Choosing the best engagement ring for a bride-to-be with an active lifestyle can be challenging. But you don’t want to give out an engagement ring that will break or get lost due to her active lifestyle. She’d like to lose weight if she’s a gym enthusiast, not her diamond engagement ring.
So, how do you balance her active lifestyle and the surprise engagement ring?
You can strike a balance by going for a ring that fits the active lifestyle of your bride-to-be. But it is not simple as it sounds.
The real question is, what makes an engagement ring perfect for an active lifestyle? The active lifestyle’s tried and true engagement rings are low-profile and durable. Let’s explore some of these active lifestyle engagement rings.
- Durable Diamond Engagement Rings
Your engagement ring’s center gemstone should be durable to meet your fiancee’s active lifestyle. According to Moh’s scale, diamond is the hardest material, followed closely by corundum.
Corundum is found on sapphire and rubies and thus has a similar hardness level. They are only different based on their colors.
That said, the best engagement ring should be unique, durable and matches your bride-to-be’s active lifestyle. We recommend going for diamond, sapphire, or ruby as its center gemstone. Click here to explore some of the unique diamond engagement rings.
The blue sapphire and red ruby are the best affordable alternatives if diamonds are above your budget. Depending on what captivates and appeals to your fiance, you can go for either of these gemstones. But, corundum is four times less durable than diamond, so sapphire or ruby can not match diamond.
You can also go for a lab-grown diamond engagement ring. They can be extremely appealing if your bride-to-be is eco-conscious. You will be capturing her active lifestyle and speaking to her passion for a sustainable world.
- Ring Made With Hard Metal
Like the center gemstone, the engagement ring’s material should have high scratch resistance and be hard enough. Three materials are so precious but also do not break, bend or scratch easily:
- Gold. Gold alloys (mixed with other materials) have varying hardness levels that you can choose. That means the gold has varying karat (K) purity levels too. 24K is 100% gold, while 12K is 50% gold.
The gold also has varying colors depending on the existing alloys. Yellow gold has
copper alloy, and white gold contains nickel, zinc, or palladium. On the other hand, the rose gold contains copper and silver alloys.
As a result, gold has six purity levels; 12K, 14K, 18K, 20K, 22K, and 24K. Most engagement rings have a purity of 14K or 18K, but 14K is more durable. So, go for a 14K gold material for an active lifestyle.
- Platinum. It is another alternative that has a similar resemblance to white gold. Although it is stronger than gold, it easily scratches and is more expensive than gold. Also, it develops a patina (brown or green deposits) over time. So, you will need repolishing to maintain its luster and reflection.
- Palladium. It is a cheaper alternative to platinum. The best part is that it is naturally shiny and resistant to active wear and tear. However, it fluctuates and can sometimes go above the platinum price tag. But, it is a better alternative for an active lifestyle engagement ring with no need for frequent repolishing.
- Stone Setting With a Containment
An active lifestyle like gym, high-adrenaline sports, or work that requires excessive hands can expose a gemstone to extreme wear and tear. The gemstone should be nestled into a cradle or containment to protect exposed diamond edges.
The perfect stone-setting engagement ring for your active girlfriend’s lifestyle can be halo, bezels, channels, or prongs.
- Halo setting. Halo engagement rings have a center gemstone surrounded by smaller or micro-pave gemstones. For a diamond engagement ring, surrounding micro-diamonds enhance the ring’s luster and reflection. It also directs more attention to the center diamond. For example, the Demi Marquise and Claret halo rings are suitable active lifestyle engagement rings.
The halo provides an additional buffer to safeguard the center gemstone. However, they can eventually fall off if your wife knocks them off too much.
- Bezel. The bezel setting offers extra protection to the center gemstone. It safeguards the whole girdle, extending a halo around, and curves up the center stone. The bezel cradle is always part of the ring band encasing the center gemstone partially or wholly. For example, the Shanon and Nicky Solitaire are diamond rings with a bezel setting.
- Channels. Channels have smaller diamonds embedded and flush with the ring band. As a result, it gives a ring a beautiful and glossy sheen. But, it is suitable for an active lifestyle because the embedded smaller diamonds are firmer and sturdier than the bezel setting.
- Low-Profile Engagement Rings
Another option is going for low-profile engagement rings. These are rings that have the center gemstones flush with the ring band. The high-profile rings are vice versa-the center stone is above the ring band. As a result, the high-profile ring is exposed and vulnerable to wear and tear.
Low-profile rings reduce exposure to scratches since it sits lower on your finger. Rings with smaller gemstones that flush with the ring band make the best low-profile rings. You can customize a low-profile engagement ring to suit your fiancee’s active life.
- Oval or Round Shaped Diamond Ring
The shape and style of the gemstone determine how it supports itself and ensures it is firmly secure on the ring band. Any shape with sharp corners will make the gemstone easily chipped or stuck on clothing threads. That said, you should go for a marquise, pear, or hear-shaped diamond.
Instead, go for a round or oval-shaped diamond ring. They have smooth and gentle curves making them less likely to be stuck on clothes or chipped away. If you must go for an angular diamond center stone, then make sure it has the best setting like a prong or bezel.
Final Takeaway
Don’t overthink it. If she has an active lifestyle then you are blessed. Who doesn’t want their better half in good shape? So, you must level up and match her high energies when you’re going for the engagement rings.
You have five categories with a handful of engagement rings to pick from. Low-profile diamond rings are a perfect fit. But you can further customize each aspect across the five categories to get the most suitable ring for your bride-to-be.