Diamond Loose or Mounted – Pros and Cons - What’s better

Q: I am getting ready to propose to my longtime girlfriend. I really want to be able to pop the question the traditional way—with a ring in a box—but I know she would really want to be able to choose her own ring; she has very unique taste. On the other hand, I know how much she loves the traditional surprise proposal. What can I do to give her that traditional romantic proposal—champagne, getting down on one knee, all that—while still allowing her to choose the actual engagement ring?
Diamond Loose or Mounted
A: This is a really common question—after all, most women want to both choose their own engagement ring settings and still be surprised with a classic romantic proposal. How do you do both?
The answer is simple: loose diamonds. The main part of your engagement ring purchase is the choice of center stone—most of your engagement ring budget will go towards buying the best and most beautiful diamond you can afford, with only a small fraction of the budget going towards the setting the diamond will be set into. Most high-end engagement ring retailers, especially those based on the Internet, sell their engagement ring settings and diamonds separately, allowing you to choose any diamond for nearly any setting.
Loose-Diamonds
Assuming you know what shape of mounted diamond your significant other is looking for (most people choose the classic round brilliant), you can skip the setting altogether for now and just focus on picking out the perfect diamond. Compared to rings set with diamonds, loose stones are easy to choose—there are just the Four C’s and a few other basic measures of diamond quality that you have to worry about.
When you imagined proposing with a gorgeous diamond, loose stones are probably not what you had in mind, however. You want her to be able to slip the ring on and show it off! So although proposing with a loose diamond rather than mounted diamonds has a pretty strong logic to it, not too many people leave it at that. Instead, many guys have that single perfect diamond set into a simple, temporary setting for the proposal itself. That way, the proposal looks picture-perfect, and the newly-engaged couple can shop for a dazzling, diamond-encrusted designer setting later on.
Diamond Ring
So which of these three options is right for you? Do you want to choose the final engagement ring setting before the proposal, either with her or on your own, and have the diamond set into the setting in the first place? Would you take the bold route and propose with a loose diamond without any setting at all? Or can you see yourself popping the question with a perfect diamond in a simple, less-expensive setting and buying the setting later on, with your bride? Ultimately, it’s up to you to choose the method that works best for you, your wallet, and your soon-to-be fiancée.

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