Shopping for engagement rings, hand in hand

Shopping for engagement rings, hand in hand

Like marriage, the task of shopping for an engagement ring is something that increasingly requires a joint effort. Not that the art of surprise and elaborately-staged proposals are ever going out of style, but as wedding planning becomes an ever more egalitarian process, some couples are finding meaning in designing a creation together.

That being said, there's a way to have one's proverbial wedding cake and eat it too. According to jeweler James Temelli, it's becoming an increasingly popular maneuver for men to purchase and propose with a diamond band to maintain the element of surprise and to then come back with their fiancees to design the rest of the ring together.

"The process gives the bride the chance to try different options, find a style she really likes and create something with her partner that will uniquely represent their relationship," Temelli told Jeweller Magazine.

This phenomenon isn't limited to custom designs or even joint efforts, however - many couples are shopping together for ready-made rings. Meanwhile, some men will take the task of an elaborate design completely unto themselves, often having the jeweler weave symbolic imagery into the design of the ring. Benjamin Millepied, Russell Brand and Jason Mraz, anyone?

Comments

[Mike Kennwodien]

Hopefully I will be able to afford a top notch engagement ring when I propose next month to my girlfriend.

[colored diamond]

I need to send this article to my boyfriend.. amm.. Just kidding :)
I think there's something really beautiful in actually choosing the engagement ring and design for your future wife. True, when you only buy the diamond band and then take her to choose the design, she'll get for sure a ring she likes, but the element of surprise is just so much better !