We all get excited to see the engagement ring, be it of our friends, family, or favourite celebrity. Particularly with the latter, we get a glimpse of beautiful designs and staggering gemstones. The price tag for such celebrity rings is far beyond most of our budgets. But the idea that an engagement ring must cost the Earth to be gorgeous and treasured is simply not true. Here to guide you through the variables of an engagement ring’s price tag, and offer advice on your choice, we take a look at how you really pick a stunning engagement ring.
The various types of engagement rings
With so many types, styles, metals, and shapes of engagement ring, it can be stressful picking just one. Often, the appearance and cost of the ring are the two main considerations, and these vary across the board.
The band
Platinum, gold (of its many shades), and silver are the most popular metals that make up a ring’s band. They differ in price and appearance and it’s all down to personal preferences!
Platinum is a strong and durable metal. In fact, it was removed from the jewellery market around the time of the war as the resources were used for military use instead. It’s more expensive than gold as it is around 30 times rarer. Since it’s a strong metal, it is also the purest — often sold at 95% purity.
Pure gold is mixed with other metals to change its colour and increase its strength, as it is too soft on its own. Yellow gold for example, is pure gold combined with a small amount of silver and copper — giving off a warm appearance. White gold on the other hand is brilliant, it is pure gold combined with palladium and silver or with nickel, copper and zinc. It is a perfect backdrop for diamonds and complements them beautifully.
Looking for something a little bit different? Take a look at some rose gold rings. This pure gold plus copper combination gives off a red tinge. The more copper that it is combined with, the redder it appears.
Affordable and polished to perfection, sterling silver is another prevalent choice. Similar to gold, pure silver is too soft to make into…
