Guys, we get it; popping the question can be nerve-racking. Throw in the pressure of finding the perfect engagement ring and its guy’s locker room jitters all over again. This guide to engagement ring shopping from will have you choosing rings like a pro-jeweler!

Step 1- The absolute, first thing all men should do, when beginning to shop for an engagement ring, is relax. Seriously, calm down. Believe it or not, women know the pressure to find the perfect ring is daunting. As a matter of fact, a recent study done by DDB Life Style Study surveyed men and women about their views on engagement rings. The majority of all women surveyed (61 %) said they’d be happy with whatever engagement ring their boyfriend’s picked out and would rather their guys propose than wait until they can afford a ring. So, you’re good!

Step 2– The second thing guy’s shopping blindly for THE ring should do is to find a reliable guide to ring shopping. With (tons of) help from the go-to-guy for engagement rings, Stephen Crane jewelry expert at Amoro for Sandals, we came up with what we like to call The Every Guy’s Guide to Engagement Ring Shopping! This one is a bit lengthy but we promise it’s definitely worth the read.

Diamond Lingo

When ring shopping, you definitely want to listen to what your jeweler is saying. The lingo can sound like a lot of fancy words being thrown around, but they do actually mean something.

Brilliance– This term usually refers to the amount of light a diamond reflects.

Fire- Means more than just the flare of the diamond. Fire means the way the light scatters on the rock and how it shows off the different colors in the diamond’s spectrum.

Sparkle- this part your fiancé will love! This defines how much the diamond shimmers when it’s hit by and moves around in the light.

The Three C’s- When purchasing a ring, one should be mindful of the three C’s—cut, color and clarity, which deliver the most beauty in a diamond for its price.

KYC- Know Your Cuts

The cut of the engagement ring you’re going to choose for your fiancé is just as important as knowing her band size. (Also, make sure you know her band size!)

Traditional Cuts

If your fiancé is a traditional kind of girl, the Round Brilliant Cut is as traditional as they come, accounting for more than 75% of today’s engagement rings. When looking for a round brilliant cut, a precise process to maximize fire and brilliance is how the 57-facet cut is calibrated. That’s a bit of jewelers lingo but trust that this makes this ring shimmer on your fiancé’s finger.

The Princess Cut is another traditional ring featuring a square or rectangular cut with a glimmer at every edge. Most flattering to a hand with long fingers, the Princess Cut is usually used for solitaire engagement rings (rings with a large stone which may be alone or surrounded with accent stones).

The Cushion Cut can also have a traditional feel to it with a pillow shape that looks very antique in a setting. The cushion-cut is a deep cut with large facets, an open bottom, and rounded corners. The depth of this cut encourages the eye to travel around the inside the stone. The facets create a high degree of returning light, making the cushion-cut one of the most brilliant and sparkling diamond cuts.

Less Traditional Cuts
If you want to be a bit daring with your engagement ring or if you happen to know the kind of ring your fiancé swoons over, any one of these remarkable cuts will make for a gorgeous ring.

Pristine Hearts^® Diamond
The Pristine Hearts^® Diamond, developed by Master Diamantaire Deepak Lakhi, is unique as it features 15 special facets cut into each stone to display a perfect heart shape and is the world’s only patented, asymmetrically cut round Diamond. 73 Facets create a Pristine Hearts^® Diamond and their exclusive heart shape visible inside each gemstone.

Eternity Cut^® Diamond
Amoro believes that debate ends right here – with our magnificent Eternity Cut^® Diamond – painstakingly selected to offer you maximum beauty for your money. One look is all it takes to recognize their signature beauty. The difference is apparent – and magnificent.

Emerald Cut
This is a rectangular shape with cut corners. It is known as a step cut because its concentric broad, flat planes resemble stair steps.

Oval Cut
This is an even, perfectly symmetrical design popular among women with small hands or short fingers. Its elongated shape gives a flattering illusion of length to the hand.

Pear Cut
This hybrid cut, combining the best of the oval and the marquise, is shaped most like a sparkling tear-drop. It also belongs to that category of diamond whose design most complements a hand with small or average-length fingers. It is particularly beautiful for pendants or earrings.

Marquise Cut
An elongated shape with pointed ends inspired by the fetching smile of the Marquise de Pompadour and commissioned by the Sun King, France’s Louis XIV, who wanted a diamond to match it. It is gorgeous when used as a solitaire or when enhanced by smaller diamonds.

Heart Cut

The heart is the ultimate symbol of love. The unique look of the heart-shaped diamond helps make it a distinctive choice for a variety of diamond jewelry.

Trilliant Cut
This is a spectacular wedge of brittle fire. First developed in Amsterdam, the exact design can vary depending on a particular diamond’s natural characteristics and the cutter’s personal preferences. It is definitely for the adventurous.

Radiant Cut
This square or rectangular cut combines the elegance of the emerald shape diamond with the brilliance of the round, and its facets maximize the effect of its color refraction.

Cabochon Cut
This is a modification to the gemstone face that creates a highly polished, convex-cut, un-faceted gem that is smooth to the touch.

Octagon Cut
This is a “step” cut but with the four corners metered. The facets run in steps parallel to the gemstone circumference. This cut is differentiated from the Emerald cut by steps on the pavilion that are not equidistant. It has approximately 53 facets.

Square Cut
It is a special oblong shape where the sides are the same lengths. It has approximately 57 facets.

Baguette Cut
Is a rectangular narrow gem cut. It has approximately 20 facets. A tapered baguette is a trapezoid shape one end is narrower.

Briolette Cut
Is a pear shaped gemstone covered with facets that comes to a pointed end.

Quick Buying Tips for Engagement Ring Shopping

• Remember Your Budget- Forget the rock Kanye bought Kim; you know your fiancé and what she will treasure.
• Ask a close friend or family member for your girlfriends ring size or take a ring of hers with you to the jewelry store for sizing.
• Pay attention to the settings you choose. Platinum and Silver are NOT the same thing and do not cost the same.
• Bring maybe one friend or family member you trust; just like wedding dress shopping, you can get stressed if you have too many people buzzing in your ear about what you should get.
• Jewelry insurance is never a waste, especially if your fiancé decides to keep the ring in the family.
• Stay Calm!

With a bit of help and some patience, any soon-to-be groom can pick out the most amazing engagement ring his bride-to-be has ever seen!

For more engagement ring inspiration, visit Amoro for Sandals to browse their stunning engagement ring collections.