Girls, Keep away from These Engagement Rings—Sincerely, a Jewellery Designer

[ad_1] Maryland-based jewellery designer Michelle Keller, 32, has been sharing a glance behind the sparkles together with her tips about what to keep away from when selecting out a dream engagement ring.

With a background in science and structural engineering, Keller says sturdiness typically takes a backseat to aesthetics—resulting in rings that warp, break, or lose stones over time.

"I'm a designer at coronary heart and love all issues floral, however I take a structural engineering strategy in all our rings," Keller advised Newsweek. She mentioned that many individuals are going flawed with their engagement-ring decisions, choosing type over sturdiness and resulting in a hoop that will not final ceaselessly.

"It is by no means about what designs are 'coolest or prettiest'—these issues are private. My movies deal with physics and engineering, breaking down why sure kinds do not maintain up," Keller mentioned.

Wedding ceremony website The Knot says that the typical engagement ring in 2024 price $5,200, down barely from $5,500 in 2023, however nonetheless a major expense. In a collection of movies on Instagram, Keller shared the highest issues to keep away from in an engagement ring to make sure cash is invested effectively.

Footage of Michelle Keller sharing her experience on engagement rings to keep away from. Footage of Michelle Keller sharing her experience on engagement rings to keep away from. @thebijoulab/Instagram - www.thebijoulab.com Ring Designs to Keep away from Bands that are not a full circle—"it could look cool, however that is structurally not sound," Keller mentioned.

Shared prong accent stone bands—"the band itself is actually skinny, and there is just one prong between every two stones and so it isn't going to be very safe," Keller mentioned.

Pavé on prongs—"prongs are one of the vital structurally necessary elements of your ring. Setting stones into your prong considerably weakens the construction," Keller mentioned.

It is not simply type to look out for both; she additionally make clear the truth of a few of the most-common stone decisions that could possibly be a mistake.

Ring Gem stones To Keep away from Pearls—"these are primarily made out of calcium carbonate … That is in regards to the hardness of a fingernail. They're porous, and to allow them to soak up moisture and oils, which can injury them," Keller mentioned.

Moss agate—"they're thought of a brittle gemstone they usually have pure fractures, each of which make them inclined to breakage," Keller mentioned.

Opals—"[they] can simply be scratched by metallic. Glass and even mud … Opals have a excessive water content material, making them actually delicate to completely different humidity situations. They are not sturdy sufficient to be worn on the hand every day for years," Keller mentioned.

Selecting a Ring That Lasts In terms of selecting the proper ring with longevity, Keller had some necessary suggestions.

Firstly, she mentioned there must be a minimal of six prongs, or a gallery rail for four-prong settings. In terms of band dimension, there are some golden guidelines, too: "The band is the inspiration of your ring and the best band width is 2 mm; in case your ring dimension is over 7 or your stone is 2.5 carats-plus, go a bit of wider," Keller mentioned. "Make sure that to consider your way of life and the way you utilize your arms on a day-to-day foundation."

In terms of stones, Keller mentioned that 2 carats are the proper place to start out. "When doubtful, 2 carats seems to be good on nearly everybody," she mentioned. "However for those who select a stone 2.5 carats or bigger, I might suggest a 2.2 mm or 2.4 mm band for ample assist and to maintain the ring from spinning as a lot—bigger stones make the ring top-heavy."

For gemstone alternative, it's all about hardness and sturdiness. "Something too comfortable will scratch over time and turn out to be cloudy. Diamonds, moissanite, sapphire, rubies, and alexandrite are all nice choices that are available in a large number of cuts and colours," Keller mentioned.

She added that her recommendation comes from each her job and private expertise. "My private engagement ring from one other jewellery firm was designed with out correct construction and has damaged and warped over and over. It is actually heartbreaking.

"Engagement rings are costly and extremely necessary sentimental items that commemorate certainly one of life's most-important milestones. I create these movies to assist individuals select rings that they'll cherish for a lifetime," Keller mentioned.