On BonneGueule, you can find many articles with advice on wedding outfits for men. But before getting married, you have to think about popping the question!
To help you make the right choice of engagement ring, here is some advice from Pauline Laigneau, founder of the jewelry brand Gemmyo.
We had already made two contents with her on the subject, 5 years ago:
- How to choose an engagement ring?
- How to choose a jewel?
Many of you appreciated its teaching and clarity, and I thought that 5 years later, a little update wouldn't hurt!
I remind you that this is not a mailing and that the brand has not paid anything to appear in our columns, it is really a desire on our part to give you the best advice to make the best choice of jewelry.
Benoit
WHAT IS AN ENGAGEMENT FOR?
Engagement is the event that symbolizes your love before marriage. While marriage will seal the union of two people in the eyes of all, engagement symbolizes love towards the loved one. This event must be symbolized by something: the engagement ring.
Finding the perfect piece of jewelry, the one she will want to wear for life, is not easy! That is why today I am going to give you, with the help of Bonne Gueule, the eight-step method that will allow you to find the perfect engagement ring.
WHAT IS AN ENGAGEMENT RING?
Traditionally, the engagement ring takes the form of a solitaire, that is to say a central stone mounted on a band. Obviously, you can adapt the ring to the style of the lady. Some will prefer a ring with paving or a surrounded central stone.
The important thing to remember is that the engagement ring is the piece of jewelry that will embody your love. It is therefore a very important piece of jewelry with which you will “mark the occasion”. Here are three first things to know.
1. 18 CARAT GOLD OR 750 THOUSANDS?
It's the same thing and it's also the choice I recommend for an engagement ring, simply because it's the most appreciated, noble and solid metal that can be used in jewelry.
What does 18 carat actually mean? It means that your jewelry is made up of 75% pure gold. The remaining 25% are other alloys used to whiten or pinken the jewelry, and also to make it more solid. Because pure gold, 24 carats, is less solid. I therefore highly recommend 18 carat gold, or 750 thousandths, which also corresponds to 75% pure gold.
And what about 14 or 9 carat gold? On the contrary, I advise you against these two, which offer less solidity compared to 18 carat gold. As you have understood, while 18 carat gold offers 75% pure gold, 14 carat gold is only composed of 58.5% pure gold. 9 carat gold, on the other hand, is composed of 37% gold.
For a piece of jewelry that is meant to be worn for life, it is not ideal to favor a lower quality metal that will tend to deteriorate over time. To summarize: 18 carats, or nothing!
2. LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE SETTING
The second important concept to know is the setting. The setting is the jewelry technique that consists of holding a jewel. Small metal claws that surround the stone, or the closed setting technique that encloses the stone so that it does not move.
This is important to know because if you are looking for a quality piece of jewelry, it is important that the setting is very solid but at the same time very fine. If the setting is too coarse, the rendering of the jewel will not be harmonious. All this to say that if you go to a jeweler, it seems important to me to discuss the issue of the setting with him.
3. THE QUESTION OF FINGER SIZE
The third concept that is important to know is that of finger size. Finger size is THE question that you never know how to answer, gentlemen. Don't worry, at Gemmyo, resizing is free.
OUR EIGHT-STEP METHOD FOR MAKING A WELL-CHOICE
1. THE STYLE
What is the style of the jewel that you should choose? Obviously the question that arises is “what is her style?”, the jewel must please her, since it is a ring that she will wear all her life. I can give you a little advice; it is to try to analyze her clothing style.
Is she rather wise, classic, conservative in her style? On the contrary, is she eccentric, edgy, does she like to think outside the box? It is important to ask yourself this question because it will guide you in choosing the engagement ring. Typically, if the lady is rather “wise”, I think that a simple solitaire, with a metal band and a stone will be the ultimate chic.
Conversely, if you know that she is quite sophisticated, quite feminine, that she likes delicacy, I can recommend the pavé solitaire: a ring paved with diamonds and a center stone.
If the lady has a more eccentric style, then why not go for creative rings. If she likes to play with accessories, for example, she likes quality bags, maybe she will appreciate being given a ring that stands out, and in this case I can recommend the surrounded solitaire.
