5 Simple Steps To Find The Perfect Antique Engagement Ring
We recently looked at why antique rings make the perfect engagement ring and dropped the impressive stat that up to 65% of brides are now involved in the purchase of the ring and if thats you, theres every chance youre on the hunt for the perfect piece! As such, we wanted to bring you our own top tips for finding the perfect antique engagement ring to help make the whole process a little easier and even more enjoyable!
1. Know Your Four C's
If youre buying an antique engagement ring, you need to know your four Cs, these being colour, cut, clarity and carat. The cut of the stone refers to the shape and positioning of the diamonds facets, by far the most important factor in a stones beauty. Clarity, on the other hand, refers to inclusions or flaws in the stone whilst carat is all to do with the weight.
2. Select A Shape
Youll generally find that theres a number of different stone shapes to choose from when picking your ring and the most popular are round and princess, followed closely by cushion, emerald, square, oval, pear and heart shapes. Theres definitely no wrong choice and when it comes to picking an antique ring, youll need to be partially guided by whats available. Unlike buying on the high street, you wont always have the same choice but at least knowing what your perfect ring would be can help to shape your choice and decision.
3. Consider The Metal
Whether you prefer yellow gold, silver, rose gold, white gold or even platinum, youll find a whole host of options of the metal for your ring and this is no different in antique pieces. For some people, theyll almost exclusively wear yellow gold and, as such, that will shape their decision. For others, however, they may wear silver or even a mix. Everyday accessories are often silver and in that instance, platinum can be a great choice for a fine engagement ring. Considerations around your skin tone should come into play and, above all else, your personal preferences.
4. Know Your Budget
When choosing an antique engagement ring, its always important that you consider your budget, at least to a certain extent. The cost of an antique ring can vary significantly, generally starting at around 300 and going upwards into the tens of thousands for some rarer high end pieces. Once you know your budget, youll at least be able to know what your limits are and what you can look at without knowing youre just dreaming!
5. Know Where To Look
When youre buying a new engagement ring or even having one designed specifically for you, youll generally be aware of a whole host of options on the local high street both in terms of jewellers chains and independent jewellers. When it comes to buying antique or vintage rings, however, you need to put in a little more effort to find that perfect piece. Our top tip here is to buy only from a specialist antique jewellery dealer who will know the pieces theyre selling inside out and be in a position to offer you insight into all of the rings youre considering, both in terms of the stones and their history. At the end of the day, buying an antique engagement ring can often be a significant investment and you want every reassurance that youre buying from a reputable dealer who knows their stuff.
Above all else, finding your ideal antique engagement ring is an enjoyable experience yet one which will no doubt take some time! Dont rush into your decision and take the time to find the perfect ring, one which youll treasure for a lifetime!