I don’t think I’ve ever had such conflicting, controversial and emotional feelings about a topic. The thought of an engagement ring both fills me with pure joy — an excitement that extends much further than just a piece of jewellery — and, simultaneously, dread. To say my fashion profile is a bit fickle is quite the understatement. Somedays, all I want is to look like Coachella threw up a bit, and others, I just feel like Minimalist Incarnate. How do you coalesce the two? How do you pick a ‘forever piece’ when you’ve been taught to think in seasons?

No seriously, how? I am actually asking those of you readers who have already done the whole engagement-ring-thing. How did you finally decide on a style?

There are so many styles and settings, quality and colour, that you have to come armed with a frickin jeweller’s encyclopaedia to understand. That, or just inundate your pinterest account with searches. (And Secret Engagement Ring Boards of Shame).

For those of you who read this regularly, you’ll know that — shocker — Stag and I are already married. (Confused AF as to why we’re getting an engagement ring now? Read our story.) You may be wondering, then, why get an engagement ring in the first place?

Well, Stag really wants to do a proposal with a ring; I love the idea of having our Forever Ring; and we both want to form the memory of that moment together. You get (hopefully) one proposal, one ring, one wedding and one marriage (again, hopefully) in your life. Stag and I want to make sure we have it all, in the way that suits us.

There are so many styles and settings, quality and colour, that you have to come armed with a frickin jeweller’s encyclopaedia to understand.

Despite all my whinging (“a hot man wants to propose to me with a fancy ring! Woe is me!”), there are a lot of positives about this whole engagement ring thing.

For one, doing the actual shopping is the best free day out ever. You get to wander from store to store with your future (or current) husband, trying out fantastic pieces of jewellery from all-too-friendly shop owners. All the while, you don’t spend a penny, because no one expects you to actually buy such a big investment piece on the spot. I remember turning to Stag after one sunny Sunday strolling down Hatton Garden and saying, “Can we do this every weekend? It’s a lot cheaper than another avocado-on-toast brunch.”

And of course, the other big perk: having a beautiful, quality investment piece on your finger. Both in the marriage and in the actual jewellery. If you read my latest Friday Finds about jewellery, you know that I am totally against cheap, falling-apart-as-you-buy-it high street jewellery. Quality over quantity, always. An engagement ring is the best quality piece you will own.

Needless to say, picking out an engagement ring is both the best thing — and the worst.

So yes, I’m asking you, all you married readers: how did you decide on an engagement ring? Did you know exactly what you want? Or were you, like me, loving a bit of everything? Did you shop for the ring together, or did he (or even you) pick it out? Did you find it an easy experience, or the best/worst? How long did it take you to pick it out?

Essentially, tell me everything you did, so I can figure this whole thing out via osmosis from your stories.

My Engagement Ring Picks

all pictures via pinterest.

Vintage or new? Oval or cluster? I may still have a few engagement ring questions, but I still know roughly what I like. Here are my picks of the prettiest rings this side of pinterest.
(Sorry, silver ring people). (Also, sorry for my very uneducated naming of these pics. I have no clue how to actually label them).

UPATE: Okay guys, all my new favourite rings ever come from Olive Avenue Jewelry. Like a combination of everything you see below, if you have similar taste to me — trust me. You need to go here. Some of the pictures below are by them… so go visit!