Short Fingers

For petite hands and shorter fingers, 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 small hands.

Sylvie Collection

Wide or Large 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 center 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.

Sylvie Collection

Long 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 center stone engagement ring.

Sylvie Collection

Big Knuckles

The solution for large knuckles is to square the shank in the back, so the engagement ring doesn’t slide around the finger. Thicker or heavily adorned bands draw attention to the ring instead of the middle of the finger.

Sylvie Collection

What should come first selecting a setting or a stone?

The stone does need to come first, so the setting can be built around it. If you choose setting that can hold only a round shape, you won’t have the flexibility to change the shape when you choose the stone. The setting design is important because that is really the only way to add your personal touch to your engagement ring. The number of shapes out there are fixed, everyone will have one of the 10 major shapes.  The setting can truly be one of a kind. This is especially true if you choose an original antique setting, no one in the world will have it!

Once the total budget is set, how much in ratio should be spent on the setting and the stone?

Generally 15-20% of the overall budget can go to an elaborate setting. If you are getting a simple solitaire setting, it will cost about $400 which would be only a small percentage of the total cost of diamond. If you found a great deal on a diamond and have leftover budget, definitely invest more in your setting.  If the diamond you want is over budget, get the diamond with simple solitaire, you should always be happy with the diamond you wanted!

Do you have a favorite famous diamond? Which one? Why?

The 24.78 carat pink diamond bought by Lawrence Graff this year for $45.6 million, the most expensive diamond in history.  It’s our favorite diamond because we do have experience with pink diamonds, and I enjoy selling the colored diamonds much more than the whites due to their extreme rarity. They are so rare, so hard to find, it’s like I’m in a worldwide scavenger hunt with a big prize if you are the winner! The Lawrence Graff’s sale helped make pinks more popular, and it is amazing to think someone is willing to pay that much money for a stone.

Which diamond center (cut, size, quality) would you recommend for a classic girl?

Rounds are the most popular, and I would say too classic. Of the non-rounds, the classic shapes are cushion and emerald, as they are timeless and were popular during the antique period at the turn of the 20th century. If you have the budget, GIA certified is preferred although they are a big more pricey than EGL diamonds. Don’t go lower in color than J, and no lower in clarity than SI2. A high color (D-E-F) or high clarity (flawless,VVS2), is unnecessary even if you have the budget, it will not look much different than the lower color and clarity, but will cost thousands more and not worth the money.

What about for a girl, maybe a celebrity with no cap on the budget?

Definitely a fancy color diamond.  Everyone has white diamonds. If there is no cap on the budget, go for rarity. Anyone who knows diamonds will immediately be wowed when a fancy color diamond is on a woman’s body.  I would not recommend yellow, as there are too many of them on the market. The pinks and blues are the most desired, rarest, and most expensive color diamonds. The rarest of the rare are the red diamonds: money is not the issue here, the challenge is to find someone willing to sell their red diamond.

Tell us the whole story about a diamond you recently found for a young man about to propose….

Our largest sale was a 2ct intense pink for half a million dollars. Its incredible to think that a 2ct white diamond will cost between 7-15,000 on average, and a pink will sell for that high. Extremely rare, the sale itself was as much of a challenge of finding the diamond.  We spent 4 months sourcing the diamond all over the world. We found one in Israel, shipped it directly to LA to a high value shipping courier, we flew to LA, the customer flew with his own plane to LA, we met at the shipping couriers office and made the sale.  Because of the high value, the stone was never released to us. It remained at the shipper’s office, and re-shipped to the customer’s address. This examples shows the element of ‘concierge service’ when buying a diamond. The process is much like working with a real-estate agent who helps you with a home sale. The agents have access to the exclusive properties, you need a really good agent to find your dream home. Diamond Concierge Service is exactly that – an agent with 30 years of contacts in the industry who will find your perfect diamond.

Best wishes,
Diamond Concierge Service

Find her ring size

Whether it is the first step you take or the final piece you add in the engagement ring equation, at some point you are going to need to know her ring size. Nowadays, some jewelers offer something called an engagement setting in which you pick out the diamond(s) and place them in a temporary setting, just to get you through the proposal. Afterward, you and your new fiancée can go back to the jewelers and select the perfect mount together.

