Buying An Engagement Ring - Your Comprehensive Guide
I want an engagement ring but don’t know where to start
Buying an engagement ring is one of the most significant and emotional jewellery purchases you are likely to make.
Yet for many people, the process can quickly become overwhelming.From diamonds, gemstones, styles, and precious metals to budgets, finger sizes, and the differences between ready-made, bespoke, and custom-made rings, there is an enormous amount of information online — much of it conflicting.
Much of the advice online focuses solely on price, certification, or trends, whereas choosing the right engagement ring involves balancing style, practicality, craftsmanship, and how the ring will be worn every day.
Buying An Engagement Ring — Guided by More Than 40 Years of Experience
Over more than four decades of working with clients in Hatton Garden and throughout the UK, David Law has seen that no two people buy an engagement ring in the same way. Some know exactly what they want, while others start with no idea at all.
Some want a ring ready immediately, while others want to create something entirely personal.This guide has been written to answer the real questions clients ask every day and to help you understand the options available before making such an important decision.
How Much Should You Spend on an Engagement Ring?
One of the most common questions people ask is how much they should spend on an engagement ring. Traditionally, there have been outdated “rules” suggesting one to three months’ salary should determine the budget, but in reality, the right engagement ring budget is entirely personal.
The most important thing is creating a ring that feels right for the wearer, rather than following outdated spending formulas. A well-designed engagement ring should balance design, the choice of stone, craftsmanship, lifestyle, and long-term wearability, while delivering the maximum value for your budget.
Which Engagement Ring Style Is Right for You?
There is nothing more iconic than an engagement ring you have co-designed, inspired by your love story — but with so many styles available, where do you begin?
An engagement ring should suit not only someone’s taste but also their lifestyle, personality, and how they will wear it every day. Some styles have remained timeless for decades, from traditional solitaire engagement rings to modern pavé and halo designs, while others draw inspiration from particular periods, such as Vintage and Art Deco.
Whether you choose a classic, contemporary, or vintage-inspired engagement ring, each design should balance beauty, practicality, comfort, and longevity — all crafted to exacting standards with exceptional attention to detail and craftsmanship.
Solitaire Engagement Rings
The solitaire remains the most classic engagement ring style. Typically featuring a single central diamond or gemstone, solitaire rings focus entirely on the beauty of the stone. Their simplicity makes them timeless and highly versatile.
A solitaire can feel modern, traditional, minimalist, or highly luxurious, depending on the choice of setting and stone shape. They also work particularly well alongside wedding rings.
Halo Engagement Rings
Halo rings surround the centre stone with smaller diamonds, adding extra sparkle and often making the centre stone appear larger. This style suits those who love brilliance and glamour, although halos can require more maintenance over time due to the additional small settings.
Three-Stone Engagement Rings
Three-stone rings traditionally symbolise the past, present, and future of a relationship. They offer a balanced and elegant appearance while allowing different diamond or gemstone combinations.This style is ideal for those seeking something timeless with a little more presence than a solitaire.
Vintage Engagement Rings
Vintage engagement rings can be incredibly romantic because they carry a sense of history, individuality, and craftsmanship from another era. However, purchasing a genuine vintage ring carries a risk, as they were not originally designed for the lifestyles of many modern women.
The ideal balance is to use vintage jewellery as inspiration for a bespoke engagement ring that captures the same romance and character while enhancing comfort, durability, stone security and practicality.
Art Deco Engagement Rings
Art Deco engagement rings remain one of the most sought-after styles today. Inspired by the 1920s and 1930s, Art Deco rings are known for: geometric symmetry, bold lines, emerald-cut and baguette diamonds, milgrain detailing, and strong architectural styling.
Many clients opt for bespoke Art Deco-inspired engagement rings, allowing the style to inspire the final design while incorporating modern craftsmanship and stronger settings suited to everyday wear, rather than choosing the delicate original Art Deco engagement ring.
Bezel-Set Engagement Rings
A bezel setting surrounds the stone with a rim of precious metal rather than traditional claws, and can be the perfect balance between beauty and everyday wearability.
