When you pick out an engagement ring, you want to show it off to friends, family, coworkers, and anyone who’ll listen! Unfortunately, sometimes your ring can get in the way of your day-to-day life. If you’re talking with your partner about rings and you want to make sure that your ring can stand up to your active lifestyle, here are a few things to consider.
Shape and Setting
The classic engagement ring is a solitaire diamond in a four- or six-prong setting, sitting prominently above the main band. The prong setting is incredibly popular because the entire diamond is visible from all angles.
Unfortunately, elevating the stone can have its downsides, too. The taller the setting, the more it tends to get caught on gloves and mittens as you try to put them on and take them off, and it can snag the yarn in your sweater sleeves! We recommend having the prongs checked on a regular basis to be sure they haven’t pulled away from your diamond.
Rings with tall settings are also more prone to rotating around your finger so that the stone faces downward, which can be annoying. This can be corrected to some degree with proper fit, which is why it’s so important to measure your finger with our sizers before ordering the real thing.
A solitaire engagement ring can also be placed in a bezel setting, which surrounds the center stone with a narrow frame of metal around the diameter. For smaller gems, a burnish setting can be used to set the diamond into the band with the metal smoothed around the edges so it doesn’t stick up. These settings aren’t quite as common as prongs, but they’re much easier to wear in your active day-to-day life.
For a more modern, striking look, consider a semi-bezel or tension look setting! This contemporary twist on the classic engagement ring puts the main stone in the center of a gap in the band, held in place on opposite sides of the diamond by the tension of the metal (and some tiny, nearly-invisible grooves).
Durable Materials
Most rings are made from either 14-karat or 18-karat gold, which provides an excellent balance of durability and beauty. That said, gold isn’t the most durable option. When gold is scratched, a tiny amount of the material is removed from the ring. The same is true when polishing the ring. Eventually, small design details on the surface of the ring will be worn down.
For a more durable option, consider a platinum ring. Platinum is a much harder metal than gold, so it stands up to the trials of daily life better. When platinum comes in contact with a hard surface like metal or concrete, it indents slightly but doesn’t actually lose any material. You can polish platinum endlessly to return it to its original luster or allow it to develop a patina for a unique, well-loved look.
Pavé Setting
If you don’t have your heart set on having one primary stone in the center of your ring, a pavé setting is the perfect combination of a low profile and a head-turning design. Pavé, French for “paved,” is named because the diamonds are set firmly together like the cobblestones in old streets. Most pavé rings cover their full circumference with diamonds, creating a floating halo of sparkling light that’s hard to look away from.
Lock Your Rings Together
If you wear both an engagement ring and a wedding band together, one minor annoyance is when the two rings become misaligned on your finger. To solve this problem, most jewelers will offer you the option of soldering the two rings together with a tiny dot of metal to keep them from moving independently. The rings can be separated later if need be.
You can also purchase rings that are made for each other — literally! Stackable wedding rings are a growing trend in the jewelry world, and we can make the perfect set of custom stackable rings for you right here at acredo. Stackable rings ensure that your bands are a perfect match in shape and style, fitting together on your finger for a “made for each other” look.
Talk to the Experts
At acredo rings, we have thousands of styles, materials, bands, colors, stones, and settings to choose from, so we’re confident that we can make a one-of-a-kind ring that’s perfect for you and your lifestyle.
Make an appointment or stop by today! We’ll go over everything you like and don’t like in the jewelry you wear and create a ring that’s as unique as you are.
