The Right Wedding Ring For You - A Guide

When shopping for a wedding ring (perhaps one of life's most important major purchases) there are a number of factors to consider. This handy guide should go some way towards helping you make an informed decision as we take you through the numerous options available and explain them in unpatronising detail. When selecting the diamond (or diamonds) for your wedding ring the major factors you'll need to take into account are the carat weight, colour, clarity, cut and shape of the diamond.

The Carat rating of a diamond basically refers to its weight, not its size, as some people wrongly believe. Carats are graded on a point system with 3 carats equalling 300 points, using this as a litmus test we can see that a 1-carat diamond is 100 points and a quarter carat diamond is 25 points. Clarity refers to how pure the diamond is in terms of inclusions and blemishes with flawless diamonds obviously worth more than noticeably flawed ones. The Colour meanwhile is rather self-explanatory, the more internal colouring there is on a diamond, the less pure it is and therefore the less it is worth. A diamonds colour and clarity are both graded on specific scales.

The cut refers to the angles and proportions of the diamond whereas the shape refers to its outer appearance. The most common and expensive option is the classic round diamond but a variety of other options are frequently used such as the 'pear' shape, the 'heart' shape, the 'oval' shape and less conventional shapes such as the elegant 'radiant' square and the slender 'marquise'.

Of course it's not just the diamond itself you have to think about when buying your wedding ring, the band itself and the way it compliments the diamond is of almost equal importance. The Style of your wedding ring can be customised into one of 3 main options. The most popular and conventional option is the 'solitaire', which sees a single diamond set into a sparse ring whereas for more elaborate tastes there are the 'trilogy' and 'shoulder-set' options to consider. The trilogy sets 3 similarly sized diamonds into a ring and the shoulder set compliments the main diamond with a dozen tiny ones studded around the ring.

Final factors to take into consideration are the setting on the diamond and the metal of the wedding band. The setting gives you 2 choices, 'claw' or 'rub-over' with the claw referring to small metal clasps which set the diamond into the band and 'rub-over' referring to the metal rim which locks the diamond into the band and gives it a flatter, sleeker look. The metal of the ring should be able to withstand years of wear and tear and as such fine metals such as platinum, gold and palladium are common but it depends very much on your partners' preferences. Either way your wedding ring purchase should now hopefully feel like less of a burden so now go forth and find the ring that your beloved deserves. Good luck!