How to Choose a Men's Engagement Ring

Okay, so this blurb is for those of you out there who want to surprise your man with a fabulous engagement ring. Traditionally, most men don't wear engagement rings, they give them. Though there are several occasions when a man might wear an engagement ring. Three of the most common are:

1. You are proposing to him
2. You've decided to get an Engagement Ring Set, which comes with an engagement band for you, a ring/band for him and your wedding ring. 
3. One or both of you would feel uncomfortable if he wasn't also wearing a ring to symbolize the nature of your commitment to each other. 

Okay, throwing aside the silly questions like "why" and "what for", the fun part is getting out there and looking at men's engagement rings. Now, the first place I would recommend looking, is actually on ebay. And it's not that I want you to leave my fine blog or anything - but in my own personal experience, doing the ebay hunt can do two things for you: 1) It will show you what the real market value of certain types of rings are (you have to look under "Auction Only" and filter it by the "Most Bids"), and 2) It might save you some cash on the perfect ring. The only down side to ebay shopping, is that you can't see and try the ring on first, which means you'll need to already know what size your man's ring finger is. 

Which brings me to the more concentrated area of this post -

What You Need To Know BEFORE You Start Shopping For Men's Engagement Rings:

• The size of his left ring finger (usually it will be between a 7 and 10)
• The type of metal he is most enchanted by (Gold, Silver, Titanium, etc...)
• The type of stones or gems that he is most attracted to (Diamonds, Ruby's, Sapphires, etc...)

You'll also want to take some time to seriously contemplate:

• What kind of wedding band his father wore

The Differences Between "Zodiac Rings" and "Birthstone Rings"

Okay, I've been asked a couple of times, so I thought it might be nice to post a little blurb for those of you whom are curious what the differences between a Zodiac Ring and a Birthstone Ring.

Zodiac Rings

Okay, so a Zodiac Ring, is one that plays along with the theme of someones astrological sign. It can be western, vedic, eastern, chinese or tropical - thought the main idea is that it usually has some insignia or symbols on it that represent the persons main zodiac sign (usually the "Sun Sign"). Zodiac rings can also incorporate Birthstones, though as a general rule, they don't. Zodiac rings are usually give as gifts to compliment a persons spiritual side, or they are purchased for individual motivation and symbolism.


Birthstone Rings

Birthstone rings may be attached to a persons birthday, in a similar way that zodiac rings are, but there is little correlation for most people who buy the rings. Birthstone rings can also incorporate zodiac symbols into them, though as with the Zodiac rings, they usually don't. Birthstone rings are usually give to partners, children or mothers for their birthdays or anniversaries, though they also make great gifts for any special occasion that pops up.

3 Months Worth of Paychecks... Should It Decide The Cost of Your Engagement Ring?

I've been having this on going battle with myself and my (hopefully) soon to be fiance'. There is apparently this "rule" that men have been passing along for decades, that before you can even think about getting an engagement/wedding ring, you MUST first have already saved up three months worth of your income.

Now, under extraordinary circumstances, where the groom-to-be had a FANTASTIC job that paid him way more than he needed in order to be financially comfortable in life, I could see thing rule being logical. Though in the REAL WORLD, this is idealistic and romantic, but way more than unreasonable. Sure, many women would LOVE to have an over the top expensive ring with the perfect cut, the perfect fit and the perfect stones. Though most of us are aware that the "perfect ring" is probably way outside of our budget (both the current budget and any foreseeable budget in the next few years). Not only that, but most GOOD women, really DON'T CARE how expensive their ring was. What matters way more, is the thought that their partner put into picking out the ring - if they were surprised, or the fond memories they will get to keep - from going ring shopping after a proposal.

I've always felt that it was the symbolism of the ring that it is important, not the price tag, stone or metal. Those are added bonuses. I'd be willing to take a ring from a cracker-jack box if it meant being the apple in my lover's eye, and I imagine that most women feel pretty close to the same way. In fact I've had this very same conversation with several friends and companions of mine, who like myself, seem to have found themselves in a rut with their relationship, because it can't move forward, since their partners are either no good at saving money, or their out-come is larger then their in-come, so it's nearly impossible for anything to happen.

I wanted to put this question out to the bloggersphere, and to you, my readers: How do you feel about the "three months worth of paycheck" rule? Should engagement be put on hold until the relationship is that financial stable? Or is it just too unrealistic?