Knowing the Right Time to Buy an Engagement Ring

How to Know if Your Girlfriend is the Right One

You're with the girl of your dreams: she's fun, she's smart, she's beautiful, and for some unknown reason, she doesn't run screaming in the opposite direction when she sees you. This perfect storm has you thinking about buying an engagement ring and saying, "I do." But before you do, I've got some thoughts on how to know if she's really the right one.

I'm not going to be one of those guys who rants on about how awesome it is to be single. Being single is a great ride but as the years wear on, riding without a passenger for too long can leave you talking to yourself and nobody wants that. In the end, we are probably more like Sammy, Adam Sandler's friend in The Wedding Singer when he said, "See... I grew up idolizing guys like Fonzie and Vinnie Barbarino because they got a lot of chicks. You know what happened to Fonzie and Vinnie Barbarino? Their shows got canceled because no one wants to see a fifty-year-old guy hitting on chicks. What I'm saying is all I really want is someone to hold me and tell me that everything is going to be all right." When I saw this scene I laughed but also knew it was true.

I think falling in love is great, being in love is great, and staying in love is a feat of biblical proportions. If you can pull it off, more power to you. And if you've found a girl who floats your boat, hits the spot and shakes you all night long, you better hold on tight because they are a rare breed. If you're lucky enough to find yourself in this circumstance, maybe a diamond engagement ring is in your future.

When it comes to buying engagement rings online, you've got to know about the 4 C's of diamonds – cut, clarity, color and carat. They are the four factors that go into evaluating a diamond so you know what you are buying. The cut is what gives a diamond its shine, the clarity counts the diamond's flaws, the color lets you know how close to colorless your diamond is and the carat is how big of a rock you are getting. Of course, carat size is the most obvious but all four factor into how much the diamond will cost. It's important to learn about the 4 C's when you a buying an engagement ring. Learn more about the 4C's.

Just like there are 4 factors that go into knowing you are picking the right diamond, I think there are 4 "L's" for deciding if she's a keeper and if you should start your engagement ring shopping.
 
Looks
Adorable, beautiful, hot, cute, goddess, easy on the eyes – whatever it is that gets your motor running, she needs to have it. I know a guy whose type is petite brunettes with cute smiles; think Katie Couric and Rachael Ray. And after dating a few girls who went against his type he's now in love with a girl who fits squarely in this category.

If you like them tall, if you like them stacked, if you like them lean, why marry someone who doesn't get you excited when you look at her? Know your type and go after it.
 
Laughs
Having fun together is huge. Bottom line, if she's not making you laugh she could wind up making you miserable. This is true because comedy is based on situations and a shared point of view. She can't make you laugh if she doesn't "get" you.

Why do fun guys marry uptight girls? I think it's because they think she will help them "grow up" or be "more of an adult." What a waste of time. If she's no fun now, how about eight years from now? How about when things get tough? Leave the un-fun girls to the un-fun guys and go for one that cracks you up. But be careful and recognize the difference between laughing with her and at her. If you are laughing at her too often, you are better off finding someone new to laugh with about your ex. Everybody wins.
 
Loot
Hear me now and believe me later, it is just as easy to fall in love with a rich girl as it is to fall in love with a poor girl – and I'm not talking about her daddy's money. Money is huge on the list of reasons why couples split. You're going to need to make sure you and she have the same goals when it comes to money. If she's blowing her rent money on her third pair of new shoes this week, and you are saving every dime you can get your hands on, well, you can see how this isn't going to work out in the long run.
 
Love
If you are going to buy an engagement ring, rent a tux and commit the rest of your life to her you should probably be in love with her (although I know a few guys who have overlooked the Love part because they've been temporarily lobotomized by the Looks or the Loot). So how do you know that you love her? Or better yet, that you love her enough to marry her?

I don't advocate measuring love by asking yourself, "Can I imagine having children with her?" That's counterintuitive since we've all spent our entire single-adult lives hoping that no one would ever be pregnant - ever. And I also don't think saying, "Well, we've been together for so long, I may as well marry her." That's like saying, "The Volkswagen Beetle has been around since 1938 so I should go buy one." Just because it's familiar, that doesn't mean it is right for you. And if you find yourself getting engaged because everyone else is getting engaged – then you need to have your head examined. If all your buddies were lining up for season tickets to Disney On Ice, would you get in line for that too? (And if any of them really are lining up for tickets, you need new friends.)

If you've got Looks, Laughs, Loot and Love in spades then I'd say you've got yourself a keeper and that all systems are a go on getting an engagement ring.

You'll know you love her when you go to Vegas and find yourself missing her. Or you think, "For all the crazy stuff she pulls, I still think she's the greatest." And if you've ever contemplated her leaving you and gotten a little panicky, then you are done for.

If you have no doubts that your girlfriend is truly the one, don't waste any time. Start shopping for engagement rings online today from the experts at Danforth Diamond.