Ladies Engagement Rings: How to Choose the Perfect Ring for Your Style and Budget

Find the perfect engagement rings for women categorized by style and price. Get diamond cut information, 4C's, buying advice and expert tips from the Diamonds of London. Selecting ladies engagement rings is one of the most intimate decisions you'll ever make. The right ring is you, your lifestyle and will last for years and years. Today, there are a ton of cuts, settings and price points to choose from, and it doesn't help that sometimes, we don't know where to start. This guide will assist you to understand quality, how to pair a ring with your style, how to typically budget a ring and how to shop with confidence so that the ring you choose is one you'll want to wear every day.

Why Choosing the Right Ladies Engagement Ring Matters

The ring that you wear is yours for life. Appearance is as important as comfort, durability and personal style. Women's engagement rings are available in various settings, metals and stone shapes and each of these choices will impact the appearance and comfort of this ring over time.

Plus, you need to have a ring that fits your lifestyle. When considering a raised center stone, you'll need a stone with a higher profile than one that works with hands. On a similar note, a simple band might be more comfortable to wear on a daily basis than an elaborate one with multiple prongs. This is a ring that you will be wearing for years to come and you will not want to end up regretting the selection and/or paying more for it later on.

However, even if you don't particularly like it, a great engagement ring is also valuable in the future. Storing it is no problem, as there are no bad materials or immature handiwork. There is overall a value to be taken into consideration for the investment.

Understand the 4Cs Before Buying

The four qualities on which a diamond engagement ring for women is graded are cut, colour, clarity and carat weight. These are known together as the 4Cs. Knowing what they do helps you to prioritize wisely on your budget.

Cut is the most important of the four. Brilliance is the sparkle of a well-cut diamond that catches the light from every angle. A smaller diamond with a great cut will outshine a larger diamond with poor proportions. So cut is more important than carat weight.

Colour is the degree of whiteness or tinting of the stone. The scale runs from D (colourless) to Z (noticeably yellow). G to J stones are near colourless to the naked eye and good value for money.

Clarity: Inclusions inside and surface blemishes. Most buyers will find VS2 or SI1 clarity eye-clean and a lot less expensive than the flawless grades.

Carat is a measure of the weight of the diamond. A higher carat doesn't always mean a better looking ring. A smaller stone, however, with excellent cut and clarity will often look more impressive than a larger stone with compromised quality.

How to Choose a Ring That Matches Your Style

Classic Styles

Trends in classic designs are always in style. For women, the most popular engagement ring shape is the round brilliant solitaire. And why not? It will maximize the brilliance and complement nearly any style of wedding band. Smaller diamonds that surround the larger, such as in halo, make it seem like a larger ring, but at a lower price. The three stone rings are also a nice and meaningful choice because they represent the past, present and future.

Modern Styles

These rings are rings of today and they honour individuality. Oval diamonds also are gaining in popularity since they tend to lengthen the finger and have more surface area per carat. The shape of the pear-like stones is distinct and has a classic appeal to it, as well as for contemporary taste. When diamonds are arranged around the main diamond, it's called a hidden halo and it adds to the ring's sparkle without a lot of alteration in the ring's shape. Customers who choose platinum or white gold jewelry items appreciate minimalist beauty and simplicity.

Vintage & Unique Design

The antique-inspired rings are inspired by Art Deco and Victorian periods and feature intricate designs and filigree metalwork to give these rings a truly handmade feel. Colourful, colored gemstones like sapphires, rubies and emeralds are a striking option to diamond centre stones. Combining yellow gold with white gold is also a great way to add warmth and contrast to a variety of skin tones. Custom designs offer buyers an option of combining parts of more than one style to create a style all of their own.

How to Set the Right Budget

It's easier to go through the process if you have a realistic budget before you begin shopping. Affordable ladies engagement rings cost less than $2,000 and can provide genuine diamond quality if you put the cut above the carat. If you're willing to pay a bit more, you can step up to the $2,000 to $5,000 level, where you can find bigger center stones, more intricate settings, and higher-quality metals. $5,000 and above, you'll be able to get custom designs and higher clarity diamonds.

One effective approach would be to increase the amount of money you put into the cut of the diamond and slightly deplete your budget for carat size. You'll achieve the best brightness at a lower cost. In addition, take into account the long term commitment of the product: a little more investment to get better materials will reap rewards for many years to come!

Engagement Ring Shopping Tips

The first step to ring shopping is preparation. To begin with, you should ensure that you have the right ring size. Fingers vary in size with temperature and time of day so measure more than once. If you're looking at metal choices, begin with 14-karat and 18-karat gold (yellow, white and rose) since these are the most durable and hypoallergenic options.

Also, always get the diamond lab-certified by a reputable lab. The GIA cert also documents the quality of the stone independently so you know what you are buying. Check with the retailer if they have any aftercare services like resizing, cleaning or inspection policies. A good jeweller sticks around when you've sold them. These are some of the best tips to remember when it comes to buying an engagement ring: Visit at least three to experience a variety of styles in person, and take photos to review when you arrive at home. Don't hurry; most importantly, the right ring should feel right, not hurried.

By knowing the various elements of diamond quality, styles, budget and longevity, you can make an educated choice on this ring buying guide. Shop around and you'll come up with a ring that you will cherish for years.

Why Choose Diamonds of London?

Diamonds of London, San Antonio, TX, is a family run jeweler shop.The family has been in the jewellery business for more than 100 years. Open since 2012, the store is home to the San Antonio community, where every piece in the showcase is hand selected from around the globe. We make solid jewellery that lasts without sacrificing quality.

Ladies engagement rings come in many varieties including solitaire, halo engagement rings, oval cut rings, pear shaped rings, two tone rings and radiant cut rings and are crafted from 14k gold and start at $2,165. If you are looking to complete your look with a bridal pattern, the Valina Bridal collection has more bridal-specific designs. This is because diamonds are stocked directly with GIA-certification, which gives the buyer the advantage of having the assurance of quality standards at the point of sale.

In addition to engagement rings, Diamonds of London also carries wedding bands, diamond earrings, diamond pendants and anniversary bands, making it a one-stop shop for all your bridal and fine jewellery needs. The team can be contacted for consultation and enquiries at (210) 524-7224 or www.diamondsoflondon.com.