As you will have understood, there is something for everyone and the most important thing is that the jewel pleases her. To do this, analyze her clothing style, and that's how you will know which jewel to turn to.
If you are still lost and don't know which model to choose, I advise you to opt for a diamond solitaire, it works every time!
2. THE BUDGET
How much should you spend on an engagement ring? You should know that there is a standard. In the United States, it is even very codified since you have to pay three months' salary for this jewel.
In France, it's a little less precise, we try to leave a little more room for emotion and we therefore estimate that we can devote one to three months' salary to the purchase of the engagement ring.
It's a lot of money, but remember, it's a precious piece of jewelry that she'll keep for the rest of her life.
3. THE CHOICE OF METAL
I recommend you go for 18k gold or platinum. Skip the silver which is great for an accessory piece but will oxidize over time and is therefore not recommended for an engagement ring.
What is the difference between 18 carat gold and platinum? Platinum is a metal whose color is intrinsically white and will never change over time. This is a very nice advantage and that is why it is often nicknamed "the king of precious metals" and if you like rarity, platinum is 50% rarer than gold.
When it comes to 18 carat gold, there are several colors of gold: white gold, yellow gold, rose gold. Your choice will depend on your tastes, since there are advantages and disadvantages to each of these metals.
White gold has the same color as platinum but has the disadvantage of developing a patina over time. If white gold tends to yellow over time, it is because it is ultimately yellow gold - 75% - to which additional alloys are added, in particular silver or palladium to whiten it, but we will obtain a result halfway between yellow gold and a perfect white color.
In the jewelry jargon, we also speak of gray gold. A surface treatment is added, called rhodium, to give the metal its white color. The problem with this treatment is that it can tend to flake off over time. Of course, it will never turn yellow again, but the metal can still tend to tarnish over time.
Yellow gold will never lose its color over time. From a stylistic point of view, it is true that relatively few women choose yellow gold because it is a material that is a little more out of fashion.
At Gemmyo, we have 10% of our customers who choose this type of gold. However, if you noticed that she wore all her jewelry in yellow gold, do not hesitate and choose this metal. If you have no idea, I advise you to turn to white gold or platinum instead.
The third and final metal is rose gold. Don't expect a very vibrant pink, it's still quite discreet! If it has this color, it's for the same reason as yellow gold: composed of 75% yellow gold and 25% other alloys to make it pink, and in this case, copper.
The advantage of this gold, beyond the fact that it is very trendy, is that it goes with all skin types. Another advantage is that the color of rose gold is intrinsic to it, and will thus persist over time without any problem.
Finally, last piece of advice, if you know that she prefers colored materials but you can't decide on one or the other, I advise you to go for rose gold, which will be a safer choice.
A quick look at platinum: it is a material 50 times rarer than gold, which comes at a price. It is hypoallergenic and does not change over time, but it costs more than gold because platinum is 40 times denser than gold.
For a piece of jewelry weighing one gram of gold, you get a piece of jewelry weighing 1.40 grams of platinum. Overall, when we talk about price, we consider that a piece of jewelry made of platinum will cost up to 40/50% more than the same model made of gold. Conversely, the same price applies to all three types of gold.
A little jeweler's tip, if you want to tell the difference between platinum and white gold quite easily, you just need to take a look at the hallmark. The state hallmark is the element that guarantees the nature of the metal that makes up your jewel. In this case, 18 carat gold is represented by an eagle's head while platinum is represented by a dog's head and silver by a Minerva's head.
4. THE CHOICE OF THE PRECIOUS STONE
This is a crucial and very difficult step since the engagement ring is precisely characterized by the fact that it is decorated with stone(s) and generally with a center stone.
Which choice should you turn to? To begin with, if I can give you a statistic, at Gemmyo, 45% of our fiancés choose diamonds. That's huge! If you want to be sure not to make a mistake, I advise you to choose diamonds. There are several qualities of diamonds.
