Buying an engagement ring - advice please!

[dannychampionoftheworld]

Got engaged at the weekend but no ring yet - fiance said he wasn't sure what I would like so we're going to choose it together. I don't want a standard diamond solitaire, perhaps a ruby or a sapphire instead. I'd love an emerald but I've heard they are fragile.

We live in London - should we go to Hatton Garden? I've heard it will be cheaper than a high street shop but I don't really know what I'm looking for, especially as most engagement ring advice focuses on diamonds.

Alternatively has anyone bought theirs from a smaller independent shop in London that they were happy with?

I had mine made by an independent jewellery maker. Far more beautiful and personal than any of the tat found in the High Street - cheaper too! Look on Etsy for ideas - quite a few of the makers on there are London based so you should be able to visit them at their studio and get something really special made.

Congratulations!!

Have a potter down the Burlington Arcade near Piccadilly. There are a bunch of antique shops and jewellers. They can be expensive there but you'll get an idea of what you like. Hatton Garden is diamond focused but you'll get coloured stones there too. I found them more modern looking than the jewellers in Burlington Arcade. Depends on what you like but take your time and try lots on.

Congratulations!!!!

I've already had a letch at Burlington Arcade! Looked expensive but was enjoyable... Might have to go to both, hmm :)

Just having a look at etsy now

Grays antiques. A whole building of beautiful jewellery. Bond street tube. Congratulations!

I'd be inclined to commission something at Hatton, that way you get an individual piece. Emeralds are often not advised for a solitaire as they don't wear well as large stones. You could have a mix of diamonds and emerald or a diamond with emeralds alongside it. Sapphires make gorgeous engagement rings IMO and there is such a range of colour available.

Congratulations! Enjoy shopping :-)

Try lots on. I ended up with something quite different from what we originally had in mind - I have skinny fingers, and wanted 3 stones in a row, but those rings just didn't suit me and I ended up with a solitaire (which I still love 10 years later). It sounds odd, I hadn't thought about rings "suiting" people before, but they definitely can (and sometimes don't). Congratulations!

Bentley Skinner is fantastic. They have modern and antique jewellery - a lot of very expensive stuff, but also surprisingly good value stuff too.

Also the Silver Vaults have some good jewellery shops. I got a gorgeous Art Deco ring there.

Bentley and Skinner that should be ^^

I had mine made at ingle and rhode. Beautiful and ethical too

Agree that antique rings can be wonderful and it's worth trying on lots of them. Grays and Bentley & Skinner have beautiful things, and perhaps see what is coming up at Bonhams?

Congratulations - being engaged is such an exciting time.

Thanks everyone! We weren't really intending to get engaged, we just agreed to get married during general conversation and then OH said 'right, so we're engaged'. Gah! Yes, very exciting though.

I really like the idea of three stones, Gentil, but I also have skinny fingers so we'll see. I've heard that there are such things as green sapphires, which are not exactly like emeralds but pretty close and harder-wearing.

I was also thinking of something in the style of an eternity band, with the stones set in. Does anyone know about settings and which are the sturdiest?

Definitely go with an open mind and try lots on, I knew I definitely wanted a sapphire but I ended up with a completely different style than I thought I wanted.

One piece of good advice I was given by the lady in the jewellers was to remember that your hands will look different over time, so as the ring 'mellows' with age, so do your hands.

Have fun! I loved trying on rings, just make sure you've both decided on budget before hand so you don't get swayed by over enthusiastic sales assistants!