Proposals and sizing: 258 Questions Buyers Asked (page 2 of 2)

Several buyers strongly advised getting the partner's direct input before finalizing an elaborate custom design, warning that a design she doesn't end up loving means money spent on a ring she won't want to wear.

Most buyers advised proposing with the heirloom ring in its original form, then letting the partner help choose any redesign afterward, since preferences like metal color and stone placement are personal.

Some suggest a cheap placeholder ring so she can pick her own design afterward, since many women who didn't choose their own ring say privately they wouldn't have picked it themselves.

The person asking said sizing comes down mostly to the knuckle rather than the finger itself, since a bigger knuckle needs a bigger ring to slide over comfortably, and a ring without stones all along the band is usually easy to resize later if the guess is off.

Several buyers described buying themselves diamond rings, studs, or other jewelry as milestone gifts, framing it as increasingly normal rather than something that has to come from a partner.

The person asking said her fiance proposed first with a Ring Pop, then followed up two weeks later with her actual 3 carat diamond ring.

The person asking learned this is a half-size designation used by jewelers, meaning a bit smaller than a size 4 but not quite a 3.5.

Buyers say any ring given at a proposal is an engagement ring regardless of stone, and several add that diamonds only became the standard after a De Beers marketing campaign starting in the 1930s-40s, not from any older tradition.

Many buyers recommended shopping together or proposing with an inexpensive placeholder (even a cheap dupe) instead of committing thousands to a ring she may not love, then designing the real ring together afterward.

Most buyers said no, since swapping the proposal ring afterward can feel like a bait-and-switch; one described it leaving lasting resentment, though a couple felt it was fine if handled honestly.

Buyers suggested sourcing the loose stone yourself through a price-match service like Rare Carat, then having a local or custom jeweler set it, which cut costs sharply versus buying a pre-made ring.

Several buyers said yes, suggesting the diamond ring be a goal for a later anniversary; one described commissioning a custom platinum set years into her marriage to commemorate her late parents, made by Krikawa jewelers in Arizona.

Even with detailed photo and video references, a mother and jeweler working from descriptions relayed secondhand by the groom picked the wrong stone color and standard round prongs instead of the requested claw setting, so buyers recommend approving each choice directly instead of being surprised.

Many buyers say to at least learn her preferences beforehand, through friends, subtle conversations, or shopping together, since she'll wear the ring daily and a full surprise risks getting the wrong style.

One buyer says she and her husband agreed she could get a new ring every year if she wanted, and so far he's bought her two rings each priced at $2,000 or less rather than putting the whole budget into one $10,000 ring.

Buyers suggest being honest soon after the proposal and framing it as appreciating the gesture but preferring a different style, since a jeweler is more likely to exchange or adjust a recent purchase.

Yes, one buyers describes her husband re-proposing after 11 years of marriage with a new 2.7 carat marquise set at a slight angle on a wavy band, replacing the ring she wore at their original wedding.

A buyer married for decades said many surprise pieces missed her taste, so the couple now shops together; others advised matching the stone to her clothes and eye colour, or asking about her style, including vintage for an arty taste.

Many buyers urge asking the partner directly what style she likes rather than guessing, pointing out the proposal moment can stay a surprise even if the ring itself isn't a mystery beforehand.

Buyers said this is common: a ring often looks different held in your own hand versus worn, so it tends to seem more impressive on her finger and it is worth waiting to judge until after she wears it a while.

Buyers overwhelmingly said yes, especially after two or more years together; a diamond ring presented in a ring box will almost always be read as an engagement signal regardless of the giver's actual intent.

Buyers warned that a small ring-sized box will raise engagement expectations no matter what is inside, and suggested using a larger box made for earrings or pendant sets to avoid the confusion.

Buyers said a partner repeatedly pointing out ring styles while shopping, on top of admiring other jewelry, was read as a sign she is expecting a proposal soon rather than just voicing a passing preference.

One buyer's dealer quoted 12-14 weeks for a designer ring being made and set in Paris, and it actually arrived in about 10 weeks.

One buyer had used the same designer for about 8 years across multiple pieces before that designer went out on her own with a new business, and stuck with her again for the engagement ring design.

Multiple buyers agree a smaller finger makes the same stone look bigger, and setting height matters too: a stone set too low reads smaller while one set too high risks being knocked.

Two writers describe disliking the shape or style of the stone they were proposed with (one felt it didn't look like an engagement ring for her culture, another disliked a repeated cushion-cut halo) and both later reworked or replaced the ring with their partner's agreement, showing it can be discussed and changed after the proposal.

One custom buyer said the CAD design alone took 3-4 weeks with repeated revisions, partly slowed by COVID, and then the vendor took another 4 weeks to actually make both the ring and matching eternity band.