That may work for some, but I am not one of these people. I want Miss Right’s ring to be 100 percent me. There are several techniques you can employ to gather such important information with varying degrees of danger and accuracy. You can try the less invasive procedure of taking a ring of hers—one that she is not wearing at the present moment but one you’ve seen her wear recently—and either trace the inside of it on a piece of paper, or slip it on one of your own fingers, taking note of where it stops on your digit. These might be the most undetectable methods of sizing, but they are somewhat unreliable.

The method I employed was one of the breaking-and entering kind. Miss Right was gone for the day, so I cracked open her jewelry box and extracted a well-worn ring of hers that I knew fit her finger comfortably. It brings with it a bigger risk of getting caught, but it also delivers the necessary information right to the jeweler. This method greatly erases the possibility that any of her ring size information gets lost in translation. Just make sure you get that ring back in its exact spot before your girlfriend returns. Otherwise you might have to explain to a police officer why your girlfriend’s favorite ring from her grandmother had gone missing yet ended up in your pocket.

Look to others for help but trust your own instinct

There came a point—about three seconds after walking through the door of the first jewelry store—during my engagement ring information round-up where I wanted to elicit some outside help in picking the right diamond. The two most obvious candidates were Miss Right’s best friend and mother, but I soon learned it might be better to make such a decision on my own.

If you turn to an outside source for help, you also run the risk of blowing the element of surprise that often comes with a wedding proposal. I shuddered at the thought of spending the day with Miss Right’s best friend, finding the perfect ring that will remind her every day just how much I love her, and returning home to find my girlfriend talking into the phone and saying,“I have to go, he just got home, I’ll call you when it happens.” All the while she is smiling ear to ear and doing a lousy job of playing dumb. You don’t want to go through all the trouble of purchasing the perfect ring and planning a great proposal only to be bested by a friend who can’t keep her mouth shut.

“An engagement ring is a sign of love between two people,” says Anat Adi-Atias, vice president of Distinctive Diamonds, a wholesale diamond company that specializes in engagement and wedding rings. “You wouldn’t want your fiancée waking up every morning and looking at a ring that anyone besides you picked out.”

If you don’t think you have what it takes to pick the perfect ring, let me tell you a little secret. While your girlfriend may be opinionated about what is wrong with someone else’s engagement ring, her heart will melt the second you drop to one knee. It is amazing how easily she will fall head over heels for her ring. It will make you both smile to know that the ring she wears is straight from your heart, no need for outsourcing.

Pay attention to her clues

If you are a guy and you’ve been in a relationship long enough to be thinking about a proposal, you’ve also been in a relationship long enough to hear the words, “Are you even listening to me?” spill out of your lady’s lips a couple hundred times. While it is hard to pretend you care even the slightest about her latest shopping trip with friends, you need to pay attention for some subtle and not-so-subtle hints that might be dropped.

While she and her friends were window shopping, she might have noticed a particular style of ring she really liked. If she mentions such an experience, do not ask her for a pen and start taking notes right in front of her. Instead, keep it in the back of your mind until you are alone and can write yourself a little reminder for later. It will score you major bonus points if, on that day you ask her to marry you, she opens the ring box and sees the same style she told you about months before.

Gentlemen, I’m sure you can think of a few times when you and your girlfriend were at a party in which you bumped into a recently engaged couple and her diamond was displayed. I can think of no less than half a dozen instances where Miss Right has said, “It’s so gorgeous!” to the bride-to-be. However, as soon as the couple was out of earshot, I was told, “If you ever get me a yellow gold band, I will not marry you.” So I now know that whatever diamond—or if she gets her way,multiple diamonds—I buy, it is going to be held in place by a white gold or platinum setting. I have a crucial element of her dream ring in place, and I never had to ask a question. All I had to do was listen to her talk a little trash about someone else’s ring.

Know her personality

Another suggestion is to simple know the woman you’re with. Does she like traditional things or contemporary designs? Is she a flashy dresser, or does she take a more modest approach to fashion? Does she usually wear silver-colored jewelry or pieces made of yellow gold?

