It is an age-old tradition that for men to propose marriage to a woman, they give them a ring to commemorate the occasion. And for just as long, men have been struggling to pick out that perfect ring. They have often flocked to the best friend’s of their girlfriend’s begging for their assistance, scared to mess up this crucial moment in their relationship. Well have no fear guys, us at Longisland.com are here to help!

The first important detail when picking out a ring is ring size. The first thing that you can do is go to a friend and asks if they know what size ring your girlfriend wears. They might share rings and be in the know as to the size, or your girlfriend is one step ahead of you and told them already. If the friend doesn’t know then you have to move on to more covert tactics. When your girlfriend isn’t home, take one of the rings that you know she wears on her ring finger to the jewelry shop and ask them to give you the size. With that in hand you are ready to move on to the more important details.

Every woman has a favorite type of jewelry. Some like gold, some like silver, some like white-gold etc. You need to find out which your girlfriend would like most for her engagement ring. If she only wears one type of metal, than your have a very good chance of getting her the ring that she wants. But if she regularly switches it up, you might have to slyly get the answer through conversation. At breakfast, ask her something along the lines of “you always wear so much jewelry, which pieces are your favorites?” Take a look at the types of jewelry, specifically rings that she has and make a decision based off of that.

Getting down to the cut and setting of the ring is a little more tedious. This is where the family and friend’s of a girlfriend come in handy the most. Often little girls tell their mom or grandmother what their dream ring would look like, or what cut the stone would be. Ask her friend’s whether she has gushed over the cut of another friend’s ring. Look to see if there is a common cut among her own rings or if there was a ring that she admired in the family.

When it comes to vintage rings, a woman will make it pretty obvious that that is what she is looking for. For any girl that collects antiques or has a penchant for sentiment, buy a vintage ring will mean the world to her. Also if there are any family rings on either side of the family, it is important to discuss that with your parents, and her parents. Nothing makes a woman feel more loved than being handed down a piece of your family history.  

Finally, when looking for a ring it is most important to pay attention to your girlfriend. She may be sending you little hints, dropping clues, taping notes on the inside of her jewelry box, etc. Sometimes it’s even smart to sit down and watch one of those bridal shows on TLC or Bravo with her and take note of what she likes. Use whatever resources you have, and you will be sure to find the best ring for her.