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Find the perfect girl … check. Ask her father for permission to marry her … check. Purchase the perfect engagement ring … hmmmm. When it comes to engagement ring shopping, which is often considered a symbol of undying love, many people may find the task daunting – especially considering the wide variety of metal types and stone shapes available.

Here are some tips to help you choose the right engagement ring.

Decide on a Budget

Two months’ salary is the rumored rule for how much you should spend on an engagement ring. However, it is important for you to spend whatever amount you feel most comfortable with, whether that is two months or not. While some companies offer layaway, you should avoid dipping into your 401K, taking out a loan or racking up a large credit card bill to make the ring purchase.

Choose a Precious Metal

The main choices for engagement ring metals are platinum, white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold. To get an idea of what type of metal your significant other would prefer, pay close attention to the jewelry she currently wears, or enlist the help of her friends and/or family. Keep in mind that the price of the ring may vary depending on the type of precious metal you choose.

Select a Stone Shape

Do you know what stone shape she’d prefer? When considering shape, it is important to remember that she will be wearing this ring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the remainder of your lives. One popular choice is round. This shape works well with everything from jeans to formal attire. There is a total of ten stone shapes including:

• Pear
• Oval
• Heart
• Round
• Radiant
• Cushion
• Asscher
• Princess
• Emerald
• Marquise

Understand the 4Cs of Diamond Quality

GIA created a universally accepted method for assessing the quality of any diamond, anywhere in the world, in the middle of the twentieth century. Today, Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat Weight are known simply as the 4Cs of Diamond Quality. The most important quality characteristic of a diamond is the cut, followed by color, and clarity. For more information, click here.

Figure Out Her Ring Size

To avoid any awkwardness while you are down on bended knee, it is a good idea to find out her ring size, preferably without ruining the surprise factor if that is your plan. There are two ways you can do this: 1) sneak a ring out of her jewelry box, or 2) while she is sleeping, trace her finger and take this down to the jeweler to have it sized. Make sure to ask your jeweler about their resizing policy; just in case.

Consider Going Custom

If it is important to propose with a ring that is as unique as your significant other, you may want to consider collaborating with a jewelry designer, such as Cornelis Hollander to create a one-of-a-kind engagement ring. Going custom can also give you the flexibility to take the setting from one ring, and the stone from another, and combine them together to make some truly unique.