#puttingaringonit

[sharingthelove]

The Proposal

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The "Engagement PC"

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Ring Stuff

There are at least 200 more pictures of that ring, but I chose the one taken the moment I received it. Because I'm sentimental like that. There are two key parts to a ring: the rock and the band.

The rock

Believe it or not, a diamond isn't the only accepted engagement stone. Maybe your person would like their birthstone on a ring, maybe they just love pink. One of my closest friends has a beautiful pink tourmaline and it's perfect for her. Have a look at these links I found helpful when deciding which stone I wanted: For an extremely comprehensive list of gemstones, for great advice on gemstone hardness and what to look for (e.g. I am acutely aware of my own clumsiness so decided a diamond was ideal). Also check out lab-created diamonds - a more sustainable, ethical way to go. If you go ahead with a earth grown or lab grown diamond, things get technical. If you're come this far you may be familiar with the 'Four C's. Diamonds International produces a great overview guide.

Carat: The most well-known C, Carat will be driven by preference (including your human's finger size) and budget. The other four Cs are a bit more tricky.

Cut: Prioritise your spending money here - choose either Excellent or Ideal Colour: Save some money here - anything I or above will appear white Clarity: Definitely save money here - You won't be able to see inclusions with the naked eye on a VS1 and above Finally, you will need to choose a diamond shape. This is a very personal decision so I highly recommend getting input from your human, and ideally getting your human to try on different shapes. I had one friend who was set on a princess cut her whole life....until she tried on a round and was an instant convert. Lauren Conrad has a great guide to your choices. A number of online providers are gaining prominence, the biggest being Brilliant Earth and James Allen. They offer better value for money and I have heard anecdotally that they are well respected. Let me know if you'd like further advice on sourcing diamonds.

The band

Ring setting: This is how a stone is fixed to a ring. While a Tiffany setting is the most commonly known (the diamond sitting bang on top of the ring without anything surrounding it), there are dozens of other options available. QReport has a good guide. If you choose a prong setting you have yet another set of decisions - the number of prongs (4 vs. 6) and Cathedral vs. Tiffany. All these decisions have implications on the security of your diamond, how easy it is to clean, and of course, security. Band type: Your main decision is a plain or pave band. A pave band has diamonds on it whereas a plain band is...plain. Consider the type of wedding band your human would want before deciding on this. See here for more Band colour: Platinum or White gold are the most popular options today but yellow gold and rose gold remain in the market. Again, this is very dependent on the jewellery colour usually worn by your human.

The execution

I recommend making some non-committal visits jewelry stores with your human and trying on rings. If you're comfortable, try it on the finger you'll eventually wear it. Nothing compares to trying something on when deciding what to get. Also consider insurance for your engagement ring. As a result of my very apparent clumsiness I had multiple people in my life (including my boss at work) insist on insurance. You can get this as part of contents insurance, or independently. For us, independent coverage was signifcantly more cost effective. If you choose independent coverage I recommend JewelCover - you can determine how much you'd like to insure the ring for and their prices and service are very reasonable. ...phew. It's a big endeavour and likely more nuanced than you bargained for (I just go buy a ring and ask right?). But it's so worth it. The ring on my finger is not just a constant, wonderful reminder of the idiot I've committed to (which always puts a smile on my face) but also a great little distraction e.g. I now get to play with the 'sunlight sparkle' bouncing off my finger. Instant joy.

[sharingthelove]

In October 2020 this crazy human gave me a beautiful, shiny, meaningful diamond ring. I still get distracted by it every day. The process of deciding the propose, buying a ring and figuring out how to propose can be overwhelming for anybody so here's the lowdown on proposal options - beginning to end.

First, decide who will propose. In some instances the world assumes it's the dude but in others it can be more complicated. Sit down, have an honest discussion, and come to an agreement. There's no need to work out timelines if you would like to keep it a surprise.

Second, agree on the proposal 'item'. Traditionally this is a ring but it could really be anything. See my post on The Engagement PC for more. If you choose a ring, before choosing a design, I highly recommend getting input from the person who will wear the ring every day for the rest of their life. There are a number of ways to do this . Refer to my post on Ring stuff for more.

Third, agree on the how. Depending on you and your relationship you can choose to go dramatic or simple, you can share the moment with friends or strangers or keep it to yourself. See my post on The proposal to find our your options.

Finally, decide if and how you want to share your news with the world. Again, many options depending on your preferences but since it's such a personal decision I will leave you to decide.

[mooseyblu-blog]

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