Visit Martha Stewart Weddings Weddings Dresses & Style Wedding Jewelry Engagement Rings & Wedding Bands 20 Years of Wedding Wisdom: Shopping for Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands By Martha Stewart Editors Martha Stewart Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Website An article attributed to "Martha Stewart Editors" indicates when several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas. They are experts in their fields who research, create, and test the best ways to help readers design the life they want. The joy is in the doing. Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 20, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Sang An After two decades, we have learned a few secrets to narrowing in on the engagement ring and wedding bands you'll wear every day for the rest of your life. To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we're sharing our favorite pointers to help you decide on the ones that are ideal for you. 01 of 28 Suit Yourself Sang An When it comes to picking a ring, focus on what would complement your personal style. Have a favorite ring you already wear? Consider something similar that you know will be your new go-to classic. 02 of 28 Steven Kretchmer "Wear what you love, not what is trendy…you will feel comfortable and shine!" —Claudia Kretchmer, President, Steven Kretchmer 03 of 28 Go Shopping Sang An It doesn't hurt to browse; in fact, it can help you make your choice. Visit jewelry and antiques stores and try on different styles to learn what suits your hand and reflects your personality. Read 4 Need-to-Know Tips for Browsing—and Buying—an Engagement Ring 04 of 28 Uneek "Think of creative ways of hinting to him about the ring you want; make sure your jewelry style is noticeable to him at all times." —Benjamin Javaheri, President, Uneek 05 of 28 Get Inspired Sang An Clip photos from magazines or make a Pinterest board, and approach your jeweler with a very strong point of view when it comes time to make a decision. A picture truly is worth a thousand words. 06 of 28 Henri Daussi "Technology is playing a major role in the jewelry business. We're seeing many brides using social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram to find and share their engagement rings like never before." —Jeff Loots, President, Henri Daussi 07 of 28 Drop a Subtle Hint Sang An These days, a woman can have plenty of input, whether by opening a magazine to a certain page and placing it just so in a well-seen spot (hint: try under the remote) or by outright volunteering to go shopping. 08 of 28 Tacori "There are the 4Cs in diamonds—cut, clarity, color, carat—but the most important C is the fifth C. The fifth C is communication and I always recommend that our guys communicate with their girl and find out exactly what she wants. I know that the element of surprise is so important, but keep the surprise for the proposal and make sure you are getting her something that she loves. She is going to be wearing this ring on her finger for the rest of her life and you want to make sure that it fits her individual style." —Paul Taccorian, President of Sales & Marketing, Tacori 09 of 28 Design Your Own Ring Sang An Do you want an engagement ring as multifaceted as you are? The most personalized option is hiring a jeweler or goldsmith to create a ring from scratch, which typically takes about a month. There'll be a small design fee, but a good pro should be willing to work within any budget. 10 of 28 Forevermark "The 4Cs—cut, color, clarity, carat weight—are only four of the many characteristics of a diamond. Two diamonds with the same 4Cs may actually be very different." —Forevermark 11 of 28 Think Beyond the 4Cs Sang An When shopping for an engagement ring, look for brilliance (it reflects light), fire (it flashes colors), and scintillation (it sparkles). And be sure to examine stones in a variety of different lighting environments. Learn the 4Cs 12 of 28 Christopher Designs "The biggest challenge, when it comes to jewelry, is to make sure that what you buy is the best deal you can get without compromising quality. A smart solution is to buy from a company that has a good reputation and integrity." —Ursula Piekut, Director of New Business Development, Christopher Designs 13 of 28 Play Up the Cut If size matters most to you, but budget is a concern, you're better off selecting a diamond with a lower carat weight that's cut to maximize its size. See Our Glossary of Engagement Ring Cuts 14 of 28 Harry Kotlar "The size of your diamond is not permanent. Don't feel pressured to buy a carat weight that is outside of your budget. An