For many people shopping for an engagement ring is a confusing experience at the start. They haven't ever shopped for a diamond - how can they know what to look for? Hopefully I can help you get started. Shopping for an engagement ring should be a fun thing. It's such an exciting time of your life so try not to get stressed about this purchase. Let's look at the first three things you should do. Once you get these out of the way, you can focus on the most important part of the ring - the diamond.

Make a Budget

This is the first thing I recommend to my clients. You want to set a price that you can afford and stick to it. There isn't any rule that is set in stone about how much you would spend, but many people fork out about two months worth of salary for their ring.

Please never spend more than your budget is. Some of my friends actually took out large loans for the express purpose of buying a larger ring and they wind up paying on the loan for years. You do not want to wind up with financial problems. Remember that if you can't get her the size stone she wants now you can upgrade it for her later on in life when you have more money. You will figure your budget depending on a few factors, but be ready to put out a large chunk of cash. Diamonds are not inexpensive, but she will wear them forever and I promise the smile it puts on her face will be worth it.

Choose the Preference of Metal for the Band

White gold, yellow gold, and platinum are the 3 main choices for bands. Pay attention to what type of jewelry she owns now. If she owns or wears mostly yellow gold the choice is easy. If she wears white gold or silver than you need to choose either platinum or white gold. The cost of platinum is 3 times that of gold. Platinum is the most durable of the metals. That makes it an attractive choice for people who think about passing it down through the years to family. There is not much maintenance to platinum other than having it polished once in awhile to keep it from having a matte look.

White gold is a bit shinier and less expensive than platinum. White gold can scratch easier than platinum but not to a degree that you have to be concerned. Every year or two you have to get it replated as the metal will start to get a yellowish tinge (white gold is just yellow gold mixed with other metals to make it a different color). Replating does not cost much however you will have to take it in every couple of years.

It's not a bad idea to go and have a look at how both white gold and platinum look. Some don't like the way platinum looks and vice versa. It will help you out as you make this decision.

Select the Setting

The basic style of a ring is called the setting. Does the ring have one diamond? Does the ring have numerous diamonds? This is what decides what the setting will be on your engagement ring. You can make your decision from 3 varied choices. The simplest setting is that of the solitaire engagement ring and it is the #1 choice. On the band a singular diamond is mounted. This is absolutely fantastic for showing the diamond off. A 3 stone configuration includes one diamond in the middle and then two of lesser size with one on each side. These smaller diamonds are normally 30-60% of the size of the diamond in the center.

Then there are the diamond engagement rings that have side stones; these have one large stone in the center and several smaller diamonds on each side. These diamonds are usually inexpensive because they are extremely small. Try to figure out which one she would like. Maybe one of her friends would find out for you but make sure she would not give away the secret first. As much as girls talk about jewelry she won't be suspicious. You will feel more secure in the knowledge that you got her the kind she wants.

After you have these three steps down, you can move on to the fun part - choosing the diamond! She is going to be wearing this for life so make sure you focus on getting a stunning diamond - it's so much fun seeing my wife get compliments on it. Reminds me of the good job I did!