Financing Engagement Ring

[Guest BrewMaster]

I'm looking into buying an engagement ring, and have absolutely no idea what I am doing. My main question is how does the financing work?

I've heard about 100 different things about how you buy them or how to finance them. Since there are probably quite a few of you who are probably somewhat recently familiar with this process, could you please shed some light on my situation. I want to go into this process with some knowledge so I know what I am doing once I start to buy, and so the store doesn't jerk me around. Do I make down-payments then get the ring, or get the ring then keep paying (like a car), or charge it to a card or what?

Or at least a suggestion about your experience or what worked best for you? Keep in mind I'm a poor college student and paying up front is out of the question.

Please some help...Thanks!!!

[The Kayla]

With financing.. well, are you going to put any down? Or, just put it on one of your credit cards? Or are you going to get a Jewlery store card?

Chances are: You are better off puttin it on one of your CC's, since it will probaly have a lower interest rate. Store CC's are high, like 20-25%

Remember, when looking for a ring, think of the four C's

1) Clarity

2) Carat

3) Color

4) Cut

If you can, take a female with you. Some one who knows your chick. That should help.

Anything else?

Edited May 26, 2007 by lcgsdmama

[egochecks]

Happen to be reading this with my wife beside me and have this advice...

"In the end she'll be happy with whatever you get her." I'll assume (dangerous I know) that you've spoken to her about marriage in some context. You probably know what she'll like whether you think you know or not. Don't worry about the size, rather about getting something that will 'fit' her, aka something that fits who she is and what she likes.

I was in the same position and I financed her engagement ring and her wrap. In my experience financing it sucked and I'm pretty sure I paid off the ring once over and still owed the same amount because of insane interest. Granted I just sucked in dealing with credit cards but the interest rate is going to suck no matter what. In addition if you've never negotiated with a jewler before try taking someone with you who has. Although I now know you can negotiate they sure as hell don't act like that's even a possibility. It's different with a car where you know that's how it goes. With a jewler they'll act like your out of your mind for suggesting such a thing. (Maybe only my experience.)

Anyway in the end my wife's ring isn't the largest ring out there but she gets compliments on it all of the time and she's happy with it. It's what she wanted.

If you do need to finance it it's not the end of the world just keep in mind some of the possible pitfalls and don't finance outside of your means. There's no hard and fast rule that says this is how you're supposed to do it. Do what's right for you and her.

Oh...and congratulations.

[Guest AFwife62406]

We got both my rings, engagement and band, and his band at Kay Jewelers. He paid for half of my engagement ring and then financed the other half through them, but it was 0% interest for a year. So we just made sure it was paid off in a year and we didn't pay any interest on it, but he also didn't have to fork out a bunch of money up front in the beginning. We also insured everything, which might be something you want to look into.

I'm sure she'll like whatever you pick out for her. That's what makes it special. Congrats and good luck!

[Guest KC]

Warning: Every girl is different, but here's my opinion.

Dont get sucked into the notion that an expensive ring is an important step, especially if you are going to finance it. She may think she cares, but after you get married just like any purchase the thrill wears off. I thought I had to have one carat, then "settled" for 3/4 carat after discussing it with my guy. Instead we went on our honeymoon to Bora Bora and haven't regretted it since. We bought our ring from a jewelry guy that was retired from Zales and sold diamonds out of his house, I know that sounds sketchy, but my diamond was purchased for 1800 and appraised for 5500. I think the jewelry broker your fiance's friend knows might be a good way to go if you can talk to some other people who have gone with him and had their rings appraise well.

To save money pick out a inexpensive ring for yourself. My husband's ring was $99 and very basic on the internet. He got one made out of titanium and it looks cool and very "manly" as other guys have told him, plus they use titanium to make airplane parts.

Good luck!

[Guest Rainman A-10]

I'm telling you, go big.

My wife is EXTREMELY modest. She is also the smartest person I have ever met. She speaks five languages, technically fluent in four of them. She has only received one B in her life (B+ actually) and that was in a French history class at a French university where she did an exchange in college (she aced her other classes over there). She finished her undergrad in 3.5 years with three majors. After college she was thinking about grad school but she was unsure which direction to go so she took all the tests. She smoked the LSAT, MCAT and GRE. Smoked them. She has two masters degrees in education.