It is one of the most practical engagement ring settings for healthcare professionals, creatives, hairdressers, those who work with their hands, and anyone with an active lifestyle, offering excellent stone protection, a smoother profile, fewer snagging issues, and a modern, elegant look.
Channel Set Engagement Rings
The channel-set engagement ring features diamonds neatly set within two fine parallel walls of precious metal along the band, often with a solitaire diamond or gemstone as the centrepiece.
The result is a modern, elegant and highly durable design that adds sparkle without overwhelming the centre stone. Channel settings are particularly practical for everyday wear, as the diamonds are protected within the band, making them less likely to catch.
Pavé Engagement Rings
Derived from the French word meaning “paved,” a pavé setting features small diamonds set closely together along the band, creating the appearance of a continuous surface of sparkle. Tiny beads or claws of precious metal hold each diamond securely in place while allowing as much light as possible to pass through.
This elegant setting style complements solitaire, halo, and vintage-inspired engagement rings, adding refined detail and extra shimmer from every angle.
Behind Every Engagement Ring
Choosing a Diamond
Choosing the perfect diamond, whether mined or lab-grown, for an engagement ring involves far more than simply selecting one from an online list or focusing solely on the traditional 4Cs and price.
While cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight remain important, they are only part of the story. Two diamonds with identical certifications can look completely different in person.The way a diamond handles light, its proportions, character, shape, and brilliance often matter just as much as the certificate itself.
This is why side-by-side comparisons remain one of the best ways to understand the true beauty of a diamond.For many clients, the choice between natural and lab-grown diamonds also comes down to personal priorities such as rarity, tradition, size, sustainability, or value.
Choosing a Coloured Gemstone
While diamonds remain the traditional choice, coloured gemstone engagement rings have become increasingly popular.
Sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and even unusual gemstones can create highly personal engagement rings full of individuality and character.Some clients choose coloured gemstones because they prefer colour, want something less traditional, or are looking for a ring that feels more distinctive and personal.
Others combine diamonds with coloured gemstones to balance timelessness with individuality.
Which Precious Metal Is Best for an Engagement Ring?
Choosing the right precious metal or combination of metals for your engagement ring depends on your choice of stone, skin tone, design, lifestyle, and personal taste.
Platinum is highly durable, naturally white, and one of the most popular choices for engagement rings.
Yellow Gold offers warmth and timeless elegance and has become increasingly popular again in recent years.
Rose Gold offers a softer, romantic tone and suits vintage-inspired styles particularly well.
White Gold creates a bright, modern appearance but may require occasional re-rhodium plating.
How Do You Find the Correct Finger Size?
Finger size is one of the biggest concerns when secretly buying an engagement ring.You can print a ring size guide and measure an existing ring by placing it on the chart, or bring the ring with you and have it measured accurately.
Another simple method is to place an existing ring on your finger, mark where it reaches, and then have your finger measured at that point. It is also important to note which finger the ring is normally worn on.
Finger size can also fluctuate depending on:temperature,time of day,exercise,travel,and lifestyle.
Need Help Choosing the Right Engagement Ring?
With more than 40 years of experience, David works personally with clients to help them explore engagement ring styles, diamonds, gemstones, and the different ways to create a ring that feels right for them.
Arrange a Personal Consultation With DavidFour Ways to Create Your Engagement Ring With David Law
Bespoke Engagement Rings
Work collaboratively to create a fully bespoke engagement ring from your initial idea handcrafted in Hatton Garden.
Bespoke Engagement Rings →Custom-Made Collection
Choose from exclusive engagement ring designs available for personalisation or immediate purchase.
Custom Made Ring→Wax Ring Proposal
Propose with a wearable wax model of your co-designed engagement ring before the final handcrafted version is created.
Wax Ring Proposal →Temporary Proposal Ring
Choose a diamond or gemstone and have it set in a temporary proposal ring before designing the final ring together later.
Temporary Proposal Ring →