Christmas. ‘Tis the season to be jolly. And for some, betrothed. The wine flows on faucet, and kinfolk are extra affable than annoying (for as soon as). Which makes for a heady mixture of excessive spirits, precise spirits and household values – the right Dutch braveness recipe for popping the query. (Simply not the sort to inform your auntie you hated that deodorant present set.)

December is the unofficial engagement interval. Don’t consider us? Simply take one take a look at your Fb feed on Christmas Day – rings and palms and #blessed for days. Which is comprehensible – in spite of everything, committing to a lifelong mate is a landmark occasion: we’re speculated to suggest solely as soon as, so it needs to be memorable.

However popping the closest bottle is much simpler than popping the query itself. It takes months of preparation, grappling with etiquette and, most significantly, the right ring. Particularly for those who’re planning on a shock. Which is why we’ve spoken to a few consultants to fill you in on what you should know earlier than you stoop to at least one knee.

Preparation Makes Excellent

So that you’ve discovered the girl (or man) of your desires. Nice. However earlier than heading to the closest jewellers for a rock to rival Uluru, you should get your head around the fundamentals.

“For those who’re shopping for in secret, ring dimension is essential,” says Craig Bolton, govt director at Goldsmiths. “A hoop from the jewelry field is an effective indication of the scale wanted. But when she’s extra hawkeyed, we provide a printable on-line ring sizer that measures the best ring finger. From there, we estimate the engagement band.” There’s nonetheless a margin for error, although – which is why Goldsmiths launched an adjustment service to make sure a more in-depth match regardless.

It’s additionally value studying the 4 Cs of diamonds – Color, Readability, Minimize and Carat weight. Right here’s a short overview:

• Color – A chemically pure diamond has no hue, so look out for a definite lack of color.
• Readability – Excessive-quality diamonds needs to be clear, so no frosting, blemishes or ingrained crystal.
• Minimize – A powerful diamond ought to boast excellent gentle interplay (sparkle, to you and me).
• Carat Weight – Heavier is bigger (and sometimes higher high quality), but additionally dearer.

However there may be one other ‘C’ you need to think about: Price. It helps to have an concept of price range and their style on the whole too, says Bolton. As diamond bands vary from £500 to the a whole lot of 1000’s, your preliminary session gained’t be all that fruitful for those who haven’t performed your homework.

Tailor-Made

Although jewellers boast bigger inventories, bespoke is an choice for those who’ve received a tighter deal with in your accomplice’s tastes. And your pockets – as jewelry designer Allison Bryan explains, one-offs don’t essentially price the world.

“Bespoke will be far cheaper than a excessive avenue retailer, with our rings beginning at round £2,000,” says Bryan. “They usually’re extra reasonably priced for those who’re prepared to look past the standard white solitaire diamond – there’s advantage to be present in different stones and settings.”

However what precisely are you paying for? “The personalised one-to-one service,” says Bryan. “I seek the advice of with a shopper in-person to substantiate price range, timeframe and a normal define. We then develop the design, sharing concepts and amendments at each step till we have now the right piece.”

Bespoke will be the extra moral alternative, too. Bryan can inform her purchasers not simply the nation of a stone’s origin, however the diamond mine and the cutter accountable: “I not too long ago made an engagement ring with a responsibly-sourced Australian diamond. It was made by girls from begin to end – bought from a feminine diamond seller, faceted by a feminine cutter, and set by a feminine jeweller.”

All of which proves you needn’t compromise your morals for a formidable ring.

The Development Forecast

Like menswear, jewelry is topic to developments. The distinction although, is that they’re even subtler. And, in a time when ostentatious rocks are a flashing beacon for robbers (right here’s you, Kim Ok), greater isn’t at all times higher.

“Colored gems are one of many brightest developments of 2016,” says Maria Doulton, co-founder of The Jewelry Editor. “However diamonds, rubies and sapphires are the perfect decisions – they provide color, however are additionally essentially the most resilient.” Value taking into consideration, until you’re ready to fork out for restoning.

If there are quite a few zeros in your price range nevertheless, colored diamonds may very well be an choice – a transfer which is more and more en vogue, however inevitably dearer.

“Colored diamonds are a robust development, however they’re costlier than white varieties. Go for a white diamond of a decrease color grading – they’re comparable in look to yellow diamonds, however will be as much as a 3rd cheaper.”

And there are a number of manufacturers to contemplate (and promptly delete out of your browser historical past). Nirav Modi and Polly Wales each cater to the color wheel, says Doulton, whereas Kataoka and Andrew Geoghegan are additionally names to observe.

After that, simply hope they are saying sure.