How to Buy an Engagement
Ring in London
Everything you need to know before you walk through any jeweller's door. Written plainly, without jargon, for men who are doing this for the first time.
Five Interactive Tools
Most buyers find these more useful than any written guide. Use them before you visit a single jeweller.
What does my budget actually get me?
Natural vs lab-grown carat sizes and quality at your exact budget, with an honest recommendation. Takes two minutes.
Take the quiz → Visual · drag the sliderSee how stone size changes with budget
Drag from £1,000 to £15,000 and watch the diamond grow in real time, natural vs lab-grown side by side. The gap is striking.
Open the guide →Diamond Shape Guide
See every cut drawn to scale from 0.5ct to 2ct (round, oval, cushion, emerald, pear, marquise) and understand the character of each shape before you commit.
Compare shapes → 6-question quizWhich Style Suits Her?
Answer six questions about her taste and get matched to a ring profile (Classic, Romantic, Modernist or Individual) with jeweller recommendations for each.
Find her style → Planning toolBuild Your Proposal Timeline
Enter your proposal date, choose bespoke or ready-made, and get a week-by-week plan with exactly when to do what, from first visit to the moment you propose.
Build your plan →"Most men buying an engagement ring are doing it for the first and only time in their lives. The jewellery industry has not always made that easy. These guides exist to level the playing field."
Start Here
Five guides that answer most of what you need to know, read them in order, or jump to whatever's most relevant.
Practical Buying Advice
Why you should always visit in person, how to find out what she'd love, what to expect from resizing, and how to make the ring truly personal, coordinate engravings, hidden stones, and more.
Read guide → FoundationUnderstanding the 4Cs
Cut, colour, clarity and carat are the four factors that determine a diamond's quality and price. Understanding the trade-offs is the single most useful thing you can do before visiting a jeweller.
Read guide →Bespoke vs Ready-Made
Should you commission a ring made specifically for her, or choose from an existing collection? The answer depends on your situation, timeline and budget, and it's not always what people assume.
Read guide → PracticalSetting a Budget
The "two months' salary" rule is marketing, not wisdom. Here's how to think about what to spend, and what that money actually gets you at different price points across London's jewellery market.
Read guide →Beyond the Diamond
Sapphires, emeralds, rubies, moissanite, a guide to rings that go beyond the traditional diamond. What each stone offers, what it costs, and why it's often the most personal choice of all.
Read guide → Location guideHow to Buy in Hatton Garden
What the experience is actually like, how it differs from Bond Street, the hard sell, the calculator trick, and how to get the best result from London's jewellery trade district.
Read guide →A Note on How We Write These Guides
These guides are written for the buyer, not the seller. We don't gloss over the parts of the engagement ring market that are opaque, pressured, or frankly confusing. We explain how certification works, why some jewellers don't want you to compare prices, and what the difference is between a £5,000 ring and a £20,000 ring at the same carat weight.
We update these guides regularly. If you find something out of date or have a question that isn't answered here, we'd like to know, see our about page for how to reach us.
When you're ready to start visiting jewellers, our location guides will tell you exactly who to see in each part of London.