At some stage or another, many of us will have to take the plunge and put a diamond ring on our other half’s hand. Frankly, some of you need all the help and information you can get.
Now we have to concede that we don’t have all the answers ourselves, so we spoke to Stacey, owner of Loyes Diamonds who specialise in engagement rings. She gave us some important tips when picking out that all-important ring.
Check the hands
When you want to find the most flattering ring for your girlfriends hand, take a look at the shape of her fingers as well as the size of her hand. Different hand shapes look best with varying shapes and sizes of stones. The guidelines below can help you pick the most flattering options. Keep in mind that you don’t have to give up ring shapes you really love or think that she will love; these are just guidelines. Consider a different size or choose a cluster style that has flattering stone shapes around your favourite shape of gem.
Price: €6,000
Remember that a person with large hands and short fingers is likely to look best in different ring styles than a short-fingered person with small hands. Try on different shapes and sizes of rings next time you go shopping to discover the rings that look best on her hand.
Petite Fingers
For petite hands I suggest an engagement ring with a vertical setting of oval or rectangular shape diamonds to help elongate their appearance. Delicate settings and pave will also complement petite hands. Round stones can seem to make petite fingers look even shorter. The marquise shape can help add the illusion of length, and pear or teardrop shapes are also usually flattering. Big rectangular rings are probably the least flattering, as they can overwhelm petite fingers. The main thing to remember is to keep the proportion of the ring small. Our ring ‘Lynn’ is a stunning example.
Voluptuous Fingers
Wider bands or shanks are most flattering on wide fingers; a split shank (either double or triple) is a great option for brides who may not prefer a single wide shank. The most flattering styles feature angular shapes and asymmetrical designs as they minimize the width of the fingers. My best advice, if using a fancy shape, is to slim the fingers with an elongated diamond and build the setting to most flatter the centre stone. If you choose an engagement ring with a round brilliant center, you can achieve a similar effect by surrounding the stone with a halo.
Price: €3,800
Try larger rings that suit your personality. You may be able to wear really bulky or chunky ring styles. Our ring ‘Olivia’ is a great example.
Slender Fingers
Long, slender fingers simply can have it all: round, oval, square, marquees, emerald, etc. In my opinion, they look best when adorned with a cushion or princess cut centre stone engagement ring. Marquise shapes often make long fingers look even longer. The marquise is a stretched out, oblong shape with pointed ends. Thicker band styles of rings may help add horizontal lines to long narrow fingers to help them look wider. Wearing rings with small stones may also help thinner fingers look wider. Our ring ‘Vivian’ is a beautiful example
Cover picture: €2,500
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