Once you have reached the magic time in your relationship where you realize that your love will last a lifetime, it's time for purchasing an engagement ring. But it cannot be accomplished easily. There would be many concerns that would creep into your mind. You may be confused whether to surprise your fiancée or to seek her help in selecting the ring. The budget would also be a major concern. Moreover you would be concerned about the quality of the ring and if it will last a lifetime.

If you are a sensible person, you would surely keep aside some time to think about buying an engagement ring. The above mentioned concerns would surely cross your mind. If you plan and make a wise choice, it is sure to please your partner. While making a choice, firstly consider your fiancée. Every girl would have a specific jewelry taste. If you are planning to surprise her with a ring, it would be better to go for one that can be exchanged. This is when you are not sure about the lady’s preferences. For such exchange rings, the better choice would be local stores.

Further, you can even propose her in a jewelry store so that she can pick the best one of her likes. In such cases, your fiancée should have a clear understanding of the affordable budget for selecting the engagement ring. If it’s not a surprise, then the best way is to take her with you while shopping. Most often the rings are offered in a combination with matching bridal sets for both the husband and wife. These matching sets would make it possible to stay coordinated by wearing matching bands.

Your affordable budget is the main concern during the shopping. Even though you would want to gift your special someone with the most expensive ring, it may not be possible always. Engagement is the first step towards wedding and a wedding would call for a lot of expenses. Post wedding expenses like honeymoon, buying new apartment or furnishing home would need a lot of money. So these expenses should be kept in mind while going for the ring. You should not land in debt after the purchase.

A diamond engagement ring is the most common and sought after one. Buying diamond is also an extremely difficult task. Diamonds are determined by their quality. Sometimes, a smaller diamond with great quality would look great than a bigger diamond of poor quality. The metal of the ring should also be carefully selected. The rings are usually seen in gold or platinum. The different varieties of gold rings are white, pink and yellow. Platinum usually comes in white with a silvery sparkle. It is durable and hence expensive. If you wish for a similar look, go for white gold which is relatively cheap.

While purchasing the ring, take time and look around for the choices in style, price and strength. For getting excellent price options, online shopping would be the best option. Sometimes you can get higher quality stones for lesser prices if you buy them in loose form i.e. ring setting and diamond separately However make sure that the setting can later afford the cut and size of the diamond.