DIAMOND QUALITY
It is imperative to request the GIA (Gemological Institute of America ) certificate, as soon as the central stone of your jewel exceeds 0.3 carat. This certificate is the identity card of the stone, it will give you its size, weight, cut, color and purity.
What I can recommend is to opt for a DIF, GVS or HSI diamond quality. HSI quality is the best value for money: your diamond will be very white in color with very few inclusions (invisible to the naked eye) which will guarantee you a very nice diamond shine.
GVS quality guarantees a slightly whiter color and fewer inclusions, making it an even purer diamond than HSI quality. Naturally, the price is also a little higher.
DIF quality is the noblest quality of diamond. The color is perfectly white and no inclusions are visible, even under a 10x magnifying glass. The price varies exponentially from one quality to another.
An HSI quality on a certain stone size will have a price, where a DIF quality will be at a price two or three times higher. The larger the stone, the greater the price difference will be. For example, on a 1 carat diamond - a very beautiful stone size - the price of an HSI quality will already be significant, but it explodes completely when you want to opt for a DIF quality.
One last very important word: if you choose a diamond jewel, it will benefit from a shine that has nothing to do with any other stone and I also recommend that you pay attention to the size of the diamond. The color and the clarity are important, but it is the size of the stone that is the most important factor in making your diamond shine.
Its size is noted on the GIA certificate and I advise you to choose a stone size noted “Very Good” or “Excellent”. At Gemmyo, we do not offer stones with these annotations, but the information is not always available on all websites. So pay close attention to this point.
COLORED STONES
Now let's talk about colored stones. Maybe your future wife doesn't want a diamond, maybe she's more attracted to the shimmering sparkle of a colored stone: sapphire, emerald, why not ruby... Let me give you some tips on how to choose your colored stone.
The sapphire
The most popular stone for an engagement is the sapphire. A stone with a timeless shine, which we saw on Kate Middleton, who likes it because it is a symbol of wisdom and elegance. The blue sapphire is chosen by 20% of Gemmyo customers. The blue sapphire is a stone with a very strong shine and goes perfectly with white gold, it will contrast with the metal and I recommend it if your favorite metal is white gold.
The advantage is that sapphire is significantly cheaper than diamond and allows you to have for the same price, a jewel with much more volume. There are different qualities of sapphire, at Gemmyo we offer the standard quality which is a very good quality of sapphire and we also offer an exceptional quality.
This second quality represents 0.5% of the precious stones extracted in the mines and is therefore a guarantee of real rarity, but also of an absolutely perfect shine, color and size. A standard quality sapphire is still very satisfactory and will, I am sure, please him a lot!
Aquamarine
The third most popular gemstone is aquamarine, worn by 15% of our customers. Blue is an easy color to wear.
Aquamarine is a very pretty stone with a lot of sparkle, a refractive index and therefore very high brilliance and which will be easy to wear on a daily basis because it is a very crystalline stone, which adapts to all styles of outfits, unlike ruby and emerald whose reflections are deeper and sharper.
It has a considerable advantage: its value for money. A beautiful aquamarine of a nice size will cost 5 to 6 times less than a diamond. So it is worth it, if you want an engagement ring with a beautiful central stone.
The Ruby and the Emerald
Ruby and emerald are chosen by 5% of our customers each. These are stones that are very beautiful and very appreciated but which have certain drawbacks. First of all, ruby is a stone that has many inclusions, it is very difficult to obtain one that is completely pure. Very often, you will be able to realize that the ruby appears slightly veiled and will therefore be less brilliant than other stones.
Emerald is a green gemstone with incredible brilliance. A beautiful, deep green, which goes very well with brunettes, but it is true that this emerald has a small drawback, it is its fragility. On the Mohs index, the hardness scale of precious stones, the emerald is much lower than the diamond (the hardest stone), the sapphire and the ruby. It is at 7 on the Mohs scale, instead of 10 for example for the diamond. So be careful if madam is not meticulous, I advise you against the emerald.
THE CHOICE OF FORM
The round shape is by far the most popular, which is also called the brilliant cut in our jargon, for a simple reason, it is the stone with the most facets and will therefore make your jewel shine. The diamond is traditionally cut in this shape, including 57 facets and this is the reason why it has so much brilliance.
