Did you pick a ring you love or that looked best on you?

[barbiebien]

Or maybe both?

Did you love a style so much but not on your hands or vice versa?

 

[Laila619]

Thin, dainty settings don't look good on me, so I had to pick a chunkier setting.

I'd suggest trying on a bunch of styles--you might love a ring in the case but find on your hand it doesn't look so great, and vice versa.

 

[Enerchi]

One I loved. (In anything I buy myself - except clothes - then it's whatever looks good!)

There is no point buying jewellry you don't totally love. You will have it on your hand (if its e ring or WB) hopefully for a very long time. I wouldn't want to look and everytime be thinking "wish I got the XXXX design instead of this". Life is too short -get what you love and love what you get!

 

[partgypsy]

I like simpler, streamlined or organic designs and think they look better on me too I think. Sometimes I admire the artistry of a particular piece of jewelry but know it wouldn't work with the rest of my clothing, etc style.
I admire my mother's mom. she had a distinct style of wearing matching bright colors (bright yellow, turquoise blue, whites), simple cut but slim fitting outfits (think yellow tank and yellow slacks or capris), with big bold jewelry (think Faberge). Even though the stuff was fabulous fakes I loved looking at how she put herself together, including the matching or complimentary purses and shoes or sandals. I just know I can't pull off that kind of look.

 

[yennyfire]

For me, they are not mutually exclusive. I love what I have and I thunk it looks good on my hand and goes with my sense of style.

 

[Snow_Miser]

This is a problem I am having right now! I haven't found any style that I love when I put it on, so I am just going with something that I like...

 

[Snicklefritz]

I pick what I love.

The first time around, I was drawn toward relatively subtantial looking mountings that were a minimum of 5mm thick, preferably with a split shank. Most people (jewelers, family, etc) all thought these sorts of mountings looked too bulky on me as I have short, smallish fingers/hands (size 4.5). But I like a big look (darn fashion rings), so I got what I wanted - a split shank mounting that was approx 8mm wide at the top that tapered to about 3.5mm at the base. And once it was all said and done, no one said boo about it They told me they loved it, and I couldn't see any reason not to believe them. It was stunning!

This time (yes, this will be my 2nd engagment), I've fallen for an estate ring with a much more delicate tiffany-esque look and a not-so-popular diamond shape. I started off gravitating toward the heavier settings again, but when I tried this ring on, it just felt right. No money has been put on the table yet, but it looks like we're headed in this direction. Totally different style than I thought I'd want, and I struggled to determine if I was truly getting what I wanted or what I felt I should want because it looked better according to others. But after a few trips back to the jewelery store, there was no question about who I was pleasing by pursuing a ring that didn't meet my typical criteria - I was in I guess, the bonus is that I really like how this one looks on my hand too.

If I were you, I'd ask myself how I'd feel 6 mos down the road if I went with the style I loved but that I did not think looked good on my hand. Is one of your criteria for your ring that it look good on your hand? If so, and you think how it looks would drive you crazy in the long run, it might make sense to keep looking and try to find another style you love and that you feel also looks good on your hand. Can you tell I struggle with the idea of compromise?


Best of luck!

 

[Iluvprettyrocks]

Hi there...that would be me! No one could have convinced me that a halo with a delicate band wouldn't be my forever setting. I stalked websites with halo engagement rings. I even went to the jeweler and tried them on, took pictures and convinced my fiance to let me change my setting "one last time" to a halo. I had the halo for a couple of months and started to really dislike it. It looks weird to me like a UFO or something, I don't know why it didn't look like that to me before. But after wearing it day after day after day I just know the halo setting is not for me.

I tried on settings the other week with NO halo and a wider band ( the opposite of what seems to be popular right now) and it looks SO much better on my hand. My fingers are skinny and long and for some reason the wider band looked really great to me and it REALLY felt like that was the setting for me...like it finally clicked. And to avoid going through buyer remorse again this time I actually bought a CZ in a wider band to wear around before I go and change my setting AGAIN. I feel very confident that the wider unhaloed ER is for me because I want to wear my CZ more than my actual diamond halo ER.

 

[bunnycat]

I tend to agree with Yennyfire. I like the things I have and tend to gravitate to certain styles repeatedly (halos). That being said, when we were engagement ring shopping, there were plenty of halo styles that also did not look good on me due to the way the halos were built on the ring, and so I think you just have to start somewhere and see where it leads you. I'd suggest at least starting with things that attract you if you have a "general style" in your rings, then try other things as well that may have elements of things you like. (For example, we also tried some solitaire styles that had a more antique flair, and those looked nice as well, but not as nice as the halo rings I liked...Ok, except for one solitaire that rocked, but it was a mostly closed head and I couldn't figure out how I'd clean the darn thing.) For me, things that I am almost never attracted to in jewelry (heavy contemporary pieces) never look good on me anyway and so there's really never been an issue with me having a style I don't normally wear also look good and having to make a choice.

 

[Christina...]

I don't think it makes sense to buy a piece of jewelry that isn't visually appealing to you no matter how great it looks on your hand. I agree with yenny that the two sort of go hand and hand. I haven't found my forever setting yet either but its been fun looking at all the gorgeous rings that PSers have purchased. Could u set your stone in a simple temp solitaire setting until you find your dream setting?

 

[stci]

Both of course!

 

[Lotus99]

I'll almost always go for what looks good on me.

I'm drawn to delicate settings, but they don't seem to suit me. It's the same for white metals (white gold and platinum) -- I like the way they look on other people, but they look horrible on me.

I tend to think of it in the same way as I think of clothes -- I wouldn't wear something, no matter how fashionable it is, if it's horribly unflattering.