“These types of answers will usually hold true in all facets of her life,” Andalman says.“For instance, if she is a nurse, she is going to want a diamond that doesn’t protrude; she’ll want the stone protected so it doesn’t get caught on anything. So even if you can’t remember the exact type of cut she likes, as long as you know enough about her, a good jeweler can help you find the right ring.”

Picking out an engagement ring is not something you should hope to bang out in between washing your car and the start of the 1 o’clock Sunday football games. Don’t go out shopping with the determination that today is the day you are buying an engagement ring. When you find the right ring that says “I love you enough that I want to spend every day from here on out with you and only you,” you’ll know it. Don’t be intimidated by fancy jewelry stores; if they are really worth your business, they will treat you with respect and act as a helpful, guiding hand.

The Bottom Line

Above all, make sure you ask questions. It is OK not to know everything about diamonds and engagement rings; that is why jewelers exist. All you need to know when you walk into a jewelry store is that she is the right girl for you. Because after all is said and done, the only two people in this entire galaxy that have to be happy with a particular engagement ring are just one boy and that one girl.

Shopping Tips

* Start out looking online to get a sense of what’s available and general price points. A good place to start is our retailer directory, or you can check out online options here.

* Other online sources to check out for general information are A Diamond is Forever, Precious Platinum, GIA and Pricescope.

* Head to the mall with your gal and casually stop by a jewelry store to see what captures her interest. You also can get a sense of what she likes by listening to comments she makes about rings she may see in magazines, on TV, or worn by friends or family.

* Engagement rings are the bread and butter for most jewelers, so they will be happy to work with you and help answer any and all questions you may have. Don’t be shy about asking questions; more than likely, they’ve heard it before.

* Make sure you are clear about the jeweler’s policy on exchanges and returns and also about sizing the ring.

Finding Out Her Ring Style

Want to find our what kind of ring style she might like? Look at her clothing and home decorating choices. If they are streamlined and fresh, alternative or fashion-forward, she’s a modern girl. Does she choose classic pieces and love retailers like Ann Taylor and Pottery Barn? If so, she’s a traditional girl. Is she inclined to wear feminine clothing and fill her home with frilly ruffles and lace? You can bet she’s a romantic. The modern girl may be attracted to a design that’s fresh or features an unusual cut, metal or design. A classic solitaire’s a fit for a traditional girl. The girly girl will probably swoon over an ornate pavé, Edwardian or Victorian setting.

>>Take the “Find Her Ring Style” Quiz! <<

If you look at her other jewelry, you also should be able to determine if she favors white metals or yellow gold. If she doesn’t wear any jewelry, go with a subtle white metal. You’ll also need to discover her ring size. The simplest solution is to borrow one of her rings and take it with you to a jeweler. You also can trace the interior of one of her rings onto a piece of paper.

How do I know I’m on a trusted site?

Unfortunately nearly anybody can set up a site and pull lists of diamonds from various sources. When they sell a stone they contact the manufacturer and have them send it directly to their customer. This is called “drop shipping,” and the website never actually sees the product being sold. What the consumer needs to find is an online retailer who has direct access to the merchandise listed and can actually see and describe the stones to the consumer.

Beyond that, the consumer should be able to communicate directly with a knowledgeable gemologist and receive pictures of the actual stones being considered. Comparison pictures of the diamonds side-by-side are especially useful when considering fancy shaped diamonds (i.e. not round).

What about returns or sizing or other procedures that are usually done through a jewelry store?

Returns and sizing are easily handled by e-tailers. The only caveat, if the consumer is not in the vicinity of the store, is that it has to be done by mail. That said, for the sake of expediency, many of our customers choose to get their rings sized by their local jeweler.

What about exchanges/returns?

A generous money-back guarantee is essential. Stay away from any site that offers store credit or two weeks or less for their returns as this does not give the consumer enough time to properly appraise their purchase. A 30-day money back guarantee is the gold standard. Another pitfall could be the appraisal process. Stay away from any site that tells you specifically who to use for your appraisal. Invariably it will be a colleague of theirs and the appraisal will not be worth the paper it is written on. Ideally the consumer needs to find an independent appraiser, one that is not connected in any way to the buying or selling of jewelry and will not be biased in their assessment.

What are some basic tips you can offer those who are thinking about buying an engagement ring online?

