, or even custom design your ring (like Brad Pitt did for Jennifer Aniston). So if you want to propose on a certain date, make sure you start working on the ring early.
• Get it In Writing Would you buy a house without an inspection? No? Well then don't buy a diamond without an independent diamond-grading report from the GIA or the American Gem Society. It should include the 4 c's of color, cut, clarity and carat, as well as the shape and size. And, like your house, don't forget to get the ring insured.