 

[barbiebien]

I really love the look of solitaires. I think it's classic and it's easy to maintain. But i am also a size 8 and used to wearing larger rings like an 3 ct topaz in an diamond halo and my 4 ct aquamarine so i think a RB in a halo looks a little better on me (i have CZ rings).

So it will be either a .65-.70 solitaire or a .60 halo if i go to an I-SI1 (the halo is H in color)

 

[Christina...]

I really love the look of solitaires. I think it's classic and it's easy to maintain. But i am also a size 8 and used to wearing larger rings like an 3 ct topaz in an diamond halo and my 4 ct aquamarine so i think a RB in a halo looks a little better on me (i have CZ rings).

So it will be either a .65-.70 solitaire or a .60 halo if i go to an I-SI1 (the halo is H in color)

I totally understand this! I wear an 8 too, and last year I bought a 1ct asscher, which faces up like a .75 RB. I thought that it was great for about 6 months and then I started feeling underwhelmed with the size. (it's set in a pave solitaire setting) so now I'm shopping for something a 7mm-7.4mm RB to get more finger coverage. Halos are a great way to add finger coverage, so if you already love them and you want something that will make your stone appear larger than I think you should go with the halo. Do you have a specific setting in mind?

 

[barbiebien]

DSS is a nasty thing isn't it? I already experience this from wearing different CZ rings. This is the setting i am looking at
http://nl.bluenile.co.uk/diamond-engagement-ring-platinum_11796

I really love it aswel, it also really fits my style and the boyfriend prefers it over a solitaire.

 

[MyDiamondSparkles]

A little of both for me. My hands are neither big nor small, so basically just about anything looks good. I also have a neutral color of hair and skin so any color of gold works on me too. It's funny because I used to be a hairstylist and I would change my hair color when the mood stuck me---I've been blonde, red, brown with blonde highlights and very dark brown. They all looked good and I loved each hair color I had at the time I wore it.

I do think you have to buy what looks best on you--or at least I think you have to figure out what looks best on you and then somehow combine the look of what you like and what doesn't look so good on you. If you have big hands then dainty isn't such a good look--but you can combine elements of dainty (think filigree/ ornate details) on a bit chunkier band and get a style that looks good on you without sacrificing your style if that makes sense.

Sometimes it's hard to tell what really does look good especially if you've tried on lots of rings. Pictures are worth a thousand words. Bring an objective, stylish friend to ask opinions and take a few hand shots at various distances and you'll get as better idea of what really looks great.

I wonder if anyone has a diamond ring style test? You know like they have in magazines for fashion...answer mostly A's and you are a romantic and should wear these colors and those styles. Answer mostly B's and you are a modernistic, you should go for clean lines, chunky bold and cool colors. I don't know how accurate it would be but it sure would be fun!

 

[woofmama]

I wonder if anyone has a diamond ring style test? You know like they have in magazines for fashion...answer mostly A's and you are a romantic and should wear these colors and those styles. Answer mostly B's and you are a modernistic, you should go for clean lines, chunky bold and cool colors. I don't know how accurate it would be but it sure would be fun!

Tacori has one:http://www.tacori.com/Engagement-Ring-Quiz

Very fun!

 

[daintyG]

I picked out my ring online because I loved the band. It did not cross my mind whether or not it would "look right" on me. Thankfully it does!! I had tried on some rings previously and knew I hadn't liked anything I had tried... In hindsight, buying the entire ring sight unseen was a bad idea and I'm lucky it worked out.

However, I struggle with this dilemma when thinking about what ring I'd like for an upgrade someday. I love the look of a blingy, intricate setting like Verragio, but hate them on my hand. They look ostentatious and clunky.

 

[distracts]

It would be impossible for me to truly love a style that doesn't look good on me. There were lots I THOUGHT I liked before I tried them on, that ended up not looking great on me, which made me not like them. I mainly see my ring on my hand, so if it doesn't look good on my hand, what's really the point? With that said, I have never found anything that I thought looked good on my hand that I didn't love... that's how I determine whether or not I love a style.

Whenever I've bought a ring, I only bought it because it "clicked" and felt and looked perfect when I put it on my hand. I don't see the point in buying a piece of jewelry that doesn't feel like it was meant to be there. I have a handful of rings that don't inspire that feeling, and I just don't get excited about wearing them.

However, I struggle with this dilemma when thinking about what ring I'd like for an upgrade someday. I love the look of a blingy, intricate setting like Verragio, but hate them on my hand. They look ostentatious and clunky.

This is kind of like how before I tried them on, I really LOVED Tacori settings, and was sure I wanted one. But once I tried them on, it became clear that the center stones were really, really highly set and couldn't be lowered enough due to the designs, and I don't like sticky-outy rings. Whenever I put them on, they just felt and looked atrocious. They looked really pretty in pictures, or the hands of people who don't mind having big bobbly baubles jutting out of their fingers, but whenever I put them on I just couldn't wait to get them off again. But we were able to find a setting that incorporated the things I liked most from the Tacori settings (half moons and tons of pave - though at first I thought I wanted trillions, but they only looked okay on me) and the moment I put it on my hand, I was in love. I went and tried on every single other one of the hundreds of settings the store had, but my ring was my ring, and nothing else came close to inspiring the same sort of visceral "mine!" feeling.

 

[beesha77]

The first time I wanted something more delicate and knew I wanted a rb. I liked how the rb looked on me. My late dh took his mother with him to shop for my ring and she convinced him that I needed something thicker on my long, skinny fingers. It was a beautiful diamond but I never loved it. This time I want a cushion halo that is feminine and delicate. I'm pretty sure im getting that!