Get informed! Information is widely available through websites and extremely hard to get through a local store. Spend some time learning the terminology and you will soon know more than most mall jewelry store salespeople. Be a little weary of consumer forums. They tend to over analyze the numbers rather than look at the actual stone. Visit consumer advocacy sites and others for some unbiased, in-depth, type-A-personality-friendly information.

What’s the best thing about buying an engagement ring online?

The buying experience online is relaxed. You can shop from home at any time. It is easy to compare prices between different websites as well as get information about specific stones without feeling obligated. All in all, buying an engagement ring online is the perfect way to use all the technology available to your best advantage.

Wherever you decide to purchase the engagement ring, remember not to get too bogged down with finding the best deal (as is usually the case when shopping online). Take advantage of the many choices you have and focus on picking the ring that you know is best for her.

It’s expected for this $8 billion to reach over $9 billion by 2013. This is a growth of over 13 percent over the next five years. As we all know, the engagement ring and wedding ring have diamonds (being the main cause of why they are so darn expensive!) with more than two-thirds of the of them being white gold.

But how much will you spend on your ring?

Traditionally, a man is expected to spend at least the equivalent of two month’s salary, although a lesser amount is acceptable these days.

There are several reasons why the engagement ring is so costly.

Historically, the cost of engagements rings was a way for the man to show the woman (and her family) that he could could make a conscious effort at saving. By saving for the ring, he showed that he was capable of saving for a future home.

Should the couple fall upon hard times, there would always be the ring to ‘pawn’ in order to get through. But because most young people no longer live in their parent’s homes but have outgoings of their own, unless you’re an especially high earner, nobody will expect you to “prove your worth” by spending two months salary on an engagement ring these days. What is important is that you spend enough to show her just how much she means to you, based on your own personal budget.

Below are some additional tips on how much to spend on an engagement ring:

Remember the 80/20 rule. Once the budget is set, keep in mind the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the budget should go toward the center diamond, while 20 percent should be reserved for an appropriate mounting.

Does she like expensive things? Everyone is different. Some women are more laid-back while others want the absolute best. If your girlfriend is someone with expensive taste who enjoys designer clothes and isn’t afraid to drop a lot of money on a handbag, then she might expect a pricey ring that’s comparable to the other pricey things that she owns.

Is she plain, more laid back? For some women, an engagement ring will be the only piece of jewelry they will ever wear. These women won’t want a gigantic ring because it will seem too flashy for them. Go for a smaller, less blingy ring for these women

Is she classic? A lot of women like tradition, and when it comes to engagement rings they expect something classic like the Tiffany setting. The classic ring doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive, but the classic girl definitely expects a nicely sized diamond that sparkles and sits up high.

Does she like large diamonds? Consider what your future bride would prefer: If she cares more about a larger stone than a band, spend a little more on the diamond. If she would prefer a setting that really sparkles, opt for a smaller diamond with a more intricate setting.

Don’t forget wedding bands! Don’t forget you will also need wedding bands for yourself and your bride. These can be simple or ornate depending on your style and budget.

Stone noun \ˈstōn\

Pretty self-explanatory, but this is usually the diamond or gemstone.

Setting noun \sɛtɪŋ\

(Also known as Mounts or Blanks)

This is where the stone sits. If you purchase an engagement ring setting or an engagement ring mount, these are engagement rings without a center stone.

Solitaire noun /sol-i-tair/

A solitaire setting has space for a single featured stone in a plain band.

Multi-stone noun /muhl-tee ˈstōn/

A multi-stone setting has space for two or more feature stones in each mounting.

Semi-mount noun /sem-ahy mount/

This is a ring already decorated with diamonds or colored stones with spaces for a central featured stone.

Pave noun /pav-ey/

A pave setting is a semi-mount featuring tiny stones set so close together that very little metal shows through. The name comes from the French for pavement — it’s “paved” with precious stones. Get it?

Women often give clues about their preferences. Does she:
- Admire someone else’s ring while you’re in earshot? ( Or alternatively, does she dislike a specific style?)

- Linger in front of certain jewelry store windows?

- Leave magazines with jewelry pictures lying around?

- Draw your attention to a ring in some off-handed way?

