Homework

If you want to really get this right, then the first step is going to involve a bit of homework.

You’re going to need to look at the jewellery of your soon-to-be betrothed (any rings, a favourite bracelet or pair of earrings), to get an idea of what type of ring they're really going to love. The pieces to focus on are those that they wear the most often.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Do they tend to wear yellow metal or white metal? Or do they freely mix and match?

What colours do they like? Delicate pastel shades, bright bold colours or minimal monochrome?

What style of jewels do they wear? Big and chunky, or small and sleek? Adventurous or traditional?

…but what if they don't wear jewellery?

If you haven’t got any examples to go by, then look more broadly at their clothes and personal style. What’s their favourite colour to wear? Do they like a particular era of fashion, or do they admire a particular celebrity for their sense of style? All of these can help you get started.

If you’re still finding it hard to find the right fit, then try reaching out discreetly to one of their close friends - perhaps they can shed some light? And remember, we can always offer you advice as well!

Styles

Once you have a basic idea of what you’re looking for, you have some options to consider. Rings come in a number of different styles.

Eras

Whether it’s the charm of a Georgian cluster or the slick geometry of an Art Deco design, we have great vintage and antique engagement rings from all eras.

Durability

Whichever style and era float your boat, people tend to wear their engagement rings every day, so if you want it to stand the test of time, there are a couple more things to consider when making your choice.

Some stones are harder than others. For an engagement ring, go for hard stones, that will withstand moderate daily wear. The best options for this are diamonds, sapphires, rubies, spinels, tourmalines, aquamarines, garnets, and topaz.

Emeralds are also a popular choice, but it’s best to keep them in protective settings as they’re quite brittle. As long as they’re set correctly and treated with care, however, then they make a great choice for an engagement ring.

For engagement rings, it’s best to avoid pearls, coral, turquoise and opals, simply because they’re softer and more prone to damage if worn every day. Nevertheless, they make fantastic stones when set in rings for occasional wear.

How do you know if a setting is protective?

You can judge whether a setting is protective or not by looking at two things - how far the setting sticks out from the finger when it is worn, and how much the sides of the stone are covered by the setting. Simply put, the more it sticks out, the more likely it’s going to get the occasional knock. For maximum durability, the edges and corners of the stone should be adequately covered by claws, or even entirely covered by a collet setting, so when it does inevitably get knocked, it’s the metal and not the stone that take the hit. Not to worry though - all our rings are checked for condition and durability, and we’re happy to talk through any concerns.

Finally, it’s common sense, but even the hardest, most protectively-set stones can still scratch if they’re not treated right. Take them off when doing things like gardening and washing up, or more adventurous activities like rock climbing, cage fighting or crocodile wrestling.

Sizing

Short of somehow measuring their finger with a tape measure, or resorting to ‘borrowing’ a ring they wear to get the right size, it can be difficult to get an accurate idea of the best ring size to go for without giving the game away. We recommend having the size gauged by a professional jeweller, but luckily, if it doesn’t fit, there’s no need to despair - our rings are offered with complimentary one-time size adjustment where possible.

Budget

Finally, the all important question! Start typing ‘how much…’ into Google, and one of the most frequent questions that appears below is ‘How much should I spend on an engagement ring?’. It’s a common dilemma.

Of course, the answer to that is relative to how much you can afford. The traditional rule of thumb is three months’ salary, but frankly, that’s an advertising campaign from De Beers. Take it with a pinch of salt.

Our advice is to go with your own feelings and your own budget (your savings and your salary). This is a very important purchase, so treat it as such, and prepare to be generous. Spend enough money that you feel like it’s a bigger purchase than normal for your circumstances, but at the same time, don’t feel like you have to bankrupt yourself - with the variety of different designs we have in stock, we can fit pretty much any budget.

Lastly...

Above all, remember that you are buying for pleasure - prioritise choosing the ring they will like the most, and let that guide you.

Don't forget, you can also ask us! With a name like ‘Antique Ring Boutique’, it’s pretty much our job anyway, and we’re always happy to help! Get in touch - no question too great or small, we promise.