When you are choosing diamond engagement rings, choose carefully as this ring is something that your future wife will hopefully wear for the rest of her life. Not all diamond rings are engagement rings. Diamond engagement rings usually have one diamond larger than the rest or consist of a single diamond. These types of diamond engagement rings are called a solitaire.

Years ago, women wore diamond rings that were called cocktail rings.  They were used for fancy dress and not worn all of the time. To the contrary, diamond engagement rings are worn all of the time and many women never remove them. Diamond engagement rings often come with a wedding band as well, as part of a set.

When you are choosing diamond rings, you need to be sure that the ring is set in a hard, precious metal. Gold or platinum is used in diamond rings as it is strong enough to hold the gem. The best type of metal is either 18 or 14 karat gold or platinum. While 24 karat is considered to be pure gold weight, it is too soft to hold fine gems like diamonds.

In addition to looking at the setting, which is the metal ring in which the diamond will be set, you should also be sure of the quality of the diamond.  A one karat diamond is large and considered standard for diamond engagement rings. You can go smaller, if this is what your budget allows.  You can also have more than one gem in the diamond ring itself. Sapphires are often part of diamond engagement rings as are diamonds.

The quality of the diamond is important. You may be able to get a deal at a discount jeweler, but often the diamonds that are offered are flawed. When choosing diamond rings, especially something as special as diamond engagement rings, it pays to go with a jeweler you can trust. Look for one that has been in business for a long period of time and has a solid reputation.

Diamond rings can also be purchased as anniversary rings.  Some women receive five year anniversary rings as diamond rings after they are married five years. This ring consists of five diamonds. Men also wear diamond rings, usually on their pinky finger, although they can also wear them in their wedding band as well.

When it comes to diamond engagement rings, you need to have a rough idea of the size of her finger if you are trying to surprise her with a ring. Many men give their future wives diamond engagement rings that are too big or too small. This problem is easily rectified by taking the diamond rings to a local jeweler who will be able to size them so that they fit properly.  Diamond engagement rings should fit not too tight, but so that they will not slip off. When buying any type of diamond rings, sizing is important. Many jewelers will resize the rings, although any jeweler is usually able to size any type of ring and will usually charge a little bit of money for this service.