The Ring, Part III: My precious

Though we didn't emerge with a ring she went ga-ga over, we learned a number of things about her preferences through the various trips.

1. A simple flat band works better for her than a more ornate band. The sparkly may be nice for a ring to wear out on the town occasionally, but it's both too distracting and ostentatious for an everyday ring for her.
2. Cathedral seems to be her preferred setting, and a round brilliant cut catches her eye best.
3. It's a rare four-prong setting that will allow the shape of the round brilliant diamond to show through.
4. She needs a stone with at least an SI inclusion grade diamond; she would unconsciously rub her finger along the milky I grade diamonds, as if to clean them!

From our travels, I'd recommend going to at least five stores together and getting some idea of your future bride's ring preferences. Just go to see what catches her eye, keeping in mind what your budget is. If she sees something that's waaaay outside your price range, don't be afraid to keep it in mind - but also recognize that you'll have to figure out a way to compromise something.

So, where do I go from here? Well, I doubt I was able to get her dream ring, but I hope it's something she likes all the same. I ended up with a custom order that I picked up on Valentine's Day. Certain compromises had to be made, but I hope it has the right mix of contemporary and vintage features to keep her smiling about it for decades. Guess we'll see in New York, won't we?