Buying an engagement ring is the first step in many decisions. On the one hand, so much joy, excitement, and love is wrapped into each of these decisions. Conversely, we constantly hear from people how the weight of these decisions can sometimes be overwhelming.

We want to start by saying people should not worry about making the “wrong” choices when choosing an engagement ring. Thousands of articles and advice columns try to focus on making something that should be one of the most positive experiences for you and your fiancee into something negative. Instead, we want to focus on a few parameters and factors to help you choose the right ring for you and your partner. 

Making Sure You Pick The Right, Size, Metal & Stone

While we did say at the top that we don’t approve of the concept of “wrong” choices when it comes to ring purchases, that is mostly in relation to how people market engagement rings—in truth, ensuring that the materials in the engagement ring work for your partner, both in terms of preference and sometimes functionality, is essential.

Many people do not know their own ring sizes or their partner’s. Moreover, your partner might prefer the metal (silver, platinum, gold, or something else) and the layout, shape, and size of the stone(s). One of the significant challenges of engagement ring purchasing is that, traditionally, you should do it secretly, which means you will need to figure out how to get all this information. In terms of size, one option is to find a ring your partner already wears (making sure that it is a ring they wear on the appropriate finger) and bring it to a jeweler. 

Should You Keep Your Engagement Ring a Secret?

Tradition dictates that the person looking to propose should buy the ring secretly so that they can keep their proposal a secret. But every couple is unique, and part of life is figuring out which traditions work for you and which don’t. Some partners will actually go ring shopping together, which can help alleviate any of the stress about choosing the “wrong” ring.

If you want to follow the tradition of keeping the proposal a secret, you still have options. You could potentially ring shopping together and then hold on to the ring until you are ready to propose, or perhaps you could browse a store or ask your partner for some parameters for their perfect engagement ring. You can always work through a third party by talking with your partner’s close friend or family member.

Purchase Engagement Rings in Boston, MA

Here at Bostonian Jewelers, we provide beautiful jewelry options to our clients. If you have questions about engagement rings or need help with engraving, resizing, or getting the perfect ring for your partner, please give us a call or visit our store in Boston, MA.

When you start looking for the perfect engagement ring, the size of the diamond isn’t necessarily what to look for. A massive part of ring shopping is knowing what diamond shape you are looking for. Whether designing your ring or giving your partner hints about what you want, finding the right one is no small feat. The most common diamond shapes are round, emerald, cushion, oval, princess, radiant, asscher, marquise, pear, and heart. In the hunt for the perfect diamond, you’ll want to choose the most flattering one. 

Best Diamond Shape for Short Fingers

If you have small hands and short fingers, proportions are critical. Luckily for your budget, petite hands typically look best with a smaller-sized diamond. If this is you, pear, marquise, or oval-shaped diamonds would be the best option—and oval diamonds are currently trending! These diamond shapes have a larger surface area than other options, so they can look more extensive than those with the same carat weight.  

Best Diamond Shape for Long Fingers

Those with longer, thin fingers have a lot of flexibility regarding the shape of your diamond. Larger stores will appear more proportional, and nearly all diamond shapes are flattering with thin fingers. That said, longer fingers will benefit from thicker, heavier bands or double rows of diamonds without overpowering your hand.

Best Diamond Shape for Wide Fingers

You can easily pull off bolder, bigger rings with wider fingers without looking like they’re taking over your hand. Consider trying fancier diamond shapes, such as ovals, marquise, teardrop, radiant, and emerald cuts. These can make your fingers and hands look longer and slimmer if that’s what you want. You should also tell your partner that a larger diamond would be best—consider lab-grown diamonds a budget-friendly option.

Best Diamond Shape for Square Fingers

For those with square fingers—meaning your fingers' tips are more square than rounded—oval, marquise and pear-cut diamonds would be the most flattering. The soft silhouettes of these different shapes will complement your fingers' squareness. In the same vein, avoid square-shaped diamonds, like princess-cut or Asscher-cut, as these will amplify your hand's square shape–unless that is what you want, in which case these shapes are ideal.

Shop Diamonds at Bostonian Jewelers

While the options listed above are ideal for the most flattering diamond shape, choose whichever speaks to you. The ring will still be beautiful, look great on your finger, and always mean something to you. There are no strict rules as to which diamond is right for you–these are just some of our recommendations if you are having trouble getting started. Get started with lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds at Bostonian Jewelers.