Look and Choose my engagement ring

I’m lucky that I get to choose my engagement ring. It’s funny, my fiancé didn’t propose to me like most people. No setting off to a secret, romantic, or exotic location and getting down on one knee, saying, “Will you marry me?” Just a simple, “When do you want to look for engagement rings?” And I’m okay with this “proposal.” I already knew he’s the one that I want to marry and vice versa. We already talked about marriage four months into the relationship, but we were friends two years prior. Plus, we’re older, so I don’t need all that frivolity. I’m just excited about picking out my ring!

I’m having trouble picking out the type of metal to choose for my diamond engagement ring. There are so many to choose from, yellow and white golds, platinum, tungsten, titanium, and silver, and they all have their pros and cons. Right now, I’m going to stay away from silver engagement rings because the metal is too soft.

Yellow gold is classic, something that my mom and her friends often choose because it’s considered precious and valuable. However, it seems like it’s going out of style. More of my friends choose white metals, and I have a lot of silver jewelry and some yellow gold pieces. Because I have more white metal jewelry, yellow gold will be towards the bottom of my list.

White gold does sound appealing, and it contains gold, 75% to be more exact with 25% white metals with rhodium plating, and is durable and light. However, I heard that the metal can have a yellowish tint over the years, but it can be restored by replating it with rhodium, which be can be done while you’re waiting.

Platinum has the status of wealth nowadays because it is expensive and very durable. However, it’s heavy, and a few of my friends tell me that it tends to be dull in a couple of years, scratches easily, and needs to be polished pretty often. Yet, some of my friends say that they love their platinum rings.

Titanium is an even stronger metal than platinum, but it’s black. I think this metal would make a better wedding band than engagement ring, so I’m taking this metal off my list. Plus, I read that since it’s so strong, in emergency situations, no paramedic has the tools to break it off!

Tungsten has the highest melting point than all the other metals, so it’s very durable and is great if you’re working in a labor-intensive environment. But it can crack if it’s hit with enough force. Hmm, I think I’ll also put this lower on my list, maybe consider it more for a wedding band.

I narrowed down my choices in the following order: platinum, white gold, yellow gold, and maybe tungsten. I’ll get more of an idea of what I want to choose once I try them on tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow, my fiancé and I will begin my engagement ring search!