Tips For Picking The Perfect Engagement Ring (NAPSA)—It could be oneof the most memorable moments in your life. You pull an engagementring | 22 out of your pocket and ask the love of yourlife to be your wife. You desperately wantherto say yes andfall in love with herring too, right? But how do you makesure that happens? Guys whosuccessfully navigated this step in their relationship share sometips. Use a Fake Ring wCbfA wee F D.C., wanted his fiance’s engagement ring to be a complete surprise but had no idea what she would like. So he decided to use a fake one for his proposal and take her shoppinglater. “I thought it was brilliant,” said Emily Vietti. “I love surprises, but I couldn’t imagine wearing something for the rest of mylife I didn’t love. It was the perfect solution.” Consider Her Taste and Style Make sure the ring fits her existing jewelry collection, said Kevin Saghy, of Chicago. “I realized all of my fiance’s jewelry is very clean and simple, like one large pearl on a string or a clean Rock Solid—Following some simple advice could help you I chose a three-stone engagement ring that looks simple but impressive. It has gone overreally well.” Do Your Homework Erik Mason, of Boston, did a “ton of research” on diamonds before he even set foot in a jewelry store. “I think most guys believe as long as they’re familiar with the four Cs, they’re all set,” he Mike Vietti, of Washington, trail of diamonds on a necklace, so said. “It was romantic and took a lot of pressureoff.” choosea great diamondring. Get A Little Help From Her Friends “My wife found a drawing of the kind of ring she would like and gaveit to a friend to hold— under the condition that the friend would not tell her when she gave it to me,” said Andrew Brown, of Detroit. “She was totally surprised the day the exact ring she wanted was given to her.” Shop Together Randy Holmes, of Atlanta, was overwhelmed by the number of options he faced when he started to shop for his fiance’s ring, so he asked her to join him. “It was great to have Lauren involved,” he said. “I was surprised to find that wasonly half the story you should be thinking about.” Mason spent almost five months learning about the four Cs—color, cut, clarity and carat weight—and how that translated to his budget and girlfriend’s taste. He used online resources, visited retailers and flipped through fashion magazines to get a sense of what sheliked. “I got a great learning experience and another connection to our mar- riage through a spectacular piece of symbolism I truly understand inside and out,” he said. The Gemological Institute of America, the world’s foremost authority on gems and jewelry and the creator of the four Cs, provides independent assessment of diamond quality in its grading reports. It is also a helpful resource to learn more about diamonds. Visit www.gia.edu or call (800) 421-7250.
