Special rings like engagement rings are traditionally worn on the left ring finger, after the belief that a vein in this extremity is directly connected to the heart. This practice was traced back in ancient Rome, where women were given two sets of rings, one made in gold and the other in iron. Nowadays, engagement ring connotes nothing less than the promise of betrothal, lasting love, and marriage. People have given it such a significance and clamor, it is a sign of how much love you have for your better half.

Are you on the verge of popping the question of the year? Are you ready for the commitment that comes with it? Are you ready to start planning your wedding? If you are, then you are probably on the hunt for the best engagement ring you can possibly offer. Here are the things you need to know before buying an engagement ring.

Set A Budget

According to statistics, people happily spent over $3,000 for an engagement ring. And that is just the average. Some go up to $5,000 or even $10,000, but you do not have to be pressured by this.

Be smart and set a budget you are most comfortable with. Make sure you stick with it when you shop. It is a painful feeling when you think you’ve found the perfect ring, only to see its astronomical price tag. It can be a heartbreaker.

Study Your Partner’s Taste

No one will it, except for your partner and it is important that he or she likes it, a lot. It will be his or hers for life. Before you go hunting for that one special ring, you need to study, observe and figure out the individual taste of your partner.

If you find it hard to decipher her confusing signals, then don’t hesitate to ask her closest friends. They are likely to know her thoughts about such things. And when details come out, you now know what to customize in the ring. Just make sure they are on board and promise to keep their mouth shut for a little while.

Choose The Right Material

Engagement rings come in all shape, sizes and raw materials too. For the metal, specifically, you have a number of choices. Platinum, palladium, gold, silver, titanium, and zirconium are the most commonly used metal for engagement rings. Platinum is not only the strongest but also the safest for those with allergy issues. Gold is perfect for those who like to choose from a wide array of hues. If you’re looking for an engagement or wedding band as strong as platinum, then palladium wedding bands would be your best bet.

Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat

When it comes to the stone, it is important that you know a thing or two about what to look for. The four Cs or cut, color, clarity, and carat are the key qualities of a stone. The cut determines how sparkling it will be. Color deals about the clearness or colorlessness of the stone. The carat talks about its weight. Clarity will let you know about how many the stone has.

You do not need to look for a stone that has all of these qualities unless your partner is a grading expert and holds a magnifying glass to it every single time she looks at it, she won’t notice… probably. Quality is still important. If you talk with a jeweler they will be able to help you find the balance between cost and quality.

Try Eco-Friendly

The engagement ring market has already been swayed by the eco-friendly movement. Eco-friendly, conflict-free, lab-grown stones are not new to the scene, but it is slowly making its way up as people started seeing their shine, sparkle and importance.

Lab-grown stones have the same beauty and quality as earth mined stones but does not come with political issues. In addition, they are also way cheaper than the mined ones, but as I have said the specification and quality are on par.

There are many variables that go into finding the perfect engagement ring. There are so many combinations of the stone shape, stone color, metal of the band, and even the type of setting. If you are struggling the find the right ring, be sure to reach out to her close friends or family to see if she has told them anything that she likes or is hoping for. If she has told them anything that she doesn’t like, that will be very important information to help narrow down your choices.