Chances are she’s subtly communicating what she has in mind. (From his official blog.)

Unless you both have talked openly about buying the ring together, then the actual discussion is probably all hush-hush. The only way around it is through subtle hints to nudge the other in the right direction. Some couples might hate this game, but depending on the couple, it might work. The rule here for guys is to not make assumptions. Make sure you know what she likes before you buy the ring.

Here are some additional tips on how to find out what she likes without tipping her off:

Consult her friends. Usually her friends can tell you what kind of jewelry she likes. Take your girl’s best friend or mother along with you to the jewelry store to help you out.

What does her existing jewelry look like? What is her fashion sense? If your girl wears a lot of pricey, designer brand jewelry, then most likely she’ll want a pricey designer ring. If your girl is more laid back and doesn’t wear much jewelry, she’ll want a smaller ring that’s more on the plain side.

What does she say about other people’s rings? Did someone in your life just get engaged? Did your girlfriend say anything about the engagement ring? Did she like it? Did she hate it? She might be leaving more clues than you think. Remember to listen and don’t tune her out.

“There is an audited trail from the ring all the way back to the mines, with paperwork showing they are conflict-free,” Rebecca Aubert, senior gemologist for De Beer Diamond Jewellers US Inc, told Engagement 101.

Thanks to these efforts, more than 99 percent of all diamonds are from conflict-free sources.

“The industry did such a good job implementing the Kimberely Process that it’s really not an issue,” said Doug McDowell, CEO of Memoire.

However, if you want to be sure, just ask your jeweler for proof. Any reputable retailer will not hesitate to provide evidence of the diamond’s origins, which is another reason why you should always ask for a certificate or an appraisal for a diamond.

Other tips for avoiding conflict diamonds

Avoid buying from shady jewelry websites. Most likely these places are being operated from China where they make cheap replicas of pricey designer rings. These companies are more likely to use blood diamonds.

Buy diamonds from Canada. Ask your jeweler if their diamonds have been mined in Canada, or go with a Canadian jewelry company.

In addition to certificates, ask your jeweler for a written guarantee that their diamonds are conflict-free. The document will give you peace of mind about the certainty of the diamond.

Regardless of how it may look displayed with other jewelry, the engagement ring remains constant on a woman’s hand. Even after the wedding, a woman gleefully will recall the story behind the ring and, perhaps more importantly, the relationship with her husband.

No better way is the story of the engagement ring told than in With This Ring: The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Jewelry by Penny Proddow and Marion Fasel (November 2004, Bulfinch Press). The authors know their stuff when it comes to wedding jewelry. Besides having written three other books on jewelry, Proddow and Fasel are contributing editors in the fine jewelry and watch department for InStyle magazine. Proddow and Fasel cover the history of the engagement ring, the high fashion styles today’s celebrities don’t mind showing off and key tips about when the time’s right to purchase the ever-important engagement ring.

“The history behind the engagement ring is absolutely fascinating,” Fasel said. “The engagement ring has become so romantic and so historical. When you follow the jewelry, you get the whole story.”

Through research for the book, Fasel discovered the striking similarity between the women proposed to and the attachment to their engagement rings. “This beautiful ring represents your love, commitment and devotion, there for the world to see,” Fasel said. “It makes people glow, and not just because of the beautiful jewel. It’s a new chapter in their lives that’s about to begin.”

The early origins of the engagement ring

Just like any bridal tradition, the engagement ring has a story all its own. It didn’t just start out displayed beautifully in a glass-enclosed counter at a fine jewelry store. Hardly. Dating back to Rome in the third century, as With This Ring explains, the traditional engagement ring often was designed as a key and was made from brass, bronze or iron. The idea was the ring unlocked a new life for the married woman. Some of these key rings even unlocked jewelry boxes with special treasures hidden deep inside.

In sixth-century England, a newly married woman not only received her key ring, but also a number of other valuables the couple would share, including keys to her new home that hung delicately around her waist. Even the wedding service incorporated the importance of the key ring in words spoken by the father of the bride at the ceremony: “I give thee my daughter to be thy honor and thy wife, to keep thy keys, and to share with thee in thy bed and goods.” Today, the key ring remains an option for some couples throughout Europe.

