Engagement Ring Subject Index

1. White Gold vs. Yellow Gold
2. White Gold vs. Platinum
3. Gold Karat Ratings
4. Maintaining Your Engagement Ring
5. Professional Jewelry Maintenance
6. Keeping Diamonds Secure In A Ring Setting
7. Custom-Produced vs. Stock Diamond Settings
8. Tension Set Engagement Ring Styles
9. Fancy Cut (Non-Round) Diamond Shapes
10. Bridal Set Ring Styles And Jewelry Options
11. Choosing A Ring For An Heirloom Diamond
12. The 4 C's: Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat Weight

A bridal set is an engagement ring and wedding band that are designed to fit perfectly together. The man's wedding band is not included.

Why purchase a bridal set?

• It typically will not save you money, but will help you avoid having mismatched rings that do not fit together.
• A matched bridal set is especially important if the engagement ring is more elaborate, such as halos, bezels, twisted rings, etc. The more elaborate the engagement ring, the more the wedding band must be customized to fit next to it properly on your finger.
• Unmatched rings worn together on the same finger are not just visually distracting, but can also be quite uncomfortable.

You do not necessarily have to buy the matched band when you buy the engagement ring, although you should check to find out your options for ordering a matched band later.

The vast majority of engagement rings we carry are available as part of a bridal set, with matched wedding band. However, often these are not shown in our online catalog, so please contact us to check on the particular ring you're interested in.

What if a matching wedding band is not available?

If no standard wedding band exists to fit your engagement ring, it will have to be custom made. At Emma Parker & Co., we handle custom jewelry orders on a frequent basis, so this is not necessarily a more expensive or difficult process, but it does require that you send the engagement ring to the designer.

Of course, most engaged women prefer to keep the engagement ring on their finger as the wedding approaches, and not send it away to serve as a model. Many of our customers find this to be a reason to have the custom-made wedding band produced along with the engagement ring.

Are there any alternatives?

Of course! It's perfectly acceptable to wear your diamond engagement ring separately on your right hand after you're married, or even to save it for special occasions if you have an active lifestyle and worry about it being damaged through everyday wear. In these cases, the lack of a matched bridal set is of no concern.