The engagement ring you buy her is the most significant piece of jewellery she will ever own, a stunning symbol of lifelong commitment and it’s important that you take time to choose one that is just right. But where do you start? Here are some important points to remember. Before you go out shopping for your engagement ring, do some research first! There are lots of different styles of rings and different stones from which to choose. You might like to start by thinking about her lifestyle and how she lives – if she enjoy sports and has an active lifestyle then look for a ring with a stone that won’t scratch easily and a setting that is robust. A rub over setting with the diamond flush with the shank is more secure, but a claw setting allows more light to bounce off the facets of the diamond and creates more sparkle. And don’t be afraid of alternatives, there are lots of coloured stones such as sapphires and rubies that make stunning engagement rings.

Look at different styles of rings and cuts of diamonds and remember the essential 4 C’s.You will need to consider which metal would be best. Yellow gold is available in 9ct or 18ct as is white gold. White gold is plated in a thin coating of rhodium to give it that really white shine, but this will wear off and needed re-plating every 18 months or so. Platinum is the strongest metal and is resistant to tarnish so is the no.1 choice of many people choosing an engagement ring.

1. Cut – Everyone knows about the Round Brilliant Cut diamond, where 57 facets are cut for optimum light reflection and that amazing sparkle but there are lots of other cuts you could consider if you fancy something a little different – for a square cut how about looking at a Princess or Radiant cut? Or for more rectangular you could have an Emerald cut and there are more unusual cuts like Marquise or Pear shaped.
   
   
2. Colour – Diamonds are graded from D, the finest colourless stone, through to Z. The human eye cannot differentiate between a 3 colour grade gap so here at Robert Openshaw's you will find diamonds between D and H colour.
   
   
3. Clarity – Diamonds have natural marks in them that occurred at the time the stone crystallised. These are rarely visible to the human eye but their presence will affect the price of a stone and it will be up to you whether to go for a less perfect but larger stone or if you want a stone that is ‘internally flawless’.
   
   
4. And finally Carat, the size of the essential bling. Realistically most of us are interested in diamonds up to 1.5 carats. The majority of rings have a stone that is .30ct or larger and the best idea is to try on rings with different sized stones to see which size looks best on your hand.

Ask advice as to the style of ring that will best suit your soon- to- be fiancé’s hands – small hands and short fingers do not suit a wide band, and equally a ring with a single small stone and narrow band will look lost on larger hands. An elongated stone such as a pear or marquise cut can make fingers look longer.

The best solution is to come into Robert Openhsaw’s where we have been selling engagement rings for over 130 years. Our experienced staff will really listen to you and spend time with you advising on which would be the perfect ring for your engagement.