Choosing Your Engagement Ring

When should Mark select the engagement ring?

He may select a new ring, or he may have an heirloom he feels certain Caroline will cherish. He should make certain of the ring size, however, and have a good idea of Caroline's taste and preferences.

Customarily the engagement and wedding rings are chosen sometime after the proposal, and Caroline goes with Mark to make the selection. Young people today usually discuss frankly how much should be spent for the rings. The wedding ring is mentioned here because it is often purchased with the engagement ring" to match." If he prefers, Mark may make a preliminary trip to the jeweller and arrange to have only those rings shown which are within his budget when Caroline later comes with him.

There are times when a bride desires to give her fiancé an engagement ring. Should she decide to do this, it is important that she think in terms of a ring suitable for a man. It should not be too "light" a type, should possibly be plain gold or a gold seal ring. Birthstones are considered good taste for a man's ring. Unless she is quite sure of his taste and his ring size, she would probably do better to take him along in the selection of the ring.

What is appropriate for an engagement ring?

It may be the traditional diamond, large or small and in any chosen setting, according to Caroline's taste and Mark's financial resources. Or, and quite as appropriately, it may be Caroline's birth stone, or any gem such as a ruby, an aquamarine, an emerald, an amethyst, a topaz, or a cultured pearl. One stone, large or small, a cluster of small stones, a large stone surrounded by diamonds-the choice is as varied as personal taste and need follow no tradition. There are instances of even costume jewellery being accepted for engagement rings.

What are important facts to know in selecting a diamond?

Anyone not an expert in precious stones requires trustworthy professional advice when selecting a gem, especially a diamond. The most satisfactory and economical procedure is to consult a reliable jeweller. Diamonds which appear similar in size and general appearance frequently differ widely in price, a fact puzzling to the novice.

Size alone is not the determining factor in the value of a diamond colour, cut, clarity and carat weight are the standards on which the price of diamonds is based. Further to confuse the inexperienced purchaser, a carat, which is the unit of measuring diamond weight, is divided into 100 points. While it would seem that a half-carat diamond would logically weigh 50 points, in professional practice the weight may vary 6 points or so either way and still be called a half-carat stone. It is important, therefore, to know the point weight of stones. The best "colour" for a diamond to be is as colourless as possible. It is the expertness and skill in cutting: the shaping and arrangement of the facets: that give a diamond its brilliance and sparkle. Clarity means the relative flawlessness: freedom from carbon spots or any internal or surface flaws: of the stone. To gauge the value of a diamond on each of these counts, the stone is examined under a jeweller's glass and, depending upon the scoring of each classification, diamonds of the same carat weight may vary in price from one hundred to three hundred and fifty dollars.

It may be helpful to bear in mind that you get more value for your money when you buy a solitaire (single stone ring) than when you buy a stone set with small side stones.

Once she has decided upon the stone, what does Caroline consider in choosing the setting? She is careful to decide first upon the kind of wedding ring she will have. She will want the same metal in both. The traditional wedding band is yellow or white gold, but platinum or palladium makes a diamond appear whiter. Then she will consider the contour of her hand, its size, and the shape of her fingers. The jeweller will help her by trying on various kinds of rings. If Caroline is small, she will find a small stone in a simple setting becoming, while a larger stone in a more elaborate setting will be more becoming if her hand is larger.

Is it customary to mark the engagement ring or present?

This is entirely a question of personal taste. Frequently the ring or present is engraved on the inside with Caroline's and Mark's initials and the date of the engagement.

When may Caroline wear her engagement ring?

After the formal announcement is made. This applies also to any present made in place of a ring. Note: The engagement may be announced, however, without an engagement ring or present.

Note: A widow or divorcee removes her first engagement ring before any public announcement of her second engagement. She wears her second engagement ring following public or formal announcement of her second engagement. Sometimes, she wears her first engagement ring again as an important piece of jewellery on her right hand some time after her second marriage if her new husband has no particular objection or feeling on the matter. It is, of course, unheard of for a lady waiting for a divorce decree to wear a second engagement ring until her first divorce has been established.

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