Guess what she does for a living...she's a special ed teacher. Why? She says she is called to do it. She says it is easy to teach kids who already know how to learn. Most kids learn naturally when you put the material infront of them because that's how the human brain is designed. Kids with special needs need someone who can first teach them how to learn and then teach them what they need to learn. We're lucky and she doesn't have to work so she doesn't care that she could easily be making three times what she makes as a teacher. She doesn't even wear her ring to work because she believes any jewelry is too distracting to her students. She works hard to get them to focus even for a few minutes at a time. I'm only telling you this to set the stage.

25 years ago she said she didn't want a "fancy" ring and a simple band would be fine. She would not have complained if I didn't buy any diamond at all. Little did either of us know how difficult it was going to be for her to be an AF wife following me around as I spent 1/3 my life TDY.

I bought her something very nice instead. I did it because I thought she deserved it...little did I know at the time how much she would deserve it. I remember I had no idea how I was going to pay for it but I do remember it got it paid off quickly. I think I sold some of my crap but I don't remember. She loves the ring and I know she's glad she has it.

The same thing happened a while back when it was time to buy her a car. I wanted to buy her something nice. She said she wanted a used Impala because she didn't want her car to "stand out" in the teacher parking lot at her school. I bought her a Lexus. She didn't ask for a Lexus and she never would have bought one for herself. She loves the car.

Treat your wife well. That doesn't mean go broke trying to buy her crap she doesn't need. That simply means never, ever skimp when it comes to your wife and focus on the things that touch her life every day. She deserves everything you can possibly do for her and you should go without long before she does. Don't make a big production out of making sure she has nice things, just do it.

Remember, you get to fly.

Technique only.

[brabus]

As AFwife said, you should be able to find a no interest for a year type deal. I got the ring at Zales w/ a 1 yr no interest, then you just pay off the ring w/ 12 monthly payments, zero interest. Any major place like Zales or Kays WILL have something like this w/in the time frame you want to buy. If they don't, ask them when they will. If they say it'll be a while, tell them you've got a while. They want to make a G or two, so they'll be willing (although probably not up front) to give you a zero interest thing. You'll probably need to get a Zales card, but that's not a big deal, since you obviously won't use it for other purchases.

[M2]

I'm telling you, go big...Don't make a big production out of making sure she has nice things, just do it.

This is some of the best advice you will ever get from this forum, and some that will last you long past your USAF career. If you truly believe this will be your partner for life, then show her how much that means to you. Get your priorities straight from the onset, and life will be a much easier ride.

And congratulations on the engagement!

Cheers! M2

[Guest cxh707]

I would definitely go with the broker. Jewelry stores rape there customers with inflated prices!! Anywhere you go the dealer should have what is called a RAPP report (Pages are red in color if they are not red they are copied), its like Kelly blue book for diamonds. That being said the price for a diamond on the RAPP report is the absolute most you should pay in most cases you should pay a few bucks below because the dealer paid tons below RAPP. Also, being that an independent dealer wont finance you try getting a CC with no interest for a year. When I bought my wife’s ring I had just got a Chase cc with 18months no interest which also paid for a lot of our wedding, the trick is to (say it with me) PAY IT OFF!!! Also, I agree with Rain- go as big and bright as u can with in your means. Size, Color, and Clarity in that order.

[Guest BrewMaster]

Wow! Some of the best advice I've ever been given and I haven't even tested it yet....Sorry I haven't been on here for a while, been out of town all weekend and every chance I get to use the internet, guess who is in the room...haha. Anyways, her best friend just got engaged the other day. Weird coincidence, but now her friend is hooked on helping me, which will be really nice.

Her fiance/e (whatever, probably should learn how to spell it) bought from a broker who sold it for around $9,000, but it is worth around $15,000....yeah, WTF? No way I could ever do that. But I will buy her the biggest and best ring I can possibly afford. How's that?

We went shopping at Borsheims and I lasted about 10 minutes before the lady behind the counter started to get on my nerves. That day I asked my GF's Best Freinds Fiance about the guy and he said it was the best and most reassuring purchase he has ever made. (The guy made him do shots with him at his house after buying the ring....sweet!) So some day soon I'm going to say I'm going to work at the FBO, but take a plane to meet the broker and see what we can work out.

