10 tips for choosing an engagement ring and wedding ring

In this article, you will get 10 great tips that are meant to help you in your search for THE rings that you will wear for the rest of your life! But it is also for those of you who may have tired of your old wedding rings. When I wrote it, I was inspired by the podcast episode that I and Personal Jewelry Shopper Halina recorded on the same theme, where we gave five tips each - a total of ten - for those of you who are looking for an engagement or wedding ring. Those rings that are meant to be worn for the rest of your life, and symbolize your most important love. We're getting started! Written by: Cecilia Kores

1. Add a personal touch

You don't have to choose an extravagant ring design for the ring to become personal. Adding a personal touch can be easier than you think - it can be in the form of a special engraving or a secret gem on the inside of the ring that symbolizes your love. In our showroom, we had a couple who added a small gemstone visible on the outside of the ring, but placed slightly "off", to symbolize the sun rising over the mountains of Chamonix where they got engaged. Another couple chose rings with green gemstones to symbolize their shared interest in nature. A third couple engraved the coordinates of the island where they got married in their rings, choosing to set a small blue sapphire instead of the degree sign. How romantic?!

2. Go big! (Unless you want your future jewelry to outshine your engagement or wedding ring)

If you want to make it easier for your future self to add jewelry to your collection that doesn't compete with THAT ring - it helps if you didn't choose the very smallest model as an engagement ring and/or wedding ring! The smaller and simpler your wedding rings are, the more future additions risk competing for the spotlight. This also applies to the jewelry other people give you - what ring should your partner give you on your first (or tenth) anniversary that doesn't compete with the engagement ring itself?

Many, especially Scandinavian girls who make up a large part of our clientele, are not that used to wearing jewellery. The first real piece of jewelry they wear on their hands may actually be their engagement ring! If you're one of them, any ring you try on will initially feel big and ostentatious - maybe even uncomfortable, because you're not used to wearing rings at all.

But! Believe it or not - you get used to it quickly. In fact, in as long as Mumbai has existed, we have never received a request from a customer tochange down a gemstone size because the stone initially chosen was too large. On the other hand, it often happens that you want to change things up! When you have worn the piece of jewelry for a few months, suddenly the gemstone no longer feels as eye-catching and "in the way" as you first thought when you sat in the showroom and chose a ring model.

But it can be an expensive story to change up - due to the fact that since the current setting is adapted for a smaller stone, we still have to make a completely new ring in the atelier and can't just put a bigger stone in your existing ring. Then the alternative is to return the ring in its entirety and get a newly made ring with a larger stone back - but most people don't want that because the feelings remain in the original ring. So - if you are choosing between two sizes of stones, actually my advice is to always choose the larger one. As long as finances allow, then you won't regret it! Just make sure not to skimp on details like the certificate, as it is of great importance to maintain the value of the stone. It is not possible to completely reliably value a stone that is already in a piece of jewelry afterwards, so if you buy a newly made ring, you want to be clear about what kind of stone is in your piece of jewelry from the beginning, by getting a certificate from an independent valuation institute.

Tips!

Start wearing jewelry today, before you get engaged and before it's time to choose an engagement ring! (Easier said than done for you who are not yet engaged). The best thing you can do to get to know yourself and your jewelry taste is actually to wear real jewelry as early as possible (which I talk about in the Jewelry Podcast ), and of course preferably rings - so you find your style! It may take some time to find it, namely!

A gorgeous 2.29 CT Edith Ring with a 1.29 CT diamond in the center surrounded by two gorgeous sapphires, approx 0.50 CT each. A Greta Ring with chocolate diamonds can be seen blurred in the picture. Two unique choices of engagement rings! All MumbaiStockholm

3. You do not have to choose the same color of the gold

Many people have a clear preference for the color of gold they want to wear - and often it doesn't match the color their partner prefers. But it's actually not that strange, because vWhich gold color suits you often has to do with how you look in general: hif you have cooler skin, hair and eye color, you often prefer white gold (alternatively platinum or silver), but if you have warmer colors in yourself, you often prefer red gold (what is called in English yellow gold) or rose gold.

