The proposal is a key moment in life, here are our tips to help you choose what will be a proof of your love and commitment to your loved one.

It is often traditional to offer a ring or gemstone that once belonged to a mother, grandmother or great-aunt, but more and more young couples are opting for a custom-made ring or a more contemporary ring that better suits their mutual personalities. Indeed, the engagement ring is a very personal and thoughtful choice. Some fiancés will surprise their bride when others will choose it after many hesitations and fittings. In any case, the engagement ring is a very important symbol of commitment and many questions are asked by the bride and groom at the time of the choice. To help you, here are 5 questions to ask yourself in order to choose your engagement ring.

1.         Is it possible to pass on a family jewel as an engagement ring?

Choosing a family ring

Choosing a family ring reflects the desire for a family transmission and often testifies to a deep-rooted tradition. Often, antique rings are set with a precious stone such as a sapphire, ruby, emerald or central diamond, surrounded by small diamonds, daisy or pompadour shaped? Such as the Princess Diana ring, offered by Charles and passed on to William who gave it to Kate. By offering it as is, a cutting and polishing will surely be necessary. The ring will then recover from its former splendor and will look like new.

Bringing a gemstone back to life

In the case of a unique gemstone without a setting, inherited from a family or brought back by a grandfather, a long time ago, from a trip to the end of the world, you will then call upon the know-how of a jeweler to create a setting in yellow gold, white gold, pink gold or silver.

If the existing setting is outdated, but the stone in the center is beautiful, nothing prevents you from having the stone set in a new, more contemporary setting made to measure for the occasion.

2.         How to create a custom-made engagement ring?

If you are interested in a custom-made engagement ring, you will also need to go to a jewelry design workshop to make the ring of your dreams. An engagement ring is meant to be worn for a lifetime, that’s why the exchange with the craftsman is very important in order to understand your desires and tastes.

The selection of the gem

In order of popularity, there is of course the queen of gemstones, the solitaire diamond, symbol of purity, but above all of eternity, which we wish for our love at the time of engagement and then marriage.  With its beautiful blue color, sapphire is very popular for engagement rings. Sapphire symbolizes fidelity, truth, wisdom, happiness and peace. The flamboyant red of the ruby is a sure value. This gemstone is synonymous with love, passion and happiness. More traditional, the green emerald symbol of love, fertility and hope will be original thanks to an atypical setting.

The creation of the frame

You can opt for a classic ring (pompadour ring or daisy ring) with a central stone and diamonds around or on both sides. You can also dare to be original by choosing a contemporary asymmetrical setting and opt for a mix of colors, sapphire lends itself very well to this kind of choice. In any case, there is no ideal model and the choice of a frame is the result of a personal reflection, often influenced by our family history or our artistic and cultural affinities.

3.         How much money should I spend on an engagement ring?

The budget you will allocate to the purchase of an engagement ring is first determined by your income. Most of the time, you get engaged when you are young. You are often at the beginning of your professional career, so your monthly income is not necessarily very high. However, you may have some savings, it is often the time to use them (at least part of them). To give you an idea, you should know that in France, we spend an average of 1,000 euros on the purchase of an engagement ring.

In addition to the financial aspect, which of course has priority, there are other elements to consider when determining what you will spend on an engagement ring:

• The message you are sending to your future spouse: it is a proof of love and a promise of longevity.
• The ring that you will offer will have a very strong emotional value for your partner, it will be a unique jewel.
• Your engagement ring will be admired by all those around you: it is the reflection of your two personalities.
• It is a jewel that you will probably pass on to your children and it will have a very strong symbolic value for them.

4.         Can we choose an engagement ring together?

On this subject, there are two schools:

• The traditional one: the man offers the ring to the bride. He has chosen the jewel in the greatest secrecy, has managed to find out the ring size of his bride and makes his request kneeling on the ground in the greatest respect for the traditional imagery of Prince Charming. It is a romantic choice that still seduces many couples.
• The modern one: the future bride and groom will choose together the jewel of their dreams. It is the opportunity to communicate and exchange on their respective tastes. It is also the assurance of not making a mistake (size, shape, etc.) and therefore not having to face a mixed reaction on the D-day.