CHOOSING THE RING STARTING YOUR WEDDING JOURNEY
Umaima Daginawala, marketing & general manager at Carmens Jewellers chats secret engagement rings ...Two rings. Two hands. Two hearts. A binding of love waiting to be woven together. It begins with a proposal. One knee. One ring. One question. For many, this moment is hidden in secrecy with a surprise proposal and a ring concealed until the box is opened. But how can one keep a ring, this mark of love, a secret? Join Western Australia Wedding & Bride’s Alice O’Brien as she discusses with Umaima Daginawala, marketing and general manager at Carmens Jewellers, how to choose the perfect engagement ring without giving away the surprise that follows.
A proposal is a ritual where one member of the couple asks the other for their hand in marriage. In doing so, they are asking one of life’s most vulnerable questions: will you spend this lifetime with me, through all that it is and will become? Or in simpler words: will you marry me? An act steeped in commitment is symbolised through the acceptance of a ring. The engagement ring, placed on the fourth finger where a vein leads directly to the heart, represents the mutual promise of an unbroken bond. A proposal and a ring go hand in hand, and so does the desire to surprise. Yet with this desire comes the delicate task of selecting a ring your partner will love … without ever asking them. The team behind the family owned and operated business understands this challenge. Placing your trust in a bespoke jeweller, you are guided through what can be a daunting decision.
“Our focus is providing our customers with quality and life-long memorabilia and above all, we pride ourselves on customer service,” Daginawala says.
Image courtesy of Carmens Jewellers
Written by Alice O’Brien
DECIDING ON SIZING AND DESIGN
You’ve decided the ring will be a complete and full surprise! Bravo! But if you’re feeling doubts flit through your mind, with the biggest hesitation landing on … how do I even do this in secret? Don’t worry, as Daginawala has ideas up her sleeve!
One: When shopping, browse strategically past some jewellery stores and make a comment like ‘that’s an interesting design’, and gauge her reaction.
Two: Ask what she thinks about others’ rings if someone else gets engaged.
Three: Observe what they already wear. Do they wear more chunky items? Daintier? Simple or blingy? Prefer diamonds or enjoy a pop of colour?
“Every poor man has to go through the struggle of making sure it’s the perfect ring for their Misso … it will be worn on her finger for the rest of her life,” Daginawala says
Getting the Size Right: “The main one of course, is the ring sizing … getting this right is not easy, especially since most ladies have never worn a ring on their wedding finger, so it is difficult to get right the first time!”
If the ring is to fit, the sizing must match, and finding this vital information can be stressful. But, given Daginawala’s experience in helping partners through this exact situation, the biggest advice she has is to “pick a ring design that allows for ring sizing in case it is incorrect or can be adjusted later … to ease a lot of stress in the future.” In the confusing world of individual ring taste, the two biggest things to be most cautious about are: centre stone and metal.
Shaping of the Gemstone: “The shape of the stone defines how the hand and wearer looks, and more importantly, feels,” explains Daginawala. The safest option, if you are unsure, is always a classic round brilliant cut or oval as despite their simplicity, they offer the most flexibility for designing the overall ring.
Choosing the Metal: “[Metal] is more a practical call to make … a lot of people tend to favour a particular colour,” explains Daginawala.
The easiest way to discover your partners favouring metal colour is to observe what they wear day to day. Do they wear silver earrings or do they prefer gold? A gold necklace or a silver one? There is the chance they wear both, and if this is the case, Daginawala recommends opting for a “two-tone ring … for example a white gold basket or setting and a yellow gold shank.” There’s still space to play when designing a surprise ring coming in the form of engravings, such as a personalised message or the incorporation of symbolic stones. Here, the reigns can be let loose, guided by milestone and meaning within your relationship.
CURIOUS ABOUT THE MOST COMMON APPROACH?
There are couples who prefer going through the design process hand in hand.
“Though this reduces the element of surprise, many couples prefer doing things this way … being able to incorporate both his and her ideas,” Daginawala says.
If you’re worried this joint process will remove that well-loved element of surprise, remember there are many moving parts they won’t know about, until you pop the question. The proposal will still land as a surprise, as your partner will not know when, how or where the knee bending will take place. Daginawala also notes the “hybrid” option, where the partner “works with their partners’ best friend, mother, etc … allow[ing] both partners to be involved and have their opinions incorporated, keep[ing] almost a total surprise.” Whatever your approach, whether it’s a journey together or the full-blown surprise, Daginawala always wants to emphasise “this is a fun journey to laugh and smile about.”
There’s no right or wrong way to select a ring, but however the choice comes to be, it’s a choice made easier when supported by a jeweller. An engagement ring becomes a lasting reminder of where your wedding journey began, and a small symbol of the love chosen to share. This is what makes an engagement ring meaningful; the deliberate thought and intention poured into its unbroken circle