A Cheeky Practical Joke To Play When Presenting Engagement Rings

I was talking with a friend the other day, who has already had the daunting task of shopping for an engagement ring for his partner. Initially he was prepared to spend way more than necessary, but after speaking to his Dad he found that was he estimated (£4K) was more than double what he could actually get for the engagement ring if he shopped around. It turns out his Dad had a contact who runs a diamond engagement ring website which was selling the same ring he was looking at on the high street for a fraction of what he was looking at, a much more reasonable price - £1700 (with a slight discount seeing as it was through a family connection).

Anyway, he had a great idea for when it came to presenting the engagement ring, which could potentially backfire (depending on your partner's sense of humour). His idea was to buy a cheap ass engagement ring from a well known catalogue company, and first present this. It would be a great test of reactions, and a gauge of how well your partner can hide their true emotions. On the other hand, it could be a sure fire way to end the relationship there and then. Either way, quite a funny idea I thought. But would you have the nerve to do it?

Here's some useful reading on the subject of popping the question and some engagement rings on the more affordable side of the spectrum:
Will You Marry Me?: Popping the Question With Romance And Style
Popping the question ..

Diamond Solitaire Scalloped Setting

A diamond solitaire scalloped setting can be a unique setting that embellishes the appearance of the ring, without adding bulky and lots of expensive gemstones to it. There are many types of settings couples can choose from, so it's a good idea to thoroughly research which ones are most suited to the other half's preferences.

For those unfamiliar with scalloped settings, they take their inspiration from nature and in particular seashells, as they often have a rough undulating pattern with a series of curves or ridges that make a very unusual and interesting pattern. These kinds of engagement rings are popular for perhaps exotic engagements such as Hawaiian engagements. The beauty of scalloped engagement rings, is that it gives couples the chance to just focus on one exquisite gemstone, i.e. diamond, and concentrate on the weight and by choosing a scalloped setting it focuses on the display of this gemstone at its most radiant.

Finding diamond solitaire scalloped setting engagement rings may be harder than finding normal diamond solitaire rings, this is due to their rarity and one will probably have to go to a specialist jeweller's to find them or get them custom made. Older, antique rings may also use scallop settings, and one can invariably find these in pawn shops, auction houses and so forth. However, it's worth going to the effort of scouting these out as the final end product can be really astonishing!

Budget limitations

Although, we would all like to splurge out on a massively expensive engagement ring, sometimes it's just out of budgetary constraints and given the recent economic crises and many countries' economies showing no signs of improving, we may just have to settle for something a bit more within our budget. Luckily, the jewelery industry has plenty of choices and options for people who perhaps can't or won't spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a lavish ring. One option, that has previously been mentioned is going for birthstone gems - something that perhaps conveys a deeper sentiment and is more romantic? Of course if you're going to go for this option you need to find out when gemstone their date of birth relates to. Another option, which shouldn't break the bank is considering other gemstones such as topaz, emerald or tanzanite and getting your jewelery to bespoke the design and cut it in a way so it maximizes light reflection. You also want to carefully consider the bands that are going to be used, you should choose a metal that either complements or contrast the stone nicely. If one looks hard enough, and seeks out the most competitive deals, you'll be certainly ensuring you don't pay over the odds.