Engagement ring story

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

An engagement is one of the most important events in a life, so it is no surprise that many girls dream of it from earliest childhood. It matters because it marks a promise. In placing the engagement ring on the hand of the woman he has chosen, a man and a woman make an agreement about a marriage to come.

The symbolism of the engagement ring

An engagement ring is a piece of jewelry that crosses beyond the material, because its importance and its meaning run far deeper.

It is no accident that a ring is the piece of jewelry by which love, belonging and faithfulness are promised. Look at the shape of a ring and you will see its symbolism. Since the earliest times, in many cultures, the circle has pointed to continuity, to the unbreakable, to that which has no beginning and no end we can mark. The circle itself symbolises an origin to which everything returns and from which it constantly sets out again. So the circle is a call to act, and the engagement itself is the moment in which a man acts, inviting his partner on a shared journey through life.

Beyond its shape, the material an engagement ring is made from carries symbolic value too. Through history they have been made from lasting materials, to underline that unbreakability further. Today engagement rings are most often made in gold, which carries an important symbolic message of its own. Gold has excellent chemical stability and is therefore exceptionally resistant — exactly what we want of the marriage we begin to plan at the moment the engagement ring is given.

The finger on which an engagement ring is worn is symbolic too. It is usually placed on the fourth finger, because that is where the vena amoris runs, the vein that leads to the heart. In Croatian tradition it is the ring finger of the right hand.

An engagement ring is not given for today or tomorrow: giving it is an intimate act full of symbolic meaning that points to timelessness and to what cannot be broken.

How do you choose the right engagement ring?

To make the engagement as beautiful an occasion as possible for the woman they have chosen, men give particular attention to choosing the ring.

Aware that to her the engagement ring is not simply an ordinary piece of jewelry to be worn now and again, men put particular effort into choosing the right one. In that situation a great many questions arise that make the choice harder. The search for the right one usually begins by thinking about what she likes. At this point it would help to know whether she wants a simple or an opulent engagement ring, which materials she prefers, whether she wants one stone or several, whether she dreams of a colored stone, what size she wears — in other words, to reach into her dreams by some miracle and come away with a sketch, because only then would you know with complete certainty what you are looking for. But choosing a ring need not be an impossible mission.

At ZRIN we offer you a wide choice of engagement rings and a consultation with our specialists. It is precisely because of that, and because of many years of experience, that we say with pride the chance of buying the wrong engagement ring here is reduced to a minimum.

Sometimes a woman will whisper to her partner what she likes or wants, but that is not always so. Which is why we advise you, before buying an engagement ring, to think about the jewelry she usually wears. Notice what she wears day to day, and you will discover whether you are heading towards a simple or an opulent engagement ring. Some women prefer a classic, minimal design, while others feel better wearing more opulent pieces. The same goes for the material. At this point in the choice, though, it is important to bear in mind that you are giving an engagement ring for a lifetime, and that some materials are more durable — not prone to corrosion or easy damage the way others are. At ZRIN many materials are available to you, and our clients most often decide on gold or platinum. Both are exceptionally durable and we recommend them here too. Still, the choice of material also depends on what you can afford, so it is worth deciding in advance how much you are prepared to invest in an engagement ring. Settling the budget will help you make every other decision.

Where a gold engagement ring is concerned, the usual options are white, yellow and red gold. It is worth mentioning here that the gold we find in nature is yellow, and the other possibilities depend on combining it with different alloys, which ultimately determine the color of the ring. The percentage of gold in all these variants is measured in carats, and it is worth knowing that the color of the gold does not dictate its value. Since an engagement ring is a piece of jewelry we want to last, we usually recommend one made from 14-carat gold, because at that carat weight the finished piece strikes the best balance between strength and value.

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Besides gold, and if your finances allow it, platinum is worth considering when choosing an engagement ring. Platinum is a rare noble metal, white in color and with excellent chemical properties, resistant to chemical influences and therefore well suited to an engagement ring you want to last.

Engagement rings are often set with a stone. As with the choice of material, what matters in choosing a stone is what she likes. In making this decision it helps to know whether you want a simpler or a more opulent ring, that is whether it will carry one stone or several.

Men most often choose an engagement ring with a diamond, or rather a brilliant. Since clients often ask us about the difference between a diamond and a brilliant, we will explain that too. A brilliant is a round diamond cut in a particular way, with a great many facets, that is polished faces. A diamond graces many engagement rings because it carries a powerful message of its own: it is the hardest natural material there is, and so it stands for perfection and constancy — exactly what you want for your relationship at the moment of the engagement.

Beyond diamonds, ZRIN offers you a wide range of other possibilities. In our range you can also choose Swarovski zircons for an engagement ring, characterised by durability and a high shine thanks to the diamond cut; unlike 'ordinary' zircons, they will not lose their brilliance or change color after a few years. If you decide on this option, it is worth distinguishing a Swarovski zircon from crystal, which is brittle and which we therefore do not use in making something as important as an engagement ring.

Alongside all this, we suggest you consider other gemstones too — emerald, for instance, which is firm enough to grace an engagement ring for many years. Every gemstone carries its own symbolism, and that in itself may help you decide.

A short guide for men buying an engagement ring

1. Think about what she loves. Pay attention to the small things she mentions.
2. Talk to people close to her whom you trust, and ask them what she likes.
3. Think about the budget.
4. Try to find out the ring size that fits her. How? Subtly borrow a ring she wears on that finger and bring it to ZRIN so we can measure it and know which size fits. If that is not possible, do not worry. If the size you buy does not fit, we will make a completely new ring to measure, free of charge.
5. Look through the wide choice of rings on our website or at our salon.
6. Think about the color, the material and the shape of the ring.
7. Trust yourself.

You are the one who knows her best, and we are sure that with a wish for her smile as the seasoning, your effort, and the most important thing of all — love — you cannot go wrong at ZRIN.

We look forward to making your special moments more beautiful.

ZRIN