The Meaning Behind It
An engagement ring is 90% meaning and 10% material object.  To really make your ring special, put some thought behind it, make it into a story that you can tell her that will show how important she is, a story that she can tell your grandchildren.  There are lots of ways to do this.

Research the symbology of the different gemstones and if you find that one of them reminds you of her, add it as an accent stone.  For example, if she keeps you grounded and helps you articulate your emotions, you can design a ring for her with accents of turquoise which Native Americans believed has those powers.  You can give her a ring containing emerald as a symbol of the success and “rightness” of your lives together. You can have a ring designed with a diamond in the middle and your birthstone and her birthstone on either side.  Read about the gemstones on this website to see if any of them strikes a chord with you.

You can also shop for rings at antique stores or estate sales to see if any of the rings have an especially romantic history that you would like to have in your marriage.  You could have a ring made including a stone from one of your grandmother’s rings as a way of giving her a family treasure.

Giving a ring with a lot of meaning behind it or a great story attached to it will always make her happy.  Most women would rather have a $100 ring full of meaning and love than a $10,000 ring given out of fear of being a disappointment.

(For an explanation of diamond grading, see Diamonds)

Go with What Feels Right:
It’s important to research and think and be creative, so that you more or less know what you want and what to look for.  But after all your research and all your thought, in the end you have to trust your gut.  If you’re looking down at a box of sparkling gems and one of them just won’t let go of your eye, that’s probably the one you’re supposed to buy.  Gemstones are powerful magical things, usually millions of years old.  They can bring so much beauty and power to the one who wears them, so its important to pick one that feels good.

If you now have a sense for how to pick out a meaningful engagement ring, read more about how to tell which style of engagement ring she likes or check out our comparison of different engagement ring stores...

Still have a question? Ask it on our gemstone forum