You’ve spent hours staring at the sparkling gem on your ring finger, and now the time has come to let other people take a look. Before you head out to show your engagement ring off to the entire neighbourhood, there are a couple of things you may want to do first. Here are ten top tips on displaying your ring in the best possible way:
The golden rule of showing off your ring is never to let anyone see it until the actual proposal has been made. Perhaps you have been to choose the ring together and you know it is sitting in the bedside drawer, but letting friends or relations have a sneaky peek before you are actually engaged says you care more about the ring than the engagement.
Before you start showing off your engagement ring, make sure you get a decent manicure. Something simple such as a French polish is a good choice as it won’t detract from the ring, but classic red nails will actually make a diamond appear more sparkly, so that is a good choice if you prefer something more dramatic.
Invest in some good quality hand cream with a pleasant smell. You will never have so many people hold your hands in such a short space of time so you want to be sure they are soft to the touch.
Dress elegantly but keep it simple so the attention is on your ring. If you are having an engagement party make sure your outfit is classic yet understated so the ring can take centre stage. A little black dress and a sleek updo are the perfect accompaniment to a sparkling solitaire.
If your fiance has selected the ring themselves and it doesn’t quite fit, you may want to delay announcing your engagement until you have it resized. You want the ring to be looking its best when you show it off to your nearest and dearest, and this means a snug fit.
For the first couple of months of your engagement, people are going to want to look at your ring on a regular basis. Some of your female friends may even want to try it on. Make sure you keep a soft cloth handy to give it a quick polish when it gets marked.
When you are showing off your ring, be aware of others’ personal space. Place your hand with the palm towards you and your fingers upwards, rather than thrusting your fingers under people’s noses. That way they can choose whether they want to take you hand and have a closer look or not.
If you want to use the ring to announce your engagement, don’t be tempted to start making exaggerated hand gestures, and waving your fingers in the air. You will already be subconsciously looking at your hand and flexing your fingers more than usual, so someone is bound to pick up on the new addition.
If you want to wear your ring every second of the day from the minute of the proposal, but you don’t want people to know about your engagement, just turn the ring so the stone is facing inwards, or wear it on a long chain around your neck. Perhaps you want your family to be the first to see the ring instead of casual acquaintances, or perhaps you have a colleague going through a messy divorce and you don’t want to flaunt the ring.
If you want to show off your ring to long distance friends and family, why not take a selfie while showing off the ring and e-mail it or post in on Facebook?
