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buyer's guide

A guide to buying an engagement ring

Buying an engagement ring can be up there as one of the most important and expensive purchases in your life. It can feel like a daunting task, with as many unanswered questions. What size diamond do I get? What style should I go for? How much should I spend? 

This guide will give you some help and guidance too help you find your best choice.

  • Step one: Finding the right style

    Take inspiration from they already wear or what's in in their jewellery box, maybe they are into Art-Deco jewellery, vintage jewellery, if you can.. take a photo and send it to us via email, then I can give some suggestions for what style may work.

    Think about their style, colours and even the type of job they do – the ring should fit their daily life as well as be the ring of their dreams. If you are really stuck, bring their best friend along to help design the ring.

  • Step two: Finding the right jeweller

    Knowing which jeweller to choose is obviously the hardest part, from my twenty four years of experience, if you have no idea of styles, I would suggest looking around some of the shops on Hatton Garden or Old Bond Street, online can be helpful...but sometimes there's just too much and you can't get a feel for how the ring looks on the finger.

    In my biased opinion, using a workshop is always best as you can discuss exactly what you want with the craftsman that essentially will be making your ring.

    All jewellers should provide you with unique numbered certifications if you are buying precious gems: I use GIA (Gemological Institute of America) for mined diamonds, IGI for lab-grown diamonds and a highly regarded London certifier for our gemstones such as emeralds & sapphires, we also belong to the National Associaton of Jewellers which ensures all members abide by a code of conduct, increasing consumer confidence in the purchase of jewellery.

    Also look for genuine review platforms such as Google reviews, testimonials that have been created on a website can't really prove their authenticity as they can just be written up by content creators.

    Once you have a good feeling with the jeweller you have met and have seen some of their previous work, always get a invoice/quote on an email with all of the exact details such as the unique diamond enscription, total carat weight and ring description.

    Never pay all upfront, I only ever ask for half upfront and half on completion.

  • Step three: Deciding a budget

    Before approaching a bespoke jeweller such as myself, try to have a budget in mind. 

    Don’t worry about the supposed rules of three month’s salary being the budget guideline, go with what fits your requirements, or you can just let me know an amount that you don't want to exceed, it's very easy to go over budget in the world of precious gems.

  • Step four: Choosing the right gem

    Diamonds are graded according to the Four C’s; Cut, Colour, Carat weight and Clarity. 

    You can juggle with all of the four C’s to some extent to find a diamond or gemstone that fits your budget and desired size, but try not to compromise on the quality of the cut, a diamond can be graded D Flawless, but this definitely doesn't guarantee it's going to be full of the all important 'natural fire'..

    The way the stone has been cut and polished is very important and these are the kind of apsects I would be showing you to make the right choice.

    I will show you a range to gems, so that you can see how the quality changes and how it effects the sparkle and natural fire in the gem.

Step five: Commissiong the jeweller

Once the decision is made, Daniel will begin to create the ring of your dreams

Contact Daniel here
  • Eternity rings

    An eternity ring is a sign of everlasting love.

    Eternity rings are just as much of a promise of commitment as an engagement ring or wedding ring.

    They can be fully set with gemstones or they can have less if so desired.

  • Celebration of children gifts

    Creating people's engagement rings leads me to client's eventually asking for jewellery representing their family or maybe a gift with family members names engraved.

  • Signet rings

    Signet rings have become hugely popular over the last few years.

    I regularly make them with initals of family crests, sometimes birthstones can be incorporated for that personal touch.

    I use the traditional method of wax seal engraving or laser engraving when needed.