How To Choose An Engagement Ring

At Astranova, we have the experience and know-how of creating the engagement ring of your dreams. Here are our top 5 tips to help you choose your custom engagement ring.

Explore traditional diamonds and coloured gemstones

A sparkling diamond ring is no doubt the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about choosing your engagement ring. The very first diamond engagement ring was given in 1477. Sapphires, rubies, and emeralds were popular choices before diamonds became the main stone and became popular in the early 1900’s. Sapphires were favoured for their symbol of love, truth, and commitment. View our sapphire jewellery collection.

If opting for a diamond, consider natural diamonds vs lab diamonds

Align your choice with your own consciousness and inner knowing. Consider what your partner and yourself value in a diamond engagement ring. To the naked eye, they can be identical. Both lab and natural diamonds come with grading reports based on the 4 C’s: Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat. The quality of any of the 4 C’s will affect the purchase price and value.  It is not always about size or cost and yet sometimes it is! Learn more about Lab Diamonds.

There is an allure in both options. As jewellers we are attracted to working with both.

Consider incorporating family heirlooms

One of the most meaningful ways to incorporate family into your marriage is to consider repurposing heirloom pieces into your engagement ring. You can use gold or diamonds and gemstones from other pieces. Or, you can give new life to a passed-down piece of jewellery with a new modern design, reusing the same stones and gold.

Custom design can give you more flexibility

A ready-made ring design is both fast and convenient but it may not give you everything you want. Custom design can be a lengthier process, but the benefits of knowing your ring will be made to your exact taste and style make it worth the wait. Read more about our custom jewellery design process. Our semi-custom options in our shop are also made to the same standard as our fully customized projects.

Opt for an in-person consultation

At Astranova, it’s easy to find the right ring for you. For a custom experience, an in-person consultation will give you the best opportunity to collaborate with Simon and design your perfect ring.  Try on many rings of all shapes and sizes and see how the stones and different gold options will suit you and your style. This can be of great benefit if you’re unsure what shape of stone or setting will look perfect on your hand. We’re here to guide you every step of the way. Book your consultation today.

Engagement Ring Buying FAQ

A custom engagement ring takes 6-8 weeks including shipping time. Semi-custom orders can be turned around more quickly. For a tighter timeline, do reach out! We try to accommodate rush orders whenever possible in order to be a part of your big day. Call me a romantic.

There is no right answer to this question, as it’s all about personal preference. With alternatives to the traditional natural diamond centre stone, larger (more carats) have become more common.

Round centre diamonds are the most classic choice. Our Natasha ring with six claws and our Chantal ring with four claws are great examples of timeless designs with round brilliant cut centre diamonds and pavée set shoulders. The solitaire is always a classic, of course, such as our Livia design.

All of our centre diamonds come certified with GIA (natural diamonds) or IGI (lab grown diamonds) certificates. For insurance purposes, you would need an appraisal from a gemologist stating the retail replacement value. We do accommodate this through impartial third-party appraisers for an additional service charge, or you can take it into your local gemologist on your own. We guarantee the authenticity of your purchase.

At Astranova Jewellery, we have specialized in the hand setting of diamond and gemstone rings for two decades, with a particular passion for engagement rings. We take pride in our versatility in creating different styles using a broad variety of techniques.

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Simon is a force of organized chaos, catalyzing Astranova’s rapid acceleration as a major jewellery player in both Vancouver and on the global stage.

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