Post-ring window shopping

Wow, I could have been wrong about what I thought I would like.  I found myself veering more towards the simpler styles, and while I still don't care for a solitaire, I did really, really love the Hearts on Fire solitaire... the stone is so brilliant that it's best without other embellishments!  You really need to see them in person to appreciate them.

Then my girl friend took me to a place with Tacori rings.  That's when I surprised myself when I felt fond of this:

Darling!  I was not expecting to love the baguettes and the halo (okay, I kinda knew I would love the halo), but I did, and it looked excellent on my hand.

It was a 2-carat setting, which, yes, looked good on my hand, too.  But I was really aiming for 1-carat; I don't want to sacrifice quality for size, which, if I wanted to keep this within the preferred cost range, I would have to.  So I inquired about a 1-carat version to try, and the sales guy let me try on this one:
 

This is a great alternative, and look how lovely it is with the matching wedding band!

I figured that with my line of work, it wouldn't be an issue to continue wearing my engagement ring often, so it would be nice to have matching bands to wear often.

I still really like the halo, though, and the sales guy said it was do-able with a customization fee.

With the diamond itself, I am not sure what level quality I would be most comfortable with yet.  It's gotta be something I can feel proud about but also something that's not over-the-top in cost.  I have a very conservative budget in mind for the ring.

So I guess I'll keep looking for good deals.  Maybe it's time to really look into cultured/synthetic diamonds and see if it's quality is something I could be happy with.

EDIT: Maybe not, unless I change my mind about the colored stone thing and want to go with a yellow or pink diamond.

Upon further reflection of the ring question

Although I no longer feel the same strong feeling for my previously-favorite Kismet ring, I've realized that I'm attracted to Mark Schnider's curvier design sensibilities.  When I look at his collection, my eyes are immediately drawn to the following:  Vision, Escape, Kismet, Bedazzle, Swept Away (which I'm really digging at the moment), Luxury, and Cascade.  They're all kind of similar, no?  But yet not.  And none of them really strike me as "it," though maybe I'll just end up loving whatever he chooses for me anyway.

Quick note on rings

Just a quick note here to proclaim my love for Etsy.  I was perusing through their jewelry selection and loved how there was such a big selection with excellent price ranges!  If the mister doesn't get an engagement ring from Etsy, I'd love for us to get an affordable custom set of wedding rings there! :) 

DID I FIND THE RING?

Dammit, I fell into a designer ring line and came across this:

It's "Cascade" from Marc Schneider Design. And now that I've seen this ring, nearly all other engagement rings have been ruined.

Though admittingly, I would not be disappointed with his "Kismet" ring either, shown below.

I love that they have such a sleek, contemporary design!

Also, since I've been so concerned about cost, my bestie was telling me about man-made diamonds, also known as synthetic or "cultured" diamonds.  The benefits of cultured diamonds sound amazing!  They're typically about a third of the cost of regular diamonds, have virtually the same physical properties (and are still diamonds... not fake, just created in a lab!), can have color added to them like rare colored diamonds, and don't have the bad press of being "blood diamonds."  I still love the idea of a gemstone engagement ring, but I'm not sure if that's what I'd want for this design.  MAYBE a colored cultured diamond, but it'd have to be in very subtle tones.

Admittingly, I'm not as enthusiastic about the matching bands for these rings.  I guess I'd like a pretty traditional/plain wedding band for everyday wear.  And no Mark Schneider trademark secret heart either.

But I love them!  I think I'd need to try them on to decide!  (Or just let the mister decide and surprise me... that would make me love the ring more, I think, if he had a hand in chosing it, too... as long as I really love all the ring choices equally!)

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For mens' rings, Marc Schneider has a smaller collection.  I prefer the really simple designs for men's rings, but somehow (and maybe it's just the way they photograph, I don't know), I really like the men's rings on this page, especially "Edge."

Engagement Rings

My bestie asked me about the sort of engagement ring I'd like.  I'd love a pretty ring but know that the traditional diamond sort isn't for me.  Neither is something on the other end, like a Claddagh ring.  So, of course, that leaves the gemstone route.  And I think that's just right for me.

I'm mostly a fan of the blues.

I think of these, the first and the third settings are more my style.  But have I found the right ring like the bestie did?  No, I don't think so.  Maybe it's just one of those things where you need to just try it on--to experience--before you know it's the right one.

Also, depending on the stone, it can be a lot more affordable than a diamond ring.  All the pretty and little to none of the guilt. :)

Men's Rings

It's hard enough to find the right engagement/wedding ring, but to find a men's ring is even harder!  However, this sweet little number caught my eye:

I saw it on InspiredBride, but the ring is from an Etsy vendor.

Cool ring box!

This post was originally about how to propose to your man, but what I really liked was the story at the end of it.  The guest poster made a very cool ring box complete with photos, (presumably) the couple's history, and candies (instead of a ring) that said, "Marry me"!