The introduction of gold and gems

Gems and gold, a combination that would set the precedent for engagement rings for hundreds of years to follow, made their entrance on the engagement ring circuit in the 15th century. More often, royal families joining together through marriage were first seen with these types of engagement rings. Much like today’s engagement rings, each stone enveloped a special meaning. The ruby stood for love; the emerald, home; and diamonds sparkled for fidelity and durability.

Around this same time, well-to-do brides often received special rings with hidden messages. Most popular, the gimmel engagement ring had two rectangular gems, traditionally a diamond and ruby for commitment and passion, respectively. Just below the stones, satyrs and nymphs were displayed in colored enamel; a metaphor, according to the authors, “for a playful courtship.” When a couple became engaged, the ring was evenly split into two parts. The secret? The ring contained a special opening on the band. She wore one half, he wore the other. Inside the rings, traditional sayings or verses were often inscribed. One of the more popular sayings resulted from the wedding ceremony: “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

Fast-forward a few hundreds years. Welcome to the 18th century, where the Irish claddagh ring rang supreme. Worn today by jewelry aficionados of all cultures, the claddagh ring features two hands holding a heart adorned with a crown. The ring was often used as an engagement ring in Claddagh, a small fishing village off the western coast of Galway in Ireland. While the ring is associated with the village, the design actually originated a century earlier in Italy. Alternating letters of the couple’s first names were engraved inside the ring.

Hello, diamonds!

Eighteenth-century Europe is where the diamond engagement ring took center stage. A steady supply of diamonds discovered in Brazil made a diamond engagement ring more accessible for the upper classes. These rings often were found in silver and gold, beautifully displaying a center stone and two side stones. It also was at this time that a second ring—known today as the wedding band—was joined with the engagement ring at the time of the ceremony. Queen Charlotte, wife of George III of England, opted to nestle a diamond band with her engagement ring.

In 1886, the Tiffany setting took the engagement ring by storm. The setting allowed the stone to suspend high above the band, allowing greater amounts of light to pass through the stone. This, in turn, created an illumination atop the hands of married (and soon-to-be married) women across much of the world. The design’s creator, Charles Lewis Tiffany, knew the importance of a diamond engagement ring and wished for a stage to display its prominence and symbolism of love.

The engagement ring that’s yours alone

But enough about the history of engagement rings. Now, it’s about you. You’re on the cusp of getting engaged. You’ve dreamed and sketched ideas in your head for years. You know what you want, and you’re ready to get it. But before you rush off to see your fine jewelry sales associate, take the advice of Proddow and Fasel in With This Ring: The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Jewelry.

For starters, the authors say, know the terminology surrounding engagement rings. Coming to the store armed with information will help you get what you want when it’s time to buy. Stones, for example, are set a number of ways: bezel, channel, pave and micro pave, to name a few. If you find a picture of your perfect ring, do your homework. Be able to easily identify the parts of the ring before you start shopping.

A ring’s metal is just as important as the stone it’s displaying. Engagement rings use two types of metals: gold and platinum. Gold can be purchased in colors such as yellow, white and pink. Looking for a warm design that glows? Opt for yellow or pink gold. If shimmer and ice are what you’re after, consider white gold or platinum.

Of course, jewelry admirers would rather discuss the stone, the part of the engagement ring that, for the most part, takes center stage and catches the eye. Stones come in a number of cuts. Each cut provides the stone a different look, character and sparkle. The round brilliant stone maximizes natural light with its 58 facets. It’s a classic design that has been popular for years. The emerald cut, by comparison, clearly displays the stone’s clarity. Consider an emerald-cut stone as a perfectly formed ice cube. Any inclusions or imperfections surely will be seen by the naked eye.

If an antique style is more your cup of tea, consider the Asscher cut, designed in 1902. It’s a stone with a high crown, a small table, large step cuts and a deep pavilion. It’s a lengthy stream of words to describe a stone that, quite simply, melds antiquity and contemporary with great ease.

Whatever the style of engagement ring you receive, know that it’s uniquely your own. The longer you wear it, the stronger the ties you’ll have to this memento, which represents so much history and years of happiness and love yet to come.

–Wendy Townley