Engagement Ring Guide

A step-by-step guide to choosing the perfect engagement ring. Everything you need to know from design and materials to budget, durability, and sustainability. This guide here is to help you select the ring that will best represent your love and dedication to your partner!

Step 1: Choose the Ring Mount

The style of the mount is the part of the ring’s design that makes it most distinct from all the other rings out there. Choice in mount style tends to be an easier decision, as the style you select generally comes down to personal taste and considerations of your lifestyle.

Most common mount styles:

Solitaire
3-Stone
Halo
Cluster
Geometric
Vintage Inspired

The material of your mount is something to give much attention to. The colour and quality of metal offers a distinct look, with 14k yellow, rose, and white gold being the most common (most of our rings have drop-downs to accommodate each of these options). Please refer to our Metal Guide for further information about the options available.

Step 2: Decide on durability of your ring

The type and colour of metal is an integral part of ring design, both aesthetically and structurally. Some types of metals are more durable than others, with some qualities of metal being better suited for certain ring designs.

There are various factors that contribute to the overall durability of your ring design, such as stone hardness, stone setting style, number of prongs, quality of metal, and the like. For instance, while 18k yellow gold offers a higher gold content and a distinct yellow colour, it is also a softer metal and easier to scratch than 14k or 10k gold. If small scratches on the gold is something you anticipate with your lifestyle and would not enjoy, then 18k gold may not be the right choice for your ring.

Please refer to our Metal Guide for further information about the options available.

Step 3: choose your centre stone

Choosing a centre stone is an equally exciting part of the design process. For many, the choice is easy and clear, though not as straightforward as may have been in years past. While diamonds have been the norm for engagement rings since the 1940s, the current trends have brought many beautiful, non-traditional stones back to the forefront of engagement ring design—including teal sapphires, peach morganite, and rainbow speckled opal. Once a few details of the centre stone are solidified, it will become more clear which stone is the perfect stone for your ring. The following are few of the main things to consider when choosing the centre stone for your ring.

Things to Consider

Colour of your Centre Stone

Choosing the colour of the stone will help narrow down your stone options. For instance, for a clear/white stone, the most popular options include diamond, moissanite, and sapphire. Depending on the colour of stone you are after, there are generally a variety of options available with varying degrees of shades, durability, rareness, and price point.

Durability of Your Centre Stone

The durability of the stone is important to consider, as the hardness of the stone will give indication of the likelihood of it getting chipped over time with wear. To help prevent this, especially if you work with your hands or lead an active lifestyle, it is recommended that you choose a stone that has a higher rating on the MOH scale, such as diamonds, sapphires, and moissanite. Please refer to our Gemstone Guide for further information about the options available.

Lab-Made v.s. Naturally Occurring

The most popular of lab-made stones is moissanite, a stone that is created in a lab to mimic properties of diamond. The process has been perfected and creates a stone that, to the eye, looks essentially like a perfect diamond. All other stones that we offer are naturally occurring. Please refer to our Moissanite Guide for further information about the options available.

Budget

Budget may offer a clear path to selecting the stone that is right for your ring design.
For instance, if a clear stone is chosen, moissanite and white sapphire will be the budget-friendly options, as compared to a white diamond. If a pale pink stone is chosen, morganite will be the budget-friendly option, as compared to a pink sapphire. Likewise, the size of the centre stone can affect the cost dramatically, depending on the size and type of stone.

In our listings, you will find a wide range of price points available when choosing the centre stone.
If you have your heart set on one of our rings, but had a different or smaller centre stone in mind, reach out and we will see what we can do.