How to Choose an Engagement Ring: The Ultimate Guide

So, you’re choosing an engagement ring.

Exciting? Absolutely. A little overwhelming when you start hearing about cut, clarity, carats, settings and diamond shapes? Completely normal.

The good news is you don’t need to become a diamond expert to choose an incredible ring. You simply need to understand what matters to you, and to the person who’ll be wearing it.

From finding the right diamond shape to choosing between natural and lab-grown diamonds, here’s our guide to finding an engagement ring they’ll want to wear forever.

Start With Their Style

Before you think about carat weight or diamond grades, think about them.

What jewellery do they already wear? Are they always in yellow gold? Do they prefer delicate pieces or something with a little more presence? Are they drawn to timeless designs, vintage details or something more contemporary?

Their existing jewellery is often your biggest clue.

And if you’re choosing an engagement ring together? Even better. Come in, try everything on and see what feels right.

Find Your Engagement Ring Style

There are countless engagement ring designs, but most begin with a few key styles.

Solitaire engagement rings
One centre diamond and a beautifully simple setting. Timeless for a reason.

Hidden halo engagement rings
Classic from above, with a subtle row of diamonds beneath the centre stone for an unexpected touch of sparkle.

Halo engagement rings
A centre diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds, creating extra brilliance and presence.

Three-stone engagement rings
A centre diamond accompanied by two side stones. Classic, beautifully balanced and easy to make your own.

Diamond band engagement rings
A centre stone with diamonds set along the shoulders of the ring for additional sparkle from every angle.

Vintage-inspired engagement rings
Intricate details, distinctive proportions and designs with a little more character.

Our advice? Keep an open mind.

The engagement ring you save online isn’t always the one you fall in love with when you actually put it on.

Choose Your Diamond Shape

Diamond shape is where an engagement ring really starts to develop its personality.

Some shapes are timeless. Others feel more contemporary or distinctive. There’s no right answer,  it’s about finding the one you keep coming back to.

Round
The classic. Brilliant, timeless and incredibly versatile.

Oval
Elegant and elongated, with plenty of brilliance and a flattering appearance on the hand.

Emerald cut
Clean lines, beautiful proportions and a distinctive step-cut appearance. Understated rather than overly sparkly.

Radiant
The angular silhouette of an emerald shape combined with plenty of brilliance.

Pear
Elegant, elongated and just a little unexpected.

Cushion
Soft corners and a romantic silhouette with plenty of character.

Marquise
Elongated, distinctive and made for someone who wants something a little different.

Princess
Clean, square and contemporary.

Asscher
Geometric, sophisticated and unmistakably Art Deco-inspired.

Elongated diamond shapes such as oval, pear, emerald and marquise can also create a beautifully flattering appearance on the finger.

Don’t choose a diamond shape simply because it’s having a moment. Choose the one that feels like you.

The 4Cs, Without the Lecture

You’ve probably heard of the 4Cs of diamonds:

Cut. Colour. Clarity. Carat.

They’re important, but choosing a beautiful diamond isn’t about finding the highest possible grade in every category.

Cut describes how well a diamond has been cut and has a major influence on how it interacts with light.

Colour refers to how colourless a diamond appears.

Clarity considers the natural inclusions and blemishes within a diamond.

Carat measures a diamond’s weight — not simply how large it appears.

The key is finding the right balance.

Sometimes a difference on a diamond certificate makes very little visible difference once the stone is on your hand. In other cases, changing one characteristic can completely transform how a diamond looks.

That’s why we always recommend comparing diamonds in person where possible.

Natural Diamond or Lab-Grown Diamond?

It’s one of the questions we’re asked most often.

Both natural diamonds and lab-grown diamonds are diamonds. They share essentially the same chemical and physical properties; the key difference is their origin.

A natural diamond was formed deep within the earth over an extraordinary period of time. For many people, that natural origin, rarity and story are part of what makes the diamond special.

A lab-grown diamond is created in a controlled environment and can often allow you to achieve a larger diamond or higher specification within the same budget.

Neither choice is right for everyone.

Our advice is simple: understand the differences, see both in person and decide what matters most to you.

How Much Should You Spend on an Engagement Ring?

Forget the old rules about how much you should spend.

There is no correct amount to spend on an engagement ring.

Start with a budget you’re genuinely comfortable with, then decide what matters most within it.

Perhaps you’d prefer a larger centre diamond. Maybe a particular diamond shape matters more. Or perhaps you’d rather choose a slightly smaller diamond and invest more in a beautifully detailed bespoke setting.

A good jeweller should help you make the most of your budget, not simply encourage you to spend more.

Platinum or Gold?

The metal you choose can completely change the character of an engagement ring.

Platinum engagement rings
Naturally white, durable and beautifully timeless.

Yellow gold engagement rings
Warm, classic and particularly beautiful when contrasted with a bright centre diamond.

Rose gold engagement rings
Soft, warm and distinctive.

Again, their existing jewellery can give you the answer.

If everything in their jewellery box is yellow gold, take the hint.

Think About the Wedding Ring Too

It’s easy to focus entirely on the engagement ring, but remember: eventually, a wedding ring will sit alongside it.

Some engagement ring settings allow a wedding band to sit completely flush against the ring. Others create a small gap or work particularly well with a shaped wedding band.

Neither is better.

It’s simply worth thinking about before making your final decision — especially if you already know the type of wedding ring you’d eventually like.

What About Ring Size?

Planning a surprise proposal and not sure of their ring size? You’re certainly not the first.

You could discreetly borrow a ring they already wear, ask someone close to them or bring an existing ring into our Hatton Garden showroom for us to measure.

And don’t panic if you don’t get it exactly right.

Many engagement rings can be professionally resized after the proposal, depending on the individual design.

Should You Choose a Bespoke Engagement Ring?

Sometimes you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Sometimes you find almost what you’re looking for.

That’s where a bespoke engagement ring comes in.

Bespoke doesn’t have to mean extravagant or complicated. It simply means creating a ring around what matters to you.

Perhaps it’s an oval solitaire with exactly the proportions you’ve imagined. An emerald-cut diamond set a little lower. A hidden halo that’s only visible from the side. A finer band. A particular diamond. Or something completely individual.

At Diamond Palace, bespoke jewellery is created with our specialists in Hatton Garden, London, bringing together your ideas, carefully selected diamonds and generations of jewellery-making expertise.

The smallest details can make the biggest difference.

And ultimately, the point is simple:

It’s yours.

How Do You Know You’ve Found the Right Engagement Ring?

You can research every diamond shape, learn the 4Cs and save countless engagement rings for inspiration.

But nothing compares to actually putting one on your hand.

A diamond can look completely different in person. The shape you thought you wanted might surprise you. The carat weight you imagined may feel completely different once you try it. And sometimes the ring you hadn’t considered is the one you don’t want to take off.

So take your time.

Try different diamond shapes. Compare natural and lab-grown diamonds. Look at platinum next to yellow gold. Try different carat sizes and engagement ring settings.

And ask questions. Lots of them.

Visit Our Hatton Garden Showroom

You don’t need to know everything about diamonds before you walk through our door.

That’s our job.

Visit Diamond Palace in Hatton Garden, London and spend some time with one of our jewellery specialists.

We’ll help you explore different engagement ring styles, diamond shapes, natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds, settings, metals and carat sizes, and explain the things that actually matter along the way.

Whether you already know exactly what you’re looking for or have absolutely no idea where to begin, we’ll help you find the right ring.

Bring your partner. Bring your mum. Bring the group chat.

We’ll take care of the rest.

BOOK AN ENGAGEMENT RING APPOINTMENT