How to choose an Eternity ring?

We are often asked how to go about choosing an eternity ring, and while there are no hard and fast answers as ultimately the choice should be that of the lucky reciever, we hope to offer some tips for making this big decision.

Most importantly, eternity rings are meant to symbolise eternal love; and it is this love that is the most important gift, rather than the ring itself, and this should not be forgotten in the buying process - of course, anybody would love to receive a beautiful platinum ring studded with hundreds of diamonds, but as this is out of most people's budgets we should remember that it is the gift of love itself that is most important, and if a less expensive option such as a silver eternity ring will send the message of love just as well, there is no reason to break the bank - after all, you could always upgrade later!

The biggest consideration when choosing an eternity ring is whether you opt for a full eternity or half eternity ring. A half eternity doesn't mean you are only half committed; rather it means that the stones set in the ring run half way around rather than all the way around the ring. This, of course, means a half eternity can be cheaper - sometimes two or three times - but many would say a half eternity ring is also more comfortable, as they are not so wide between your fingers and so can be worn for longer. A half eternity ring is also easier to size, as the ring can be easily adjusted to suit your finger - not so for the full eternity ring, which can either be bought at a set size or needs to be made bespoke. As a result half eternity rings are more popular than full, and generally stocked more often by jewellers.

Next, there are many design considerations. The metal type is important - of course, Platinum and Gold are two of the most popular choices, and two of the most valuable. White gold is becoming a very popular metal for jewellery of all types, too. If these metals are too expensive, though, you may wish to opt for a cheaper alternative - for example, Palladium shares many characteristics with Platinum but can be considerably cheaper, or if you lover adores gold you could consider buying a lower carat - as gold is a very soft metal all gold jewellery will be alloyed to some degree to prevent damage, and getting a lower carat of gold will help to protect your ring against scratches.