Hello, friends! For today’s post, Wedding Wednesday: My Engagement Ring, I’m sharing the story behind how I chose my engagement ring and what I looked for when shopping. I’m not going to go too into detail on the specifics of the ring, but I love reading other women’s stories about picking out their rings, so I thought it would be fun to share!
Every girl’s ring story is a little different. Some like to be surprised on the day of the proposal, some send their Pinterest boards to their friends to pass on to their boyfriends, some receive family heirlooms or custom-designed pieces, some get inspiration from friends and family members, and others try rings on in person with their mom or boyfriend to get a good idea of what they think they’ll want. Personally, I loved following The True Gem Company and Lauren B Jewelry on Instagram for engagement ring and wedding band inspiration.
When it came to picking out an engagement ring shape for my finger, I tried a few different things. Virtual ring try-ons, paper cut-outs of different stone shapes and sizes, and trying on rings in a few different jewelry stores with my now-husband, Jacob. At first, I thought I wanted an oval because of all of the beautiful oval rings I saw on Pinterest, but when I tried them on in person, I felt like they just didn’t suit my small, dainty hands. I then came across a few marquis diamonds that I fell in love with after visiting a few jewelers. My mom has a marquis center stone, so I thought having a marquis as well would be sweet, but the pointed tips can be prone to snagging and chipping, and I wanted something a little less fussy.
I’m also a classic girl at heart, so I preferred something simple and timeless rather than something trendy or uncommon. I’m also too sentimental for a ring upgrade later on in life, so whatever we chose, I wanted it to be something I loved and would still love decades from now.
After looking at a number of different rings with Jacob and sending him countless posts on Instagram, I decided on a classic round-cut solitaire with six talon prongs instead of the usual four. I love the simple elegance and was blown away by the sparkle when Jacob proposed! It’s absolutely perfect for me, and even now, looking at it on my finger brings me so much joy!
I did a lot of research when we were ring shopping, and there are a lot of things I learned that would have been so helpful going into the process, so I figured I’d share some of my tips here. If you’re currently looking at engagement rings, here are a few things to consider:
Solitaire vs. Pavé Bands
Unfortunately, tiny stones found in pavé engagement ring settings have a tendency to fall out over time (especially if the stones go all the way around the band). If you love the look and don’t mind the potential upkeep, a pavé band could still be a great choice for you. Personally, I didn’t want to have to worry about losing stones or repair costs, so I went with a solitaire and I have no regrets!
Platinum vs. White Gold
Both my engagement ring and my wedding band are set in platinum. I own a few pieces of white gold jewelry, and they do start to turn yellow over time. You can restore them back to a shiny silver by getting them re-dipped in rhodium at a jeweler, but I didn’t want to have to do that with my rings. Platinum is a naturally white metal, so it never has to be re-dipped in anything to keep its color. It will develop a patina over time, but that can easily be removed during routine polishing.
Platinum and gold also handle scratching differently. When gold is scratched, some of the metal is actually lost, so your rings can thin over time. When platinum gets scratched, the metal is displaced, not removed, so it’s more durable and will last a lifetime. Since platinum was in the budget, we decided to go ahead and spend the extra money on it, as I’ll be wearing my rings every day for the rest of my life
Round-Cut Settings: Six Prongs vs. Four Prongs
If you’ve been looking at settings for round-cut stones, you’ll notice most are either four-prong or six-prong baskets. This is a completely personal preference, so I would look at six-prong and four-prong settings side by side to decide which look you like best. Six-prong settings make round-cut stones look more round, whereas four-prong settings make rounds look slightly more square (similar to a cushion). Jacob and I both preferred the round look, so we went with a six-prong setting.
Should you be involved in the ring-shopping process?
This is also up to personal preference and will vary from couple to couple. If you really want to be surprised, let your soon-to-be fiancé surprise you! On the other hand, if you want to have a say in the jewelry you’re going to be wearing every day for the rest of your life, that’s completely valid too! Just make sure you sit down and have that conversation so you can make sure you and your boyfriend are on the same page.
Thank you for reading another Wedding Wednesday post. I always have so much fun putting these together! If you’d like to read more about my wedding and the planning process, click here.
Love from Indiana,
Malia
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