6 pointers to consider when buying an Engagement ring

The busiest times for us Designing and making Engagement rings are November and April. So here are 6 pointers to help you manoeuvre your way around this unknown territory.

1. COST There are no rules. It was a clever marketing ploy to say you should be paying out around 3 months’ salary.
2. THE DIAMOND. If you prefer tradition then it will be a diamond. So learn about the 4c’s. The most important is the Cut which should be excellent/very good this gives your diamond its fire and sparkle. Next is Colour to give brightness we’d recommend D – G colour and aim for Clarity above VS2. With Carats (this is the size), good value for money are those just below the standard sizes so instead of 1ct diamond buy a .95ct, or a .47ct instead of a ½ ct
3. METALS if you’re going for gold – then please buy 18ct, this comes in yellow, white or rose colours. 9ct is not good value for money as it contains very little gold and 22-24ct is a very soft gold for a ring. Our 18ct white gold has a Palladium alloy in it which means it doesn’t require plating. It is a little bit more expensive but you save on years of Rhodium plating. If buying platinum these rings are more likely to be cast and machine made. Make sure the band and the setting are robust enough to protect the stone(s)
4. WHO CHOOSES IT? If you are totally sure of what she would like, what will suit her lifestyle and you know her ring size, go for it. If not and it’s causing you some angst there are alternatives. We provide a couple of these – give her a diamond and a nugget of gold in a presentation box with an appointment for both of you to have a design consultation with us or give her one of our demonstration rings, made of a white rhodium plated metal with imitation diamonds then you can discuss with her what she’d really want.
5. ALTERNATIVES. There are lots of alternatives to the traditional solitaire or halo engagement ring. We have a few on our website or perhaps you would like a one off ring made just for you? Other choices are: Man-made diamonds, stunning Sapphires, luscious Rubies, Black Opals, combined wedding/engagement rings, re-modelled gold using perhaps gold handed down the family. More recently the rise for men’s engagement rings isn’t really an alternative but a really good addition.
6. SUSTAINABILITY. Where ethics and provenance are your concerns, we use artisan mined Single Mine Origin Gold which means the gold is fully traceable and produced to support the community where it is mined. We can also provide Fair Trade gold and recycled gold, you can even use gold you may already have from family. Our Fair Trade extends to rubies, sapphires and other precious stones plus we only purchase diamonds through suppliers who enforce the conflict free standards established by the Kimberley Process or talk to us about our Man-made diamonds.

At SG7 Jewellery we are passionate about what we do and we love nothing better than to talk about our favourite subject so we will talk you through all your options, guide you to your best solutions and make sure your ring will be totally bespoke, designed with you and made just for you