Anyways, back on track, I may ask my Grandma, who is extremely generous, for a loan(no interest, and I know she would love to help). I will for sure pay every cent back, just wouldn't feel right if I didn't. The downside to the broker is having to pay the money up front, but with a loan and a whatever I can figure out with a CC or whatever, I think I should be able to get her what she deserves. She is in grad school right now and I'm going to finish up my last year, so hopefully nothing insane will pop up and slow this process down. I need to start looking for something with the lowest possible interest rate. It's kind of what I figured, but I wanted to make sure anyone had other ideas...which some do, and I will consider them.

Well that's definately a load off, and I really appreciate everyone's help.

Now I'm off to do more pondering, and shopping, after working up the balls to ask her dad......

Much Thanks!!!!

Edited May 28, 2007 by BrewMaster

[M2]

Have you checked the BX? Seriously, I have bought my wife diamonds there in the past and when they were examined by a reputable jeweler, they were amazed at the high quality for the price. Matter of fact, I just bought her a 1 ct total weight ring (joint Mother's Day/Anniversary present) and got a good deal.

I don't know about a $9K ring, when you get in that price range you'd be better off buying an airplane ticket to Antwerp, Belgium and getting one from a broker there. You should pay a couple thou for a nice ring, but when you get into the price range of a small car I think you might want to be a helluva lot more careful on what you buy!

Cheers! M2

[brabus]

Size, Color, and Clarity in that order.

First off, make sure you know what she wants. My wife has small hands and cannot stand over-sized jewelry. I guarantee it's not one of those "she would be glad down the road" kind of things. My mom has a huge diamond worth more than my car, she loves it, that's great. You're fiancee could be somewhere around the small-medium area like my wife or at the big area like my mom. Just make sure you know her. Just my opinion, but I don't agree w/ CXH's order here. IMO, quality is much more important than quantity (unless your chick truly just cares about size (sts)). What's the point of a big rock if you can see the flaws and lower quality immediately. Maybe you're looking at a 1.5 CT...you can find a 1.25 CT w/ much higher quality for about the same price. I'm glad I went down .25 CT to have a much higher quality rock. The clarity and color is important...what's the point of having a 2.0 CT diamond when it's got yellow and flaws all over it. It does not look as good and the size does not make up for the other fallacies. Just my opinion...the best thing you can do is go compare a good amount of rings side by side. Even you're completely untrained, know nothing about diamonds, eye can see a big difference b/w a big "meh" quality diamond and a good quality diamond that's .25 smaller. And also, definitely take a woman w/ you...they help a lot and make things easier.

[Guest rotorhead]

after working up the balls to ask her dad......

You INFORM her dad that you are going to marry his daughter.

You REQUEST his BLESSING in that activity, not his PERMISSION.

(If she is under 18, then you ask her dad for everything. He'll give you your balls back when he sees fit...which is:

after she's 18 OR

you're getting married OR

you leave his daughter alone, without hurting her)

[M2]

Timely...this just came out today from ConsumerReports.org...

Buying jewelry?

Don't get bling-boozled

from ConsumerReports.org

If April showers and May flowers lead to thoughts of jewels in June, beware. Jewelry is a tricky buy, especially if you can't tell a carat from a karat. Here are 10 tips on choosing a gem of a jewel:

1. Know your karats. The price of gold varies with karat number (a unit of fineness), weight, design, finishing (by hand vs. machine), and country of origin. Pure gold, 24 karat, is too soft to be molded into jewelry, so it's mixed with other metals. Changes in gold's color result from the metal mix-in. Anything less than 10 karat, about 42 percent gold, can't legally be sold as gold. "Fill," "overlay," or "electroplate" indicates a thin gold coating.

2. Check a diamond's four C's. Value is based on (in descending order): cut, color, clarity, and carat (weight). Diamonds and other gemstones can be mined or made in a lab. It's nearly impossible to tell the difference, but an ethical dealer will reveal if a stone is synthetic or has been treated. Most jewelers adhere to the Gemological Institute of America's grading system, but you'll need help interpreting. Very valuable stones should come with a detailed description from the GIA or another group.

3. Buy from a certified gemologist belonging to a group such as the GIA, Jewelers of America, or American Gem Society. Also ask friends for names of jewelers they trust. Make sure the dealer allows plenty of time to return jewelry for a refund.

4. You might save online, where markup is low, but you won't see the jewelry firsthand, gem and mounting might be sold a la carte, and sizing could cost extra. Check out https://www.diamondtalk.com and https://www.pricescope.com/, where consumers share experiences.

