How to Buy a Diamond Engagement Ring She'll Love

Do you want to surprise her with a ring? You can--and you can do it right--if you've analyzed her likes and dislikes, the shape of her hands and fingers, and her lifestyle. The first step is to become acquainted with both diamond and engagement ring basics no matter when you plan to buy the ring, so that you'll understand the terms you hear and know exactly what you're buying.
7 Ways to Buy an Engagement Ring She'll Love is required reading for every man who wants to surprise his fiancé with an engagement ring. It's the best place to start your research because it offers important tips to help you choose the perfect engagement ring.


Choosing a Diamond Shape
Diamond shapes... diamond cuts... they're not the same thing, but they are closely related. Understanding one characteristic helps you feel more comfortable with the other.

Take a diamond shapes photo tour to become acquainted with several popular diamond shapes.


Engagement Ring Settings
The prong setting, sometimes called a claw setting, is the most common gemstone setting, but prongs aren't all alike. How to Buy a Prong Set Diamond Ring explains the pros and cons of prong settings and helps you select the best setting for your fiancé.

Settings with Sidestones

Another popular style is a setting with sidestones on the side of the center diamond the band is set with diamonds or gemstones they add additional sparkle and color to the ring and to the center diamond as well. There are several designs in sidestone settings for example channel settings which protect the sidestones from abrasions by keeping them flush. The bar-channel and evan more the prong settings allow more light to enter the sidestones maximizing their brilliance, and so they create a scalloped edge of brilliance.