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6 Easy Steps to Choosing a Wedding Ring

The idea of shopping for wedding rings can be pretty daunting for some couples. There are so many to choose from and so many ways to customize your rings that it can seem almost impossible to choose. Then there is the budget to consider. What is a couple to do? Follow these easy steps and you are sure to choose wedding rings for women and men that are something you will be proud to wear every day.

Wedding rings are available in many different metals. (Photo: Dreamstime)

Step 1: Choose your metal

These days, there are so many different metals you can choose from for your wedding ring. There is classic yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, silver, platinum, titanium, palladium and more. Gold is still the most popular, but these other metals have gained lots of popularity in recent years, thanks to their various unique qualities.

Step 2: Choose the purity

When choosing a metal, it’s important to consider the purity of the metal. Pure metals are more expensive as they are rarer, but they are also softer. A ring made of 24k gold will be more prone to scratches than one that is made of 14k gold.

Step 3: Consider the C’s

If your wedding ring is going to have a diamond in it, you’ll need to consider the four c’s of diamond shopping: cut, clarity, carat and color. The higher your diamond ranks in these four areas, the most expensive it will be. Flawless diamonds are the highest quality and will receive the highest marks in all four of these areas. But be prepared to pay for that!

Shopping for wedding rings should be something you do together. (Photo: Gemalogical Institute of America)

Step 4: Make shopping a date

Shopping for wedding rings should be something you do together with your future spouse. Yes, it may seem romantic to surprise your betrothed with a ring you have especially picked out for them, but you may end up choosing something that doesn’t fit, either literally or in terms of taste. The best thing to do is to make shopping for wedding rings something like a date, a romantic activity you do together as part of your wedding planning.

Step 5: Be ready to negotiate

You may think that the price on the sticker is the final price. Not true. You should always find a retailer who is willing to negotiate with you. If you find a ring that you like, don’t automatically fork over the asking price. Be upfront. Tell the retailer that it is out of your price range and make an offer. You’ll probably be surprised by how willing most retailers are to lower their price to make the sale.

Step 6: Get the right size

This probably seems obvious. However, lots of people end up with a ring that doesn’t fit properly because they weren’t diligent enough during this phase of the process. A professional jeweler will be able to guide you through the fitting process so you will be sure to end up with a ring that fits you perfectly.

There you have it: Six easy steps to get the perfect wedding ring for you!