upgrade ring purchase is always an option in the future." —David Wiener, President, Harry Kotlar 15 of 28 Negotiate the Price Kevin Cremens Everything in life is negotiable, and that includes fine jewelry. Ask for a discount. It won't always work, but it doesn't hurt to try. 16 of 28 Varna "There are ways to make your center diamond look substantially bigger without breaking your budget. Creative engagement ring designs are perfect for this. Look for an engagement ring with a diamond halo around the center diamond and your diamond will look much bigger." —Varna 17 of 28 Add Some Color Kevin Cremens If you're not the type to have a closet full of neutrals, why would your engagement ring be plain? Colorful stones are gaining popularity so don't be afraid to reflect your penchant for bright hues in your engagement ring. 18 of 28 Alex Sepkus "The most exciting change in jewelry is the growing interest in alternative center stones. We're moving away from the traditional white diamond to anything from sapphires to meteorite, which opens up so many options for a truly unique look and statement of self-expression." —Jeffrey Feero, Managing Partner, Alex Sepkus 19 of 28 Play With the Setting Want a modern, more minimalist look? Choose a bezel, gypsy, or tension setting. If you love a vintage vibe, opt for an Art Deco die-struck or three-stone setting. And if you really want to stand out, try an east-west setting, which displays a diamond horizontally. See Our Glossary of Engagement and Wedding Ring Settings 20 of 28 Blue Nile "In the past the trend has either been yellow gold, or white gold or platinum. One was in favor while the other was not. Today, brides embrace both shades, opening up more options for them to find their unique style." —Josh Holland, Spokesperson, Blue Nile 21 of 28 Get the Ring of Your Dreams An engagement ring is something you'll be wearing every day, so it doesn't make sense to wear one that doesn't fit your character. If you receive an heirloom or family ring that is not right for you, it's completely possible to reset it. See How to Reset an Heirloom Ring 22 of 28 Hearts of Fire "Take care of your jewelry! Have it cleaned and checked regularly. Your jewelry is an extension of you, so you want to feel comfortable wearing it daily." —Danielle Daugsiewicz, Perfection Stylist, Hearts on Fire 23 of 28 Keep It Shiny To keep your ring sparkling, clean it often to remove lotions, skin oil, and everyday dirt, which cloud it. You can soak the ring in warm water and mild dishwashing liquid, and scrub with a soft toothbrush. Or soak your diamond ring in equal parts ammonia and cold water for half an hour, and let it air dry. (Note: use this method with diamonds only; ammonia can damage other stones.) Any brand-name jewelry cleaner is another good option. Get More Tips on Caring For Your Engagement and Wedding Rings 24 of 28 Simon G. Jewelry "It is important to choose a wedding band that complements your engagement ring, but one thing that often goes unnoticed is that sometimes you will want to wear your band alone—especially when traveling. Make sure that your band looks as beautiful alone as it does when worn with the engagement ring." —Simon G. Jewelry 25 of 28 Don't Worry About Matching Roland Bello There's no need for wedding bands to look like one another. The groom should love his band as much as the bride loves hers. Find Wedding Bands for the Groom 26 of 28 Furrer Jacot US "It's better that a band is tighter rather than looser for males; it just takes time to be accustomed to wearing a band on his finger. Also, since so much is spent on the female's band, oftentimes the band for males does not receive a similar band of high quality and material." —Furrer Jacot US 27 of 28 Consider a Gift for Him Sang An An elegant timepiece ticks off all the right boxes for a wedding present for the husband-to-be: It shows off his style, it lasts a lifetime, and then there's the added bonus that he won't be late for very important dates. See 16 Men’s Watches That Make an Extra-Special Groom’s Gift 28 of 28 Baume & Mercier "Purchasing a watch as a gift for your groom is certainly challenging as there are many choices and factors to consider. By selecting a Baume & Mercier, you can be assured that you are buying a watch of the utmost Swiss-made quality from a brand that has been producing watches for nearly 200 years. Baume & Mercier continues to be part of our customers' lives as they gift our watches to commemorate so many of life's special moments." —Rudy Chavez, President of Baume & Mercier North America, Baume & Mercier Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit