Rox Blog

The modern man and woman have blurred the boundaries between genders in certain areas – everybody holds the door for…everybody! Equal rights in society, at work and in a relationship are a given. So is there still a place for male chivalry when it comes to that most precious, symbolic of gestures – the engagement?

Choosing the Ring

For a start, the right diamond engagement rings don’t have to be a total surprise. This is something a woman will wear for her lifetime – slipping it on and off to take a shower, retelling the story of how you became engaged while she gently spins the sentimental jewellery on her finger.

Many couples find choosing diamond engagement rings together to be an affirmation of why they’re choosing to marry one another.

The Price of True Love

The question of who pays for this epic diamond jewellery is, in this day and age, one for discussion. The common opinion seems to be that a real gentleman would (at least offer to) foot the bill.

Father Knows Best

The notion of asking parental “permission” is nowadays one of respect rather than authorisation. This tradition finds its historical roots in an accord being reached between father and suitor, but the more modern approach is simply about a future son-in-law displaying good manners. Remember, these people will be family soon so do everything you can to make the right impression!

In diamonds and other precious gems, the ‘cut’ refers to the shape of the finished stone. There are a huge variety of cuts available from the classic to the fancy, and there are different pros and cons to each. It’s not just the shape that counts for aesthetic purposes or to suit a particular kind of jewellery fitting. It is the cut of a diamond set in diamond jewellery that draws light into the centre of the stone and makes it sparkle. The number of facets (the individual flat planes) and their angle to one another impacts the way light is reflected and refracted around inside the stone.

For diamonds, where that internal fire is the main drawcard, cut is obviously of paramount importance. Since the advent of laser cutting equipment, cuts have grown more and more sophisticated. The understanding of the optical physics involved has also grown. New cuts can now be designed and analysed with computer programs. All these factors combined mean that the diamonds used in jewellery are now more spectacular than ever. The jewellers of a hundred years ago would be amazed by today’s diamond engagement rings.

Cuts are divided into families. The most common is the round brilliant style, which is designed to make efficient use of a perfect, flawless diamond crystal. The symmetry and carefully calculated angles of a classic round brilliant do perhaps the best job of bringing out a diamond’s sparkle. It’s the most popular choice for the large, high quality centrepiece diamonds found in jewellery, although there are many more.

The internet is a wonderful marketplace. You have the power to view a far greater range of diamond engagement rings online than you would in any city, all from the comfort of your own home and incredibly quickly. Going to half a dozen jewellery shops in town would take all day, assuming there were retailers of the right quality in the area. You can do that online in an hour or two, in the evening after work or whenever you like. There is much greater choice available to those who shop online. That’s important when a gift has to be absolutely perfect.

It’s easy to compare online retailers and their prices – diamond engagement rings are a significant investment and of course you should always shop around before making the final choice. Because competition between internet jewellery shops is so high, prices are kept fairly reasonable across the board. Naturally we think ours are very reasonable indeed.

At ROX, we understand that you may have to return the diamond ring that you finally settle on. We are happy to resize rings if necessary, and the first resize is always free. Subsequent resizes attract a small charge, but we can still handle the process for you. Of course, not all diamond engagement rings will be kept – not all proposals are successful (although we think a beautiful ring increases your chances!). You are welcome to return any product bought online within 14 days of receipt for either a refund or exchange for a different item.