Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy    by Wendy Townley Platinum versus gold Knowing what metal your girlfriend would prefer for her engagement ring can be as easy as poking through her jewelry box. Does she fancy white metals, such as white gold, platinum and sterling? Or does the warmer tone of yellow gold make her glitter? Hunt around and ask questions before meeting with your jeweler, and come armed with information about those metals that make up the ring. Proctor says knowing the difference to the metals is key to finding the perfect ring at the price you can most afford. He offers the following guidelines about platinum, white gold and yellow gold: Platinum It's pure, rare and eternal. It's 35 times more rare than gold, and its density and weight make it more durable than other jewelry metals. Platinum holds stones securely, and loses virtually no metal over time. It is a natural white metal and is hypoallergenic. White gold Several brides often select white gold as a less expensive alternative to platinum. White gold is created by mixing yellow gold with whitening alloys, such as nickel. Rhodium plating may further enhance the color of white gold, making it brighter and whiter. However, white gold may appear more yellow over the years without repeated rhodium plating. Because it’s gold, it also may wear down more quickly through the years. Yellow gold Gold, also known as yellow gold, is also a natural metal. It comes out of the ground yellow and stays yellow. Gold is not as durable as platinum, however, and may wear down more quickly through the years. "Men need to keep in mind many women have a preference to yellow or white metals," Proctor said. "Pay close attention to what she wears and what she prefers. Even though she may own or wear many yellow gold pieces as part of her jewelry wardrobe, she may ultimately prefer her engagement ring to be a white metal." Making sure your dollars make sense Advertising campaigns have encouraged men for years to spend a few months' salary on engagement rings. Jewelry designers say the price of an engagement ring pales in comparison to what the piece stands for and represents for a lifetime. So what's the best advice? And how much should you really spend? Linda Garrido of Natalie K says not all men are able to spend three months' salary on an engagement ring. Instead, Garrido said, a proper balance should be achieved between the ring she wants and the amount of money he can afford to spend. "The wedding ring is symbolic of the commitment between the man and the woman, with their style and economic situation is mind," she said. O'Connor says the amount of money a man should spend on an engagement ring is a very personal decision. "He obviously wants to get her something that she will love," he said. "The suggested rule of thumb is that the engagement ring should equal two months' salary. However, whatever the amount chosen should be a budget he feels comfortable spending. Once the budget is set, one helpful tip on how to apportion the amount on an engagement ring is to keep in mind the old 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the budget should go toward the center diamond, while 20 percent should be reserved for an appropriate mounting." A basic, barebones engagement ring can begin at the $1,500 price point and increase from there. The key to understanding what an engagement ring costs ties into what you're paying for. Consider what your future bride would prefer, and make those decisions accordingly. If she is more about stone than band, spend a little more on the diamond. If she would prefer a more ornate wedding band, opt for a smaller diamond with a more intricate setting. Buying online Most experience the process of purchasing an engagement ring the traditional way: walking into a jeweler’s store and speaking directly with a salesperson. The internet, however, has yielded another option to not only researching engagement rings, but also buying them, as well. A variety of websites can not only help educate you on buying an engagement ring, but also purchasing loose stones. In some cases, men opt to purchase loose diamonds and then hire a jeweler to actually create the ring his future bride will wear. Some of these Web sites are: www.bluenile.com www.diamondsonweb.com www.mondera.com www.diamonds-usa.com www.diamondsafe.com www.1800loosediamonds.com www.diamond.com Websites such as these can be an ideal place to begin the search for loose diamonds, either to simply obtain pricing options or to make the final purchase. If you have any concerns about purchasing a loose diamond on the Internet, call the company behind the online store. In most cases, such Web sites have professionals on hand who can answer your questions and guide you through the diamond-buying process. What about wedding bands? In some cases, the engagement ring wouldn't be complete without a complementary wedding band. While some brides opt for just one ring, many more are following the trend of a wedding set, where an engagement ring and wedding band are worn at the same time. There are countless styles of rings today that serve as both the engagement ring and wedding ring. Some more traditional brides may opt for a simple solitaire paired with an eternity band, for example. "The wedding band, in recent years, has, unfortunately, played somewhat of a second-fiddle role to the engagement ring," O'Connor said. "The unfortunate part of this is the fact that the wearing of a wedding band is actually much more significant than the engagement ring. While the engagement ring signifies the promise of marriage, it is the wedding band that is symbolic of the commitment between a couple and given on the day that both of their lives are truly changed." If you’re unsure whether your bride-to-be would prefer a wedding set (engagement ring and wedding band) or just one ring, seek advice from your jeweler. In all cases, finding an accompanying wedding band to the engagement ring you purchased is a much easier task when the style you’ve selected can be matched easily with a band ring. Proctor says recent surveys have revealed that the wedding band is most often purchased later by the couple together. "Wedding bands are usually purchased three months before the wedding date, whereas the engagement ring may be purchased up to a year—maybe more, maybe less—before the wedding," he said. Abajian doesn't subscribe to formal rules about wedding sets and wedding rings for future brides. "Some of today's new designs are wide enough that you don't need the wedding band," Abajian said. "But if you really like the idea of wearing a wedding ring, buy the engagement ring and the wedding band together as a set. It's really about your personal preference." While buying the engagement ring and wedding band as a set is ideal, jewelry designers often can create a coordinating wedding band for an engagement ring they did not design. Don't forget about you As you budget for your future wife's engagement ring and wedding band, don't forget about a wedding band for you. Even if you're not the type of guy who wants a diamond-studded ring, your wedding band should still be one that's made of the finest metals and that will last a lifetime. Many couples prefer to purchase the groom's wedding band as part of the entire set. For example, if the future bride has opted for a diamond wedding set that's set in platinum, the future groom's wedding band would be platinum, as well. Keep in mind that your wedding band should maintain its simple brilliance for years to come, even if it isn't sparkling with stones. Go back