All you need to know when choosing the perfect engagement ring!

Unless you've been living under a  rock { your entire life } you'll know that tomorrow is Valentine's Day... second only to Christmas & New Years proposals, it is the single biggest day of the year for men and woman alike to pop the question. 

Today, tomorrow and for the past number of weeks { possibly months } soon to be Fiance{e}s have been choosing rings... 

But what do wo{men} really want in an engagement ring? 


Thanks to fabulous people at Vashi.com, we're all a little wiser.The  industry-leading diamond engagement and Brides ring online brand, founded by TV’s diamond expert, Vashi Dominguez recently carried out a survey on 1035 women to say what they really wanted in an engagement ring... and the results... well they may just surprise you... 


Those of you who know me well { and read this blog often and have read my book } know that I'm on my third engagement ring { yes to the same man }... It appears I'm not alone with being slightly disappointed with the initial proposal ring and doing something about it... 

21.6% of women surveyed said they would be upset if their husband-to-be presented them with a ring they didn't like, while a whopping 58.4% said they would ask to exchange the ring. The survey concluded that ladies in Northern Ireland would be the most perturbed if they didn't like the ring with 35% admitting that the wrong ring would upset them.






So what do you do, so as to avoid disappointment after you pop the big question? 

Well interestingly, women are prepared and want to help you out... while 30% of respondents would leave the ring choice up to their partners, over 60% would either show their partners a specific style or drop some kind of hint as to which kind of ring they wanted. So guys, if they are dropping hints take heed... it could save your bacon and your bucks in the long run! 

Women who are currently engaged are the most particular about their style of ring, with 31% saying that they showed their partner a specific design. It was reported that ladies in Northern Ireland wanted the most control over the style of ring purchased with just 7% leaving the choice entirely up to their partner.

It seems like our Northern Ireland cousins know exactly what they want and aren't afraid to ask for it... GO LADIES! 

So what about the cost? 

We've all heard the 'saying' that a ring should cost a month { now two months } salary { a big chunk a change no matter what you do for living }. Do these soon to be engaged wo{men} expect the proposer to pick of the {possibly} hefty price tag? Not exactly... While 45.8% of women felt that their partners should pay for the ring in its entirety, an impressive majority of 49.1% of women would consider contributing to the cost of their ring if it meant that they got what they wanted. { I think there might be a few people out there breathing a sign of relief ;) } 





And does size matter? 

If you ask this gal then yes... { this is how I  got to engagement ring number 2, the first well it was just a little on the small side... } and apparently I'm not alone. The survey also revealed that 28% of women would be upset if their ring was too small, while 25% would be upset and disappointed if their partner proposed without a ring. 

So what  does the expert say about all this? 

Vashi Dominguez, founder, chairman and CEO at Vashi.com stated: 

“The results show that getting the ring right is an important part of proposing, but that men may not be entirely without help. Listening to your partner’s hints and suggestions, being open to accepting a financial contribution, or asking her friends and family for advice may spare you the difficulty of replacing the ring at a later date.”

“The results of the survey perfectly illustrate an age-old problem: how are men expected to propose with the right ring, or even a ring the right size, without ruining the surprise? One trick is to trace the inside of an existing ring to give you a good indication of her size. If she doesn’t wear a lot of jewellery, ask a trusted friend or family member to find out her ring size in a way that isn’t obvious, for example asking her to accompany them on a jewellery shopping trip and encouraging her to try out rings for fun.” 

So what do we suggest? 


Find out what your soon to be  fiance{e} likes in terms of style, size and finish. You might have to be sneaky but it is one of the biggest questions and answers of a persons life so its best to get it right. And of course you can always consult the experts at Vashi.com for great ideas, options and advice! 

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Unknown Engagement Facts, engagement ideas, Engagement Rings

Will you marry me?

We just love proposals here at Brides High ... because they lead to Bridess of course! And in the next 3 months a truck load of men and women will get down on bended knee and ask that all important question... 

Will you be one of them?? 

Here are some facts and figures on what happens for some around engagement season provided to us by our bffs SimplyBridal.com. 

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Unknown Engagement Facts, infographics

Grooms, do you need help choosing an engagement ring for Valentine’s Day?

With only a week to go until 'the big day' our great friends at Appleby's have put together a great post on choosing an engagement ring for Valentine’s Day.

It’s one of the most romantic days of the year, so it should come as no surprise that Valentine’s Day
is one of the most popular days to get down on one knee. If you’re thinking of popping that once in
a lifetime question on February 14th 2013, here are some tips for choosing a ring that will make your
beloved bound to say yes!

