I have quite a bit of experience with ignorance. As such, I feel qualified to relate a few little known facts about engagement ring shopping to my fellow underinformed. Ignorant may not be the right word to use, but I don’t know of a better one.
Someone recently reached our site via a google search on “which hand do you wear an engagement ring on?” and it brought me back to the days when I was beginning the search for a ring to give my now wife. I asked her what kind of rings she liked, (which may or may not be a good idea depending on multiple variables) and she replied “Something in Platinum with Diamonds.” Armed with this information, I went to my local jeweler and relayed the specifics, after which he showed me a platinum ring with diamonds. “Great, I said, can I send her a picture? And I did. And she wasn’t thrilled. And I thought this was strange because as far as I was concerned, this ring satisfied not one, but BOTH of her criteria. It was Platinum. It had Diamonds. Without going into details, I ended up having a custom ring made after she sent me about 15 pictures of styles she liked. Along the way, I learned a few things:
The Engagement Ring Is The Big One
I thought the big ring would be the one she got for got for becoming legally bound to me, not just saying she would. No, the woman gets the (big) engagement ring first. The (little) wedding band you’ll slip on her finger at the actual wedding ceremony is just the coup de grâce after the battle has been won by the giant diamond ring. This seemed counter intuitive to me at first, but I’ve since realized that I don’t have intuition.
Finger Size Matters
Scientists agree that people come in many sizes. Research shows that these size differences are not restricted to height, weight and foot size, but can actually manifest themselves in the form of differing finger diameters. Perhaps this was obvious to everyone else. In any case, when shopping for a ring, you must know your intended’s finger size. And not just ANY finger size. This led me to my next revelation:
Wedding And Engagement Rings Will Be Worn On The Left Ring Finger
It is critical that you obtain the correct finger size, and to do so you must measure the correct finger. Fingers on one hand may be larger than fingers on the other. So, measuring a ring that she wears on her right ring finger may not give you an accurate size for her left ring finger. Most rings can be sized, but if you want a ring that has inlaid stones in it, stones set all the way around, or designs/engraving that go all the way around, it will probably have to be built in the correct size.
Hopefully, you haven’t learned anything by reading the above. If you have, remember: never attempt to make toast while blow drying your hair in the bathtub.