And here comes the happy news: it doesn't matter! You don't have to have the same color on the gold. If it is clear that your rings belong together in some other way (for example, that you have chosen to buy them from the same designer, have the same engraving or create a symbolism through a gemstone that recurs on the inside or outside of your rings) then they think most that it is enough to create a sense of belonging.

4. Do not compromise

It should be "The Ring" for you! You are the one who should wear your ring every day, hopefully for the rest of your life - and it should feel just right for you. Now is not the time to compromise.

If you were proposed to and the ring you received may not feel quite right - suggest to your partner that you change the size and wear e.g. the middle finger, or the ring finger of the other hand? It will forever carry with it the memory of the engagement.

It's actually an advice I give to those who are about to propose but who don't want to propose with a "boring" dummy ring, but want to propose with a ring that the loved one then gets to keep - at the same time you want them to be able to choose out her engagement ring herself. Then you can propose with a smaller genuine gemstone ring which is not such a big investment, but becomes like a "proposal ring" which is then worn on another finger as a memory of the engagement itself! And then you go together and choose the "real" engagement rings.

Tips!

If you're getting engaged and/or getting married young, saving up for something special, or simply don't want to overspend on your rings right now, choose a simple ring but promise yourself to invest in that lovely dream ring later! You have compromised - but still not. And your future self will thank you for the permission to finally splurge ;) This tip of course applies to you who, like me, are a jewelry lover!

Magic Greta Ring with chocolate diamonds. MumbaiStockholm

5. If you feel that you will be proposed to - make sure that someone close knows your taste in jewelry!

Many people who come to us to secretly buy a ring to propose with actually often have a close friend of their partner with them - it could be a sibling, mother or best friend. They often have a better idea of their partner's taste in jewelry! With your friends, you innocently daydreamed away and showed each other pictures during countless wine evenings and deep dives on Instagram - and the fact is that it's not completely stupid! It makes life much easier for the partner who is planning to propose!

So if you feel that you will be proposed to - please send pictures, Instagram posts, or why not a whole mood board to selected loved ones! One person is enough - as long as you know that person will be the first person your partner turns to when something is in the works that concerns you and your taste in rings.

6. Think one step further already now

The engagement ring is the ring that you know with certainty that you will combine with another ring in the future. So think about that already when you choose it! Can the ring you saw as an engagement ring easily be combined with at least one other ring in the future, in a nice way?

And now it may suddenly not feel so strange that the combination solitaire ring plus eternity ring (also called an alliance ring) has become such a classic wedding ring combination - they are simply very beautiful together!

One additional thing, which may not be the first thing that comes to mind when choosing an engagement ring, is that it is actually common to want to add even more rings to your wedding stack as the years go by. It can be about celebrating anniversaries, the birth of one or more children, and so on. It is not unusual to have four or five rings in your stack after a few years! (Wonderful, isn't it?) So you already know now that you will probably want to build on your stack - keep that in mind when choosing an engagement ring!

Tips!

Many people who want a slightly more special and eye-catching engagement ring actually choose to completely forgo a separate wedding ring - you simply put all the powder on the engagement ring! I think that is wonderful, daring and innovative! Something I usually recommend for those who don't necessarily spend all their budget on just one ring, but instead choose an engagement ring that is simply most beautiful worn alone - is to choose an independent wedding ring to wear on the ring finger of the other hand. Then you get two rings that are worn on each hand - beautiful and unique!

Unique rings to wear on each hand, Mumbaistockholm

7. Dare to choose diamonds all the way around

There is an ongoing debate among jewelry lovers out there about whether to choose their eternity band/alliance ring with gemstones all the way around or not. Those who advocate for half eternity bands (which are only half covered with stones) argue that it is safer as otherwise the stones may fall out, and one cannot change the ring size if needed in the future.

I'm one of those people who likes my eternity bands completely covered in stones, and it's mainly for the simple reason that I don't want to have to think about the ring spinning and constantly have to check that the "bling is up". Something I love about eternity rings in particular is that they are the kind of jewelry you hardly feel you're wearing - they just are.