5. Be aware that chain stores are likely to charge less than local jewelers, but their salespeople might be less knowledgeable.

6. Don't buy promises of huge discounts. "Ninety-five percent of the discounts I see are fictitious," says jeweler David Nytch, a certified gemologist appraiser who has worked in retailing, "because the pieces are vastly overpriced to begin with."

7. Consider the source. Under a voluntary international system, the diamond industry has agreed to keep a paper trail as diamonds move from mine to store. The system isn't perfect, but it can help buyers avoid "blood diamonds" that have financed conflicts in Africa. Ask to see a written guarantee on the invoice that comes with every stone. There's also an international effort to ensure that gold-mining operations respect human rights and the environment. For a list of retailers that support the campaign, go to https://www.nodirtygold.org/

8. Pay with a major credit card. It might give you recourse if problems arise.

9. If you've bought expensive jewelry, have it valued by an appraiser certified by the American Society of Appraisers (go to https://www.appraisers.org/ or call 800-272-8258).

10. If you suspect you've been taken, contact the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (https://www.jvclegal.org/). For $75, its dispute-resolution service mediates between buyer and seller.

Cheers! M2

[Guest jojo61397]

I'm with Rainman with this. I have extremely small hands, and my husband bought me a smaller diamond, now I wish I had a little bit bigger diamond. But like others said it's all in your personality.

On financing, my husband borrowed money from his parents and repaid them our first year of marriage.

[Guest The Grounded One]

First of all...congrats on deciding "she's the one!"

Secondly, I may be the only one here who will say this, but it's not wrong to say, "Fake it 'til you make it!" I feel so bad for all of these guys who go in debt $3,000-5,000 for a bridal set. When you get married, you will see that there are so many more things that you would rather spend that kind of money on...like a trip to Hawaii or a new family car. In my opinion, tangible things are not what matter as much as those life experiences you remember forever when it comes to showing someone you love them.

Just give her a beautiful set that is just enough to catch the light, but don't go over board. This is the first piece of jewelry in your married lives that she will have...and if you set a high president....well, you can only expect her taste to be at a certain level. For instance, we have been only married two years and my husband got me a ring that as a set, cost $1000. I was content with the size of the ring until he commissioned and we got to a military base. I saw all of the other wives and the size of their rings we enormous! I immediately started craving an "upgrade" (which, at one point, most all wives will want). I became friends with one of the wives and I asked her about her beautiful ring and I jokingly said that they probably had to get a mortgage size loan to pay for it. She laughed and said, "No...My real wedding ring is too important for me to wear all the time every day. This ring is Platinum plated and has 4 carats of cubic zarconia! No one can tell the difference and I paid $50 for it!"

After that, (and after consulting with my husband, who already wears a titanium ring to work instead of his gold one) I went online and bought a "diamond ring set " with a 2 carat diamond set in the middle and about a carat’s worth of diamonds surrounding the large diamond. No one knows it's cubic zarconia, and I get so many compliments about it! (Don't worry...I never lie!!!) Some may say that I'm being cheap, but there's nothing wrong with looking like a high roller, but spending little to do it!

[Majestik Møøse]

I got my wife's engagement ring from diamond.com. It was around one third the price of mall stores. They get all of their diamonds from Steinmetz, and they're all GIA graded. The particular diamond I got was a 1.25 carat, F color, SI1, Ideal emerald cut and it was $4,000 (the .75 carat setting I chose was $1400). A similar loose diamond from Zales was over $10,000 and it was a J color with I1 clarity. Note that the prices have gone up a bit as the dollar's value has fallen over the past two years.

I found that Zales and the other mall stores don't even offer 1 carat diamonds that were better than H color, at least where I was looking. The salesmen act like diamonds in the colorless range don't even exist. I would recommend going to a store and finding one you like, get a feel for the carat size and cuts of different diamonds and settings, then purchasing at diamond.com or bluenile.com. I do the same thing with electronics.

[Square]

Hey dude. I was in exactly the same situation as you a year ago. Check out https://www.pricescope.com/idealbb/ It's the baseops.net of diamonds. I was going crazy with the whole process and balancing stone variables and cost--big thing that I learned was that size doesn't necessarily imply that the stone will look good. Cut and clarity is what makes the rock sparkle, and a "sparkly" stone looks bigger than it is.

