Apart from buying a car or a house buying an engagement ring can be one of the most significant purchases in a person's life. We understand the pressure many guys go through. How big should the diamond be? Will she like the style? How much should I spend?

Don't worry, buying an engagement ring can be easier than you think. With this guide we hope to put you at ease and coach you through the process to help you find a perfect ring that she will be overjoyed to wear.

FINDING HER STYLE

The Setting:

Finding inspiration for her ring style or The Setting can be as easy as looking at the jewelry she wears. If one of her friends recently got engaged take note of what she says about their engagement ring. Another way to get inspired is to look at her Pinterest board, if she has one.

If she doesn't wear jewelry or you're having a hard time deciding what to get you can also go with some of the more popular settings such as Solitaire or Halo. You can always buy the diamond and set it into a simple solitaire, propose with it and then let her pick out the perfect ring. Solitaire is the least expensive setting so you are not investing much to go with that option.

The Stone:

Most of the rings we sell feature a center diamond. Another popular choice is sapphire. If your girlfriend's style is a little more untraditional she may wish something besides diamond or sapphire but chances are she'll love her diamond or sapphire engagement ring.

click here for an in-depth look at the 4 C's and other gemstone lingo.

Stone Shape:

Diamonds are cut into ten standard shapes. Popularity might be an influencing factor when it comes to the shape she likes. At the moment, Round is the most popular shape followed by close seconds - Oval, Princess and Cushion Cuts. The rest of shapes are more unique and can be great if your girlfriend has a more unique style.

The Precious Metal:

Today most popular engagement ring metals are White Gold and Platinum. They both look about the same but Platinum is more luxurious and very heavy metal. For this reason Platinum costs about twice as much as White Gold. Other great choices are Yellow Gold and Rose Gold.

Vintage / Antique:

If your girlfriend loves all things of the past, such as: old books, vintage clothing or old movies - she will likely adore a vintage or antique engagement ring. These rings are often one-of-a-kind pieces and carry a charm of romantic history. As an added bonus, vintage jewelry usually cost less than new jewelry of the same quality.

Custom Engagement Ring:

If you're an artistic person or want to create a completely custom ring that no one has, consider collaborating with one of our jewelers. To learn more about our process and the people behind it please click here.

DECIDING ON THE BUDGET

The old rule of thumb is one to three months of your salary. However, we think you should spend whatever your comfortable with. Our experienced team will be happy to assist in balancing your budget and choosing a ring she will be thrilled to have.

GETTING THE PERFECT FIT

Finding her size without ruining the surprise might be a tricky process. One way to find out is to trace one of her rings on a piece of paper and compare it to our {size chart}. For the majority of women ring sizes fall between 6 and 6.5.

It's also a good idea to buy a slightly larger ring just to be safe. We offer free resizing, so little to worry about if it's slightly loose(or tight).

GET WHAT YOU ARE PAYING FOR

All of our engagement rings come with Lifetime Warranty and most 0.50 carat and larger diamonds include a GIA or AGS certificate. If you're shopping around at other stores be sure to check their Credentials and Certificates. If a jeweler has bad online reviews and/or doesn't provide certificates for their gemstones it is a good idea to steer clear.

PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT

You might be carrying the ring in your pocket for weeks to find the right moment. If you're not careful or even if you are it might slip out while you're running or busy at work. You can't go wrong getting replacement insurance in case something happens.