Snoop through her jewellery box

This might sound sneaky, but it’s actually thoughtful – it’s a great way of making sure that your
choice of ring corresponds with her personal style and tastes. For instance, if a lot of her existing
jewellery is yellow gold, this precious metal is a much safer bet than a random platinum purchase, or
if her favourite jewellery set is vintage inspired, she probably won’t want a modern, contemporary
style of ring. Wait until she’s out and spend some time going through her jewellery collection (and
while you’re in there, make a tracing of the inside of one of her rings – you can take it with the
jeweller with you to make sure you get the right size).

Get clued up

When you’re making a purchase as significant as a diamond, it’s important to do a bit of background
research so that you’re not going into a store without a clue of what you want. Familiarise yourself
with the 4 C’s (colour, cut, clarity and carat) as these are the key factors that determine the quality
of your chosen stone, and work out a manageable budget that suits your financial situation as well
as your preferred level of quality. Also, please make sure that your jeweller only uses diamonds that
have been ethically sourced.

Try a twist

Conventional engagement rings typically feature a single solitaire stone with a plain, simple band.
However, if your partner prefers their accessories to stand out from the crowd, there’s no reason
why you can’t customise your choice. Consider opting for a coloured stone instead of a traditional
diamond (pink or red would be particularly Valentine’s-appropriate!) or adding diamonds around the
band instead of having the focus on one central stone.

Let her choose

If you’re still not confident that you can choose a ring that she loves, you could always opt to wait
and choose the ring together. This doesn’t mean you can’t pull off a traditional proposal – pop the
question with a jewellery box and tell her she can fill it with whatever ring she wants if she says
yes. Although she may not be expecting to come away from your proposal empty handed, she’ll
appreciate the fact that you’ve valued her opinion enough to want her to be happy in the ring
that she’s going to be wearing forever, and no woman is going to turn down the opportunity to go
diamond shopping!

Be sure to check out Appleby's selection of amazing engagement rings, some of which are featured above. 

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Unknown Appleby's, Engagement Facts, Engagement Rings

How to find out her ring size for that all important engagement ring!

Finding out a woman’s ring size is one of the trickiest parts of any engagement. Every year, hundreds of would-be grooms ponder the best way to find out their girlfriend’s ring size and maintain the surprise of their impending proposal.

If you’re thinking of proposing to your partner, but have no idea what size ring to purchase, Appleby is here to help. We’ve put together a collection of tried and tested methods of discovery - let us know which one worked for you!

Ask a friend

First of all, you need to make sure it’s a friend that can keep a secret, as you’re unlikely to be able to play the question off as part of casual conversation. Explain your plans and ask if they know what size ring you should get. Although the friend may not know the exact size off the top of her head, she may remember an approximate from when they shopped together, or tried each other’s jewellery on, which should give you a reasonable estimate. Mothers and sisters also work well for this strategy.

Pretend to shop for someone else

If your chosen friend isn’t particularly helpful, it’s time to take your girlfriend shopping. Pretend that it’s your mother/sister/friend’s birthday or anniversary, and you want to buy them some jewellery to mark the occasion. She, of course, needs to come to model it for you! Browse the whole store, not just the rings, to keep the surprise factor intact, but make sure you note down the size of the bands which fit her best.

Borrow a ring

One of the most reliable methods of finding a ring size is borrowing one of her favourite rings and taking it to the jewellers with you - but this can be difficult if she wears it all the time! If you do get the chance to raid her jewellery box, act quickly, and make sure you put the ring back in the same place. It’s also important to remember that you need a ring that she wears on her third finger. Borrowing a thumb ring, for instance, could take you drastically off track!

Trace an existing ring

If your beloved has eagle eyes and is likely to notice that a piece of her jewellery has gone missing, even if it’s just for a few hours, then tracing her favourite ring might be a more advisable alternative. This will give you a rough idea of sizing which you can then show your jeweller to get a more definite classification. More unusual versions of this include making an imprint of the ring in a bar of soap, or even in clay, but these are riskier strategies which are only to be used as a last resort.

And if it still doesn’t fit?

It’s not the end of the world! Any reputable jeweller will be able to resize a ring for you, often at no extra cost. Ultimately, she’ll care about the fact that you’re asking her to marry you much more than the size of the ring, so relax and enjoy your special moment.

If you need to choose an engagement ring to wow your beloved, Appleby can help, even if you don’t know her size! We have a stunning range of engagement rings to suit all tastes – why not pay us a visit online or in store?

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Unknown Appleby's, Engagement Facts, Engagement Rings

Infographic: Top Ten Engagement Facts and Trends by SimplyBridal.com

Check out SimplyBridal.com

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Unknown Engagement Facts, Engagement Rings, infographics