[john]

i'm in the same place and got this name from another guy who is also shopping. neither of us have bought from them, and they take paypal which makes them sound cheap but paypal has absolutely awesome buyer protection especially for high priced stuff. doesnt hurt that they claim incredible discounts. as with buying anything before you see it, be careful. https://www.primestyle.com/index.php if you find anything good out there let me know. john.

[Guest aspiringpilotsfiance]

WOW! Me and my sweetheart are looking at rings now and this thread is really eye-catching. First, I live in southern california, so I'm sure that colors my perspective. I'm also a Texas native. So.... I say GO BIG. But, let me clarify what I mean....

Each woman's hand is different. Stone sizes and shapes look different on each person. So, find a ring that stands out on her hand. In other words, a huge 5 carat ring isn't going to look graceful and elegant on just any hand. A 1.5 ct ring would looking amazing and stand out on a woman with a small frame and small hands. In short, BIG is relative.

My honey and I went to Robbins Brothers and I looked around at what stone sizes and shapes looked good on my hand. He picked a price range and the jeweler had an array of options. I would highly recommend this. Take her to see what she likes, pick a price range that YOU are comfortable with but that also makes her SMILE, and find something that will stand out on her hand.

( I wonder what my fiance' will say when he sees this post. Lol.)

: )

[afthunderchief16]

For my $.02, there are a lot of different things that you can think about before buying a ring that were very helpful. First off, I would never go through a big chain jewelry store. Like a lot of people have said, they are notorious for jacking their prices up sky high and you really don't get what you pay for. I was lucky enough to have my fiance's uncle be in the business so I was able to deal with him at the small store that he works at. Truth be told, you are going to pay about the same for your diamond just from just about any loose stone dealer. The jewelers don't make their money off of the stone, but rather the setting that it goes in. On that note, look at the wear and tear that the ring is going to get. If your girlfriend has a job that requires any lifting or a lot of work with her hands or if she is going to be wearing it 24/7, look at a metal that is going to stand up to it. Platinum holds a status with it, but in all reality it wears quite a bit worse than gold or white gold, discolors, flattens on the bottom side, etc. Gold or white gold is going to be a lot cheaper. 24k, 18k, 14k all have different price tags, but in all reality 14k is going to be the most durable because of the different metals used to make it and at the end of the day... It looks almost identical to the rest of the white metals used to make rings... As far as the style goes, many smaller stores will be able to custom make a ring for you based on other designs. I found a style from a popular designer in Denver, took it to my jeweler and they were able to make it for 1/4 of the price with a bigger diamond in just a couple of weeks. Once again, just my $.02...

[Guest ElRoy]

Buy online -

adiamor.com or bluenile.com

Not even a joke. Alot of folks do it and get good deals on good diamonds. It is worth a look. Mostly cause there is no pressure from some smarmy button-downed prick trying to sell a specific ring to whoever or whatever walks through the door.

[pcola]

OK, I realize that the dude that started this thread has probably already purchased his rock. Hopefully he followed Rainman's advice. For those that will read this thread in the future, my advice:

1. Don't buy your wife's ring at the mall. You will get ripped off. Mall jewelery stores have to pay the rent. Idiots that shop there do it for them. Like others have mentioned, buy online. Do your homework, buy something with a certificate or some sort of guarantee. It may sound cheesy, but overstock.com has good prices and a reputation. Buy online from someone that has to sell what they advertise in order to maintain their reputation.

2. Learn how big of a ring your wife would LOVE, then buy one a little bit bigger. As Rainman said, it will pay dividends long after it is paid off. And all of her friends that got ripped off at the mall will think it cost a ton more than it really did.

3. Once you know what size to buy, look at the rest of the details, the cut, the color, and the clarity. Look around online. Don't waste your money on a flawless or even near flawless diamond. Get one that is "eye clean." That means that it looks like a top notch diamond to the naked eye, but has some noticable imperfections under 10x magnification. You'll save a ton, and unless any of your wives girlfriends bust out their eye piece and examine the ring, it will look spectacular. IMO, the cut and clarity are a tie for the second most important aspects (after you've decided on what size you want.) The cut is very important, it is what will make the diamond sparkle. Too shallow and the diamond looks bigger, but doesn't sparkle. Too deep and the diamond looks smaller and still doesn't sparkle. Make sure the cut is ideal or pretty close to it to get that much sought after "fire." Then the color. Get one anywhere in the near colorless range. Don't go for the colorless range, they cost too much. Anything less than a "J" and it will be noticably yellowish. Get one in preferably in the H to I range and they look great as a standalone. When you put a near colorless diamond under a UV light next to a colorless diamond, the difference is apparent. However, by itself, a near colorless diamond is impressive (assuming a good cut.) Your last consideration should be the clarity. That being said, do not get anything less than an SI1 or maybe SI2 if you can return the diamond after inspection. Any rock graded as I or worse will have visible defects. If it is an VS or SI grade, the defects should not be visible without magnification. If you want a pretty stone for a good deal, that is very important.