Of course, jewelry wears when you use it, and that precious stones can fall out of their settings after you have used them for several years - this applies to both small and large stones. Therefore, it is important that you regularly (we recommend every two years) submit your jewelery for service in the atelier so that a goldsmith can look over the settings and stones. Namely, it is most often the mounting claws, which are made of gold (or another metal, such as platinum), that have been worn off when a stone has come off - it is rare that the stone itself has broken. And should it happen after all, if you lose a stone, you can cook in the studio!

Tips!

Basically all rings can be resized. What may be good to think about is that in some ring models the size change is more visible when there is a joint. This is actually the case with eternity bands - especially if there is an extensive size change to be made (several steps up or down in size). Therefore, it can be good to choose your eternity band perhaps 1/4 size larger than your usual size, so you have something to grow in. Often the ring size changes to the larger one as you get older, and major upheaval events that have an impact on the body, such as having children, can also change the size of the fingers.

For this reason (the joint after a size change is easier to see), we rarely recommend proposing with an eternity band - unless you are one hundred percent sure of your partner's ring size! As little as half a ring size up or down can make a difference. So wait for the eternity band until after the proposal!

8. The rarer the gems you are after, the more you should do your research beforehand!

The more special you want your ring to be, the more attention you should pay. Have you seen an absolutely fantastic opal ring on pinterest that you just must have as an engagement ring, even though you've never seen anyone wear an opal in an engagement ring before?

I then recommend that youread a little about the opal's properties before you buy the dream ring. Pretty soon in your research you will probably notice that the opal has a short life in a piece of jewelry that is worn every day - it simply cannot survive the environments of moisture, chemicals, heat, hitting keys in the purse and so on that we normally expose our rings for. My own bracelet with two large opals was ruined by a trip to Tulum - mine and Gem Expert Johannes ' conclusion is that there were small cracks in the stones that impurities penetrated, so my light pink magical opals turned a dull gray.

Tips!

Gemstones that can withstand basically all normal, daily wear and tear year after year are diamonds and sapphires - therefore they are safe cards in your engagement ring and wedding ring!

Gemstones that can withstand basically all normal, daily wear year after year are diamonds and sapphires - therefore they are safe cards in your engagement ring and wedding ring! Rings with sapphires, diamonds and chocolate diamonds Mumbaistockholm

9. Renew and replace!

Last winter we had a customer who came into the showroom and decided to exchange her wedding ring but keep her engagement ring. She was not a Mumbai customer before and had her rings from another brand - but was now simply looking to renew her stack and make it more personal to her.

She had the idea of resizing the wedding ring so she could wear it on a different finger, separate from the engagement ring. She ended up buying two new rings, making it a new wedding stack of three rings, one of which was her old engagement ring! It's not so strange that you sometimes grow out of certain pieces of jewelry - you wear your jewelry every day, look at the rings every day - and that should feel right.

You should be happy to look down at your hands! If you don't feel it, it's time to renew.

It can also be as simple as wanting to symbolize your deepened love in a new way - there are so many different, wonderful reasons to want to renew yourself. If your rings don't feel "your" anymore - renew! Embrace the feeling instead of being ashamed of it!

Tips!

If you are completely tired of wearing your old ring on your finger, you can also hang it on a necklace as a charm! Then it doesn't steal the limelight from your new investments either.

10. Do not be terrified

The engagement ring and the wedding ring are the rings we are meant to wear for life - but don't be intimidated by the decision. Everything can be changed.

You can replace the rings afterwards (see tip 9), you can sell them at auction in the future, you can stack them with more rings in the future so they feel like new or you can simply store them in a beautiful box in the attic and give to your children or a dear friend (who will probably be overjoyed!).

Don't wear rings that you don't like anymore or that don't feel right just because you "should".

Growing and moving forward in life is completely natural - and so also in your relationship. Of course your deepened love can be expressed in new rings! The relationship after five or 25 years is not the same as it was when you just got engaged.

Do your rings not feel like you anymore? Replace them! Beautiful unique engagement rings, Mumbaistockholm

If you want to listen to the inspiration for this article, I recommend you listen to episode 14 of the Jewelry Podcast!

Lyssna på Avsnitt 14: Bröllopsringar - 10 tips för dig som ska välja förlovningsring och vigselring of Smkykespodden directly below or click here .

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