So you’ve decided… you’ve found the one and no-one else will do! CONGRATULATIONS! This is a very exciting time in your life.

Now many couples will choose to buy a ring together but for those romantic souls who would like the proposal to be a surprise here are a few hints you might find helpful.

Have a look at the kind of jewellery your partner wears already.

• Take particular note of the colour gold ( e.g. white/yellow/rose) or perhaps they prefer platinum?
• What colour stones are they wearing or are diamonds the only answer?
• What shape of diamonds do they prefer? Round Brilliant and Princess cut are the favourites at the moment but there are many more beautiful shapes to choose from
• Perhaps they are fond of their birthstone
• What style of jewellery do they prefer? Do they have a classic elegant style, a bold contemporary look, a casual bohemian nonchalance, a penchant for historical e.g. art deco or an avant-garde flair?
• Sometimes they may have work issues where a very hard wearing style set low on the finger may be more appropriate.
• Check your account balance. Knowing your budget is an extremely important step!
• Educate yourself about diamonds. www.dcla.com.au have great information and you can also find out about diamond grading reports.
• Have a really good look around the jewellery shops to understand the types of jewellery that are available and what is available within your budget.
• Take your partner shopping! Perhaps it’s time for a birthday present or just a gift of love, you could search out a lovely pair of earrings all the while taking extra notice of their likes and dislikes.
• Best friends, sisters and Mum’s can be a great help with these choices (Just make sure they can keep a secret!!)
• Sizing is always an issue with the surprise ring. If she already wears a ring on that finger see if you can ‘borrow’ it while they’re not looking and have it sized at the jeweller. Just remember that all the fingers will be slightly different sizes so you need to size the correct one! (4th finger on left hand is the traditional one!) One of our lovely clients tried a beer can ring pull on his girlfriend’s finger as a ‘joke’ it fitted perfectly! The above assistants can also be helpful with this!

Give yourself plenty of time for research and planning and time for the ring to be designed, created and valued.