If you want the most beautiful stone for the money, I'd go with a round, .98 carat, Ideal cut, H color, VS2-SI1 diamond. Round diamonds ideal cut produce the most fire. Most diamond sellers know that men looking for an engagement ring will pay the extra money for the 1 carat bragging rights, thats why you can typically get the .95-.99 carat diamonds for a few hundred cheaper, even though they are visually identical to the 1.0 carats. And finally, if you have tons of cash, buy a flawless diamond, it will hold its value. If you are on a budget but still want to spoil your wife, buy a beautiful, slightly included, diamond.

But always, always, refer to rule number 1. Dont buy your diamonds from the mall!

[Guest loydma3]

I just got married this past December as a Grad Student, wife finishing up her Bachelors. Im never embarassed to say, all total I spent close to $2,000 on our rings total. She was happy as hell with what I got her. Im sure its similar to the woman in the bible who gave her 1 penny versus the guy who gave a shitload but it wasnt from his heart.

I say do the best you can, no more no less and you will be good to go. The mere fact that you are concerned with what she wants is a good step in the right direction. Best of luck

P.S. When I get a real job....USAF.....i am going to get a bigger ring....but for now........

[Guest ukwxbelle]

My husband included me in the process which I loved. In the end I had it narrowed down to a few rings for him and then he picked which one to buy. If you are going to take her into a store to get her sized, make sure they hold the weight of the sizing ring. Some lame gal did not and my ring ended up being a size too big when we got and we ended up having to have it re-sized. I definitely agree that 'big' is relative. My ring size is a 4.5, that's pretty small! I had to try rings on. There were many that I thought were beautiful but stood too high off my finger or took up my finger until the knuckle.

But if you don't want to involve your GF in the hunt, then you must take cues off her current jewelry. Do you think she'll like a solitare, or will she want muti-stones? My ring includes sapphires, which was not very common at the time but is gaining in popularity. Also you must consider cut. I absolutely abhored a round cut, which of course was the direction my husband started. I love a princess cut, but the emerald is catching my eye. Some women are bold enough to brave the marquis, but not I. I knew a guy that didn't want to include his GF in the process. So cleverly enough he asked her about dining room funiture. Would she want a square table or a round one? I don't remember the answer, but I know that he got the perfect ring for her, just by listening to the cues!

We used Helzberg. I love 95% of their staff. My mom was nice enough to give my husband a wedding set from a prior marriage and he was able to use that trade-in to cover half the price of the ring. If you purchase from a chain, be sure to buy the extended warranty. Also be sure you know what it will take from you to honor that warranty. Helzberg, and most others, require the rings be examined twice a year. You can find a helzberg in almost every large city, but currently we live about 2 hours from a store. But if you live in an area that doesn't have a store close by, then you can go online and tell them that and they'll cut the required inspections to just once a year- so that's nice. We get our rings cleaned and inspected anytime we happen to travel, but we always have to get new inspection cards b/c who remembers to carry them with you on the off-chance you'll find a store? And in this modern day and age that's not computerized yet for them. But because my husband did finance the ring through a store credit card, they have at least all the purchase information about the rings and it makes having the cards made that much easier. Short point to my long story- a warranty is nice and recommended, but make sure it fits in your lifestyle.

Also start thinking about your ring too. What do you want it to be made of? Platinum and titanium are some of the most durable metals for your line of work. I would suggest you try on a square shank band. They are cut round on the inside like a normal ring, but square on the outside so it fits more comfortably in between your fingers. My husband has one and absolutely loves it. It also came to us as a recommendation, if we wouldn't have been looking for it, I don't think he would have found it!

Have fun and congratulations! And that's to all you fellas considering asking the big question.