If you have chosen colored stones, you will be able to be freer on the size of your stone! Typically a very beautiful shape for a sapphire, an emerald or a ruby is the oval cut since this cut allows a large exposure surface and therefore a sparkle? Larger and a lesser depth for, in general, a better quality-price ratio.
If you are looking for something more edgy or original, you can definitely think outside the box and choose a cushion or princess shape which are more square shapes. It is a choice that is up to you but if you are a little lost and want to be sure to please, go for the round shape.
5. ENSURE THE QUALITY OF THE JEWELRY
We must ensure that the jewel is Made in France, precisely to ensure that our demanding criteria are respected. It may be trivial to say it, but jewelry, as it is practiced today, was practically invented in France.
Made in France is therefore a real quality label. You can ensure that your jewelry is made in France thanks to the hallmark. The French State hallmarks all Made in France jewelry to ensure that the consumer is not 'cheated', whether it is 18 carat gold, platinum or silver. Make sure that the diamond-shaped hallmark is present, synonymous with manufacturing in France.
The other tip to ensure the quality of your jewelry is to look at the setting of your jewelry. The setting is these kinds of pieces of precious metal that allow you to hold your stone, either by encircling it, or why not, with claws. It must be both robust and fine for a harmonious result.
Taking a look at the setting of your jewel will allow you to realize if the workmanship is fine and of good quality. If the claws seem very large and robust and not very harmonious and not very symmetrical, it is possible to redirect you to a jeweler offering a better quality of manufacture.
The last detail from a quality point of view is simply that your jewel has never been worn and that the polish, that is to say the way in which the metal has been treated, is of quality. You can observe it by looking at the smooth part of the material of your ring and ask yourself if there are micro scratches. If you ever realize that the polish is perfectly smooth , you can then be certain that your jewel is indeed Made in France and that it has never been worn.
6. SIZE
The average in France is around finger size 54. If your future wife is rather petite , then tell yourself that she should be below 54. Between 52 and 53, these are sizes that I can recommend. On the other hand, if your future wife is rather tall, you can instead opt for a 54 or a 55.
But if you want to be more specific, you can opt for a ring sizer. What is a ring sizer? It is a small plastic ribbon that can be put around the finger in order to measure its size. If you decide to order with her, opt for this ring sizer request.
If it's a surprise, opt for a sheet of paper made up of circles that correspond to different finger sizes. You can put a stolen ring on it for your future wife and thus find her finger size easily.
Once again, rest assured, if you ever make a mistake, make sure the resizing is free. It would be a shame to give her a piece of jewelry that she couldn't wear.
ON WHICH FINGER SHOULD I WEAR THE RING?
The finger on which to wear the engagement ring is the left ring finger. Left why, because it is the hand closest to the heart and the ring finger because it seems that a vein crosses the ring finger and goes up to the heart. Since it is a ring that symbolizes your love, it is naturally the finger that we have chosen for the engagement ring.
7. ANTICIPATE THE CHOICE OF ALLIANCE
It is important to consider which wedding ring to wear with the engagement ring. Because they must work together.
If you have chosen an engagement ring with a very large stone for example, make sure that it has been designed so that the wedding band can be attached. If this is not the case or if you already know which engagement ring you are going to choose, the engagement ring will be worn on the right hand and the wedding band on the left hand.
And for those who are concerned by this video, tell yourself that the engagement ring is worn on the left hand, and the wedding ring, on the right hand. At Gemmyo, all our engagement rings are designed to be able to be combined with a wedding ring because we know that it is very important.
8. DEDICATE TIME TO IT
Be sincere in this approach, find out more, it's exciting. You will then have the opportunity to tell your future wife the whole story of the search. If you spend time on it, if you find out more, it will inevitably give a wonderful story to tell. She will be amazed and that's ultimately the goal!
So, rather than choosing a cheap copy of a big brand jewel or choosing a beautiful stone but of poor quality, spend some time on it. It is a jewel that she will wear all her life, which symbolizes your love.
