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Jewelry Buying Guide

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ENGAGEMENT RING BUYING GUIDE

There are a ton of options when you’re shopping for engagement rings, and you may not know where to start. At Colonial Jewelers, we love the opportunity to help you navigate the buying process. There’s a lot to learn, and that’s where we come in! Visit us in store, and in the meantime, we suggest you start by exploring some of our selection to get an idea of styles, and explore the additional resources listed at the bottom of this page.

SHOP ENGAGEMENT RINGS

Determine Her Style

What kind of jewelry does she already wear? Does she like simple pieces that can be worn with anything, dressed up or down? Does she like bold, sparkly statement pieces? Do you know what tone (or color) jewelry she likes? This would be white (white gold, platinum or sterling silver), yellow (yellow gold), or pink (rose gold). These are all important factors to know, consider and to share with your sales associate.

PRO-TIP:

Find pictures (or find a way to take some new, current pictures) that show off her everyday jewelry, especially any rings and bracelets she might wear.

Know Her Ring Size (if you can)

If the two of you have already window shopped together for rings, you may already have this information. If you haven’t window shopped, but you do plan to, make getting this information a priority. It’s best to have a sales associate do this professionally for the most accurate number. Make sure they are getting the left hand ring finger since both hands are not usually the same size.

Alternatively, you can always present the ring first and get it sized properly later. Most rings are stocked in the most common sizes, between sizes 6 and 7, and most jewelers can have the ring sized quickly. If you think her hands are significantly smaller or larger than the average size, it’s good to let your sales associate know so they can help you get closer to the right size when you present the ring.

If you do need to have the ring sized, we can absolutely plan for this and take care of it in a timely manner. Our sales associates will also go over any limitations that may apply to sizing the ring that you choose, based on the material of the ring and the nature of the setting, and will ensure that they have the most accurate information and that you are well informed on your purchase before any final decisions are mad.

Have an Idea of Her Preferences or Visit Together

Choosing an engagement ring is a very important decision, as it’s one of the most special pieces of jewelry that someone will wear. It’s best to go into this decision with confidence, so do your research anyway you can.

Send her with her friends or some family to try on rings just for fun; this allows her to create some fun core-memories, narrow down what she likes and even learn more about rings and her own style. At Colonial Jewelers, she can add her favorites directly to her wishlist for you to access later- both in person or on our website. You can visit later on your own and make the final decision in secret, keeping the magic of the surprise!

Some couples choose to try on rings together, which gives you a front row look into what she likes and allows for you to learn and discuss together. You can still visit again on your own later on and keep some parts a surprise if that is important to you.

Another method is asking around to see if any of her friends know her preferences, or if she has saved inspiration photos of her dream ring.

What Setting Makes Sense?

You’ve learned about the 4 C’s of a Diamond, and of course there’s so much more that our sales associates can go over with you if you stop into our Downtown Frederick, Maryland showroom – but, in the meantime, here’s a rundown on four of the most common settings.

Solitaire

One of the most popular choices of engagement rings; a single stone set on a plain band with no accent diamonds on the band.. The head secures the Diamond, and the prongs allow the Diamond to catch the most amount of light. This ring is popular for the fact that it goes with any other piece of jewelry, including any style wedding or anniversary band. This is also a good style for someone who works with their hands a lot because there are less small accent stones to be concerned about.

Sidestone

Diamonds or other gemstones flank the main stone for additional sparkle or color. Popular sidestone settings include “channel,” which protects stones by keeping them flush, and “bar-channel,” which allows more light to enter the sidestones.

Three Stone

Exactly what it sounds like, three stones: one Diamond for the past, one for the present and one for the future. The center Diamond is usually larger than the two side stones. A classic and timeless look.

Halo

The center stone is surrounded by tiny Diamonds or other stones to add sparkle and the illusion of a larger center stone.

When Should You Start Shopping?

This depends on where you are in the ring buying process. Are you coming into it with all the answers you need about the style of ring she’ll want? Do you have a budget?

If you haven’t considered ring styles or haven’t set a budget, we recommend you at least start with some research to get a rough idea of what to expect. You can browse our website to get an idea of pricing, visit our showroom to meet with our expert sales associates and see our larger in-store selection, and get more of your questions answered. We recommend you start your research once you know you want to propose.

We recommend you seriously start shopping at least 3-4 months before you want to propose- but don’t worry if you don’t have that much time- we have rings ready to go today and can often make magic happen to get you the ring sooner if you need it.

Ready-to-wear engagement rings are ready to take home as soon as you make the purchase. You could propose that same day if you wanted to!

We have a large selection of settings in the showroom and loose diamonds that can be set quickly in-house and be ready for pick up the same day, or in a few days, under special circumstances.

Sometimes rings need to be “special ordered” if you want a different metal, a different center Diamond shape or size or a different finger size than the one in stock. Most special order settings can take 3-6 weeks to come in.

Custom designing a ring from scratch can take about eight weeks, depending on the project. Your sales associate will be able to give you a more accurate timeframe specific to your design.

This all comes down to your preferences, your plan and your budget. These are all things that our expert team of sales associates can help work through with you. Give us a call, make an appointment or drop in to visit our showroom in Downtown Frederick, Maryland so we can help you with this very special purchase.

Read More

ABOUT IT

Diamond Education
Lab Grown Diamond Education
Why Shop Colonial
Engagement Ring Shopping FAQs
Custom Engagement Rings: What To Know
What You Should Know Before Shopping For A Diamond
Gemstone Engagement Rings
Back Colonial Jewelers Close

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