For many people shopping for an engagement ring is a confusing experience at the start. They haven't ever shopped for a diamond - how can they know what to look for? Hopefully I can help you get started. Shopping for an engagement ring should be a fun thing. It's such an exciting time of your life so try not to get stressed about this purchase. Let's look at the first three things you should do. Once you get these out of the way, you can focus on the most important part of the ring - the diamond.

Decide on a Budget

I always recommend that my clients do this first thing. Decide what price you can easily afford and stay with that price. There is not a definite rule about how much one should spend, but there are some people that have paid out about 2 months of their salary on a ring.

Please be wise and don't overspend - stay within your budget. I know friends who got too big of loans to purchase a ring and they are still paying for it years after the fact. It is ridiculous to put yourself into financial difficulties. You can always upgrade her ring later after your finances are more stable if you are unable to get the right stone size now. A number of factors go into figuring your budget but you do need to be prepared to pay a good chunk. The smile that the ring will put on her face will make the expense of the diamond well worth it and remember - she will wear it forever.

Choose the Preference of Metal for the Band

There are three choices for the metal used in the setting for the ring: yellow gold, platinum, and white gold. Look at the kind of jewelry she now has. If her preference is yellow gold that's an easy choice and the decision is made. On the other hand if her favorite jewelry is white gold or silver then your choice is between platinum and the white gold. Platinum is a whopping 3 times the price of white or yellow gold, so if you're on a budget white gold becomes an easy choice. However, platinum is the most durable of the 3 metals and numerous folks love it as they believe it's durability makes it possible for the ring to become a family heirloom. Keep in mind that the platinum will get a matte look unless you polish from time to time. This is really the only maintenance with this metal.

White gold is a bit shinier and less expensive than platinum. White gold can scratch easier than platinum but not to a degree that you have to be concerned. Every year or two you have to get it replated as the metal will start to get a yellowish tinge (white gold is just yellow gold mixed with other metals to make it a different color). Replating does not cost much however you will have to take it in every couple of years.

It is a good idea to compare how the white gold and platinum look. Some people like one and not the other. This will assist you in making a decision.

Choose the Type of Setting

The setting is just the style of the ring. Does it have multiple diamonds? Does it have just a singular diamond? This is decided by which setting you pick for the engagement ring. You have 3 main types to choose from. The most popular is the solitaire engagement ring, which is also the simplest. There is a single diamond on the band. What a perfect way to help show off that beautiful diamond. A 3 stone ring has one diamond in the center, and 2 diamonds that are smaller 1 being on each side. The diamonds on the sides are about 30 to 60% the size of the larger center diamond.

The last choice is the engagement ring with a center diamond and side stones - the side stones are numerous small diamonds. These small diamonds do not cost much because they are so small. If you are undecided as to which one she wants, try to discover her preference. Put one of her friends up to finding out after you swear them to secrecy. Since women chat about diamonds and jewelry so much she shouldn't get suspicious. You will also know whether you have made the best choice which will make you feel better.

After you have these three steps down, you can move on to the fun part - choosing the diamond! She is going to be wearing this for life so make sure you focus on getting a stunning diamond - it's so much fun seeing my wife get compliments on it. Reminds me of the good job I did!