You love her deeply and you know she is the only woman you want to be with for the rest of your life. You want her to be your wife and asking for her hand in marriage will soon follow but what you do not know is what ring to buy. There are so many options out there that the mere thought of ring shopping can be overwhelming. To that end, there is a ring choice that is timeless and classic and is a perennial favorite of most women: solitaire diamond rings.

If you are not familiar with that term, I will explain. Solitaire diamond rings are rings that only have a single diamond mounted to the band. Again, solitaire diamond rings are the most favored type of engagement ring because of the timeless, classic, elegance associated with the look of the ring and many women enjoy and esteem the simplicity of such a timeless piece of jewelry. Trends shift often but in purchasing a diamond solitaire ring, you may never have the worry that your wife may want another ring because her trendy ring is no longer fashionable or in style. Solitaire diamond rings have been around since 1886 when famed jewelry company, Tiffany & Co. first introduced this style of ring and has been a popular choice for an engagement ring ever since because the emphasis is placed on the diamond; it is the focal point.

You do not necessarily have to use a diamond as your stone of choice, however for an engagement ring it would be your best bet (unless your loved one has expressed interest in another stone, in that case go with what she likes).

Here is where it may get confusing again, because you have several options, in terms of the setting to choose from. In my experience the prong or bezel setting is best. A prong setting denotes the use of prongs or metal claws to secure the diamond in place (usually three, four, or six individual prongs). These metal claws are soldered or welded to a metal band in order to set a diamond and come in a variety of shapes and sizes that are determined by the shape and size of the diamond (e.g round, marquise, princess, emerald, oval, etc). A bezel setting is merely a metal rim, called a collar or rim, that encircles the diamond and extends a bit above the stone. The collar or rim can encircle the entire diamond or just half of it, called a half bezel, and holds the stone securely in place because of its low, protective profile.

When purchasing a solitaire diamond ring, factors that can influence the value or cost of the ring are the 4 C’s: color, clarity, cut, and carat weight.

Lastly, the metals or the band you can set your stone in are of course, gold, silver, white gold, and platinum. Platinum and white gold are becoming the metals of choice for most consumers because they are white metals that compliment the stones wonderfully because the pick up and reflect light well. Be advised that platinum is the more expensive metal because of its rarity.

Happy shopping and remember diamonds are a girl’s best friend so why not show it off completely with a classic, timeless, elegant solitaire diamond ring.