One buyer spent more than 8 months searching, looking at roughly 20 cushion cuts before switching direction and settling on a round brilliant instead.

Buyers recommended trying on three-stone rings in person rather than judging from photos, since finger coverage is hard to gauge otherwise.

One buyer's custom French-cut lab diamond side stones took about 4 to 5 weeks just to be cut, with additional time afterward for the jeweler to receive and set them into the finished ring.

The owner's original round brilliant had been on her hand since 2005, was set into a solitaire in 2008, and was only reset into the new two-stone design many years later.

One buyer reported about a 4 to 5 month wait after inquiring about the new cut.

The buyer's chosen jeweler estimated about 4 weeks for production, and in practice the piece was finished in 3 weeks with about another week to arrive.

A buyer interested in a new cut style from cutter Jann Paul found the reported wait time was 6 to 12 months.

A member suggested choosing a jeweler with an easy return policy and telling the recipient upfront that the piece can be exchanged together if she doesn't love it, so a surprise gift doesn't feel like a locked-in decision.

Buyers noted that a jeweler's usual 2-3 week custom-order quote is mostly queue time, not hands-on making time, so if a jeweler agrees to rush an order they can often move it to the front of the queue and cast and finish it in about 5 working days.

One buyer working with JannPaul got his first CAD render back in a little over two weeks, with the designer citing a Chinese New Year slowdown, while another buyer in the same discussion was still waiting at just past two weeks for his own render.

One recut vendor initially quoted about a week but took closer to three weeks, and sourcing a base stone plus completing a recut took roughly three months total from start to finish.

One buyer first guessed by measuring his own finger since it matched hers, but for the real purchase had her roommates secretly measure one of her rings and mail him a ring sizer, discovering she needed a UK K 1/2, several sizes larger than the R 1/2 he had assumed.

A buyer recommended setting the stone in an inexpensive solitaire mount so it can be worn right after the proposal, then choosing a wedding band together later.

The asker's ring came together faster than expected once approved for production, while her two earlier custom projects with smaller-scale designers each took closer to six weeks.

A separate buyer said orders took 4 to 6 weeks to arrive, and a refund for a returned stone took about two weeks after it was shipped back.

One buyer's full reset ran about eight months start to finish: a free initial design consultation in October, signing off on the final design the following January, and picking up the finished rings months later in June, well behind the jeweler's original quoted timeframe.

Buyers report roughly a 5-6 month timeline start to finish, with 3D renders of the design taking about 3-4 weeks and custom melee sizing adding further delay.

The person asking described a months-long process: paying a deposit for a baguette-halo setting, waiting on CAD renderings, and getting the loose stone reviewed by an expert, all while still financially recovering from a separate old-mine-cut ring she had recently bought.

The original buyers wanted a temporary travel-style ring under 1000 for a proposal, but found loose stones alone in her wanted 1.5 to 2 carat range already ran close to 1000 before adding a mounting.

Durability stories varied widely: one gold ring set needed re-mounting twice over about 20 years of daily wear as the metal wore thin, while several platinum rings still looked new after 7-10 years of daily wear; buyers agreed the activities done while wearing a ring matter more than how often it is worn.

One buyer's hunt for a vintage old European cut diamond plus the custom setting build together ran about six months, from starting the search early in the year to receiving the finished ring in summer.

One buyer said her French-cut side stones needed about four weeks to be cut, on top of roughly a month spent finalizing the CAD design before the ring itself could be made.

Some UK jewellers, such as F Hinds, sell an inexpensive silver and cubic-zirconia ring meant only for the proposal, which can be handed back for money off a real ring chosen together afterward.

Buyers strongly recommend confirming her style preferences directly or through someone close to her first, since guessing wrong on metal, allergies, or stone type is common and costly to fix later.

The overwhelming majority of buyers said giving exact specs, reference photos, or even picking the ring outright led to zero regret, since it's a ring worn daily for life.

One buyer said she paid under $10 for a 925 silver ring at a mall store called Light Years and wore it for over 18 years without tarnishing or skin staining, though she admits the surface has worn down somewhat over that time.

Many buyers recommended shopping together or at least discussing style and stone preferences beforehand, since the proposal moment itself can still be a surprise even if the ring choice isn't.

Buyers point out engagement rings don't have to be pricey - moissanite-and-gold rings can run under $1,000 and some Etsy sellers offer real diamond, real gold rings for a reasonable price, so a modest ring can work fine for a proposal.

Many buyers argue the proposal moment and relationship matter far more than the ring's price, citing memorable proposals that involved cheap placeholder rings or no ring at all.

Getting the ring insured requires the appraisal and receipt or valuation paperwork, so most people end up learning the price at that stage even if they didn't want to ask directly.