How to choose the perfect engagement ring

Finding the perfect engagement ring for you and your partner takes careful thought and consideration. There are many factors that impact your choice, such as the style, cut and shape of the diamond, and quality properties of the diamond. At SH Jewellery, we understand the importance of this decision, and will help to guide you through the selection process to ensure that you choose the perfect ring for you and your partner.

Diamond Engagement Ring Styles

The style of your ring establishes its character and essence, and is the first thing you should decide on. SH Jewellery rings are categorised by different design properties, allowing you to focus on the style that’s right for you.

• Solitaire: Solitaire engagement rings are a classic, simple design. Featuring a single diamond in the centre and showcasing the stone's true beauty, Solitaire engagement rings are designed for daily use and require little maintenance.

• Timeless: Timeless diamond wedding rings feature side diamonds, creating a timeless and beautiful ring. The centre diamond is highlighted by the smaller side diamonds, offering extra sparkle and greater depth of design.
  
  
• Halo: The Halo diamond wedding ring designs add a further level of sophistication by enhancing the beauty of the centre stone. The resulting look is a brighter ring that captures more light when worn.This style also enhances the perceived size of the centre diamond, and is a great option when budget is a factor, but you are after a bigger and brighter look. 
  
  
• Three-Stone: Three-stone rings, also called trilogy rings, are a classic design featuring three main diamonds set into the centre of the ring, with the centre diamond usually being larger than the two side stones. The three-stone design creates a stunning, bright look owing to the extra design elements.

• Modern: The Modern collection features rings that are highly unique, with striking, head-turning designs. Generally having a larger number of diamonds and wider width, these rings are all about getting noticed. Another thing to note, diamond shape also affects the design style of the ring so this is one thing to consider when selecting the style.

Diamond Shape and Cut

When selecting your ideal engagement ring, diamond shape, or cut, is the most significant factor that impacts the design of the ring, so this is the next thing to consider when selecting the style.

Traditionally the cut of the diamond refers to the shape of the stone, but it also relates to the proportions of the diamond and its ability to return the maximum amount of light, enabling the stone to sparkle and stand out.

A number of technical measurements and proportions are considered when determining the cut and brightness of a diamond, including table percentages, depth percentages, and crown and pavilion angles. All these factors work together to determine if the diamond is of superior brightness and sparkle.

The most popular shape is the Round Brilliant Cut, as this is the most refined shape and has excellent proportions that enhance sparkle more than other shapes. The Round Brilliant is at a higher price point than the other shapes.

Other popular shapes include the Pear Shape, Princess Cut, Emerald Cut and Cushion Cut.

When using our website, you can utilise the filters function to search through your preferred shape, and you can be confident that at SH Jewellery, more than 95% of our diamonds are cut grade "Excellent", and that every diamond we source has been inspected for ideal proportions and superior light performance.

What this means for you is that regardless of which ring design you choose, you can rest assured that the diamond has undergone strict quality control to ensure the stone will have maximum brilliance and sparkle.

Engagement Ring Diamond Quality

Diamonds are graded on the 4Cs - Carat, Colour, Clarity, Cut (shape and proportions)

• Carat refers to weight of the diamond. As the weight of the diamond increases, so does the size and price of the stone. Another term used is the number of "points" of a diamond, with 50 points equivalent to 0.50 carats.

• Colour: Diamonds are graded on a D to Z scale, with D being the whitest and highest colour grade. As the colour grades drops, the diamond becomes more of a yellow colour and the price starts to decrease. Many jewellers use G-H-I quality diamonds, and chain stores around the K-L-M mark. At SH Jewellery, we mainly stock D-E-F colours, which are the whitest in the colour range.

• Clarity: Clarity refers to amount of inclusions in the diamond, with high quality diamonds being free of impurities, and lower quality diamonds having a larger presence of impurities. The highest clarity range is Flawless-VVS. This means the diamond is extremely clean under a microscope and any imperfections cannot be seen with the naked eye. The VS1-VS2 clarity grades mean the diamonds are still very clean under a microscope. SI1-SI2 clarity diamonds can show imperfections when put under a microscope, but will generally not be noticed when set into a ring. At SH Jewellery, we carry a large range of Flawless to VVS clarity diamonds, the highest grades on the chart. We also stock VS to SI clarity diamonds and have hand selected them so will have excellent sparkle when set into a ring. 

Types of Precious Metals used in Engagement Rings

Various metals available for engagement rings including: 18kt White Gold, Platinum, 18kt Yellow Gold, 18kt  Rose Gold.

• 18kt White Gold: 18kt White Gold is our most popular metal. It is a mixture of 75% pure gold with 25% alloys to form a white-tinged metal. The raw metal has a yellowish tinge and is rhodium plated as a final coat to ensure a better hardness and bright white look. Over time, white gold will scratch and the natural yellow tinge will appear on the ring, requiring rhodium plating to restore the original bright white colour. Polishing and rhodium plating is required every 1-3 years depending on how rough the user is with the ring. The key benefit of white gold is that when it is used and scratched, the surface remains brighter than a platinum surface. All SH Jewellery, precious metals have been designed in house and thoroughly tested, so strength and durability in white gold is of no concern.

• Platinum: Another popular choice for engagement rings is Platinum. Platinum will look exactly the same as white gold when both rings are new, but has the benefit of not forming a "yellowish tinge" when scratched and used; however it should be noted that the metal is more susceptible to scratching. The scratching in platinum will result in a darker surface appearance with scratches becoming apparent much more quickly than with white gold. Platinum is also a heavier and more ductile material, meaning it is more durable in the long run against white gold. 

• 18kt Yellow Gold: Yellow Gold was the go-to alloy and colour of choice for many years, but today makes up a smaller percentage of selections. Yellow Gold is still a beautiful, traditional choice, creating a striking contrast between the white diamonds and yellow metal.

• 18kt Rose Gold: Increasing in popularity over the last few years, Rose Gold is a delightful alternative to the white and yellow metal colours on the market. An overall bright rose to pink tone, this metal contrasts well with white diamonds and is feminine and very attractive.

Engagement Rings at SH Jewellery

Modern engagement rings come in many different styles and at SH Jewellery and with many unique design features, diamond shapes, colours and clarities and our diamond and engagement ring specialists at SH Jewellery will be happy to guide you in the direction that best suits your taste. At SH Jewellery we are very experienced in helping our customers find the perfect engagement ring. Let us show you our wide selection and we are sure to have the ring you have been searching for. Need a diamond specialist to help you choose the perfect engagement ring? Contact us today!