How to Find Out What Engagement Ring She Really Wants
Take a breath, you’re about to make one of the biggest decisions of your life. No, not the fact that you’ve decided to marry the love of your life, but what engagement ring to buy for her!
This is a really exciting time for everyone, but it can also be overwhelming when you start to shop for the ring.
Selecting an engagement ring is an important decision, especially since it tends to be a pretty sizeable purchase. We’ve put together some tips and strategies to help you figure out what style of ring she really wants. After all, it is for the rest of her life, right?
What Do You Need To Know?
First thing’s first; what types of things should you be looking for?
- The shape of diamond or gemstone (e.g. round, princess/square, emerald/rectangular)
- The colour of metal she prefers ( e.g. white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, platinum)
- The setting style (ex. halo, solitaire, high setting, 3-stones)
By gathering this key information it will be easy to go to your local jeweller and pick out the perfect engagement ring, or even consider a custom piece, by combining all the information you find using our expert tips below.
How to Find That Information
Use Social Media
No, we’re not recommending checking her DMs, but there are a few things that could give you some clues to narrow down what styles she likes.
Pinterest is a great resource—your significant other could literally have an entire board of pins just dedicated to engagement rings and that could be the end of your search.
Not a Pinterest person? Not a problem. Check out her Instagram.
For the past couple years Instagram has had the “save” feature (the ribbon-looking icon). If you’re on her phone, go to her profile and click those three lines at the top right to access her saved Instagram posts.
If any rings have caught her eye while scrolling through her feed, chances are she’s saved it. Snap a quick photo on your own phone (she will see if you’ve sent it), then find the original post and bring that to your jeweller. Good job, MacGyver!
Ask Her Friends
Chances are if you’re at the stage where you’re planning to propose, your partner has already talked about it with her friends or family. Try getting in touch with her mom or good friends, because they are most likely the ones she’s confided in about her dream engagement ring.
If they haven’t had the ring conversation yet, ask her friend to be your double agent and discretely bring up the conversation to your partner when you’re not around. Her friends and family love her as much as you do, so they will be on board with helping you pick the perfect ring – make sure they can keep a secret though!
“Let’s Just Look”
This is a very common strategy, but you want it to come off as nonchalant and unplanned so it doesn’t raise too many alarm bells (assuming you want the proposal to be a surprise).
Next time you’re at the mall together or near a hometown jewellery store while running other errands, suggest a small detour “just to look”.
If you have to get a watch or some other jewellery repaired, make sure you bring her along for the pickup or drop off. This is the perfect guise to get her into the store with her being none the wiser.
See what rings she leans toward or point out some rings and ask for her feedback. If she hasn’t started envisioning what kind of engagement ring she wants, this will certainly get her thinking!
Take Notes On Her Style
If you’re planning on marrying this girl, you’ve hopefully noticed a few things from the clothes she wears to the activities she enjoys.
If she’s often wearing jeans or leggings with a solid or basic print top, then its safe to say she probably doesn’t want an overly ornate ring. She would probably lean toward a more simple style, like a solitaire.
On the other hand, if she’s always dressed in the latest fashion styles then her dream ring is likely more lavish. Look to the stars for inspiration, and by stars we mean celebrities.
Have you ever gone furniture shopping with your significant other? Does she gravitate toward antiques and older-style furnishings? Or perhaps she enjoys shopping for vintage clothes. If she does, then you’ll definitely want to look at vintage engagement rings.
If your significant other works with her hands for her job, or her favourite activities include things like gardening or sports, you’ll want to pick a lower profile ring. Consider a low-set diamond so it doesn’t get caught on anything or damaged while she’s enjoying her favourite hobbies.
Finally, consider how sentimental she is. Does she own a lot of keepsakes, like photos, cards and treasures from loved ones? Connect with her family and find out if there is an heirloom piece that can be incorporated into a custom engagement ring.
Just Ask
Engagement rings are a considerable investment, and it’s something she’ll wear for life, so you want to get something she will absolutely love.
If any of the above tips don’t help you sleuth your way to her preferred ring style, just ask her.
Even if you want to keep her ring a surprise, once you narrow down key criteria such as diamond/gemstone shape and preferred metal, you can still surprise her with the setting you select. She will appreciate it in the end, and it’s better to ask than to have to go back to the jewellery store after the engagement to pick out the ring she really wanted.
Once you have completed your quest in finding out everything you can about her dream engagement ring, come to J.H. Young and we will help turn her dreams into the reality.
