It's officially fall, which means we are well on our way to "Engagement Season" and the most popular time of the year to pop the question to your one and only. Whether you have a grand plan in mind or you're just starting to look for ideas, we can help you rock your holiday proposal. Read below for some of our top tips!

1. Order the Ring Well in Advance

First things first, plan on a cushion of three to four weeks from when you place your order to when it arrives at your door. Our custom work takes between 15-20 business days, before shipment, to craft the ring. Ordering a ring online from our bridal collection won't take as long, but it is still always a good idea to err on the side of caution. We do offer complimentary 2-day air shipping for all of our engagement rings, and provide a tracking number so you can better prepare for arrival. If you need to upgrade to overnight shipping, just let us know!

2. Choosing the Ring

Alright, now on to the fun part. It's more common these days for a couple to go ring shopping together, and if this is the case, that makes it a whole lot easier for you. If however, your partner hasn't told you or given any hints about a favorite ring style or diamond shape, fear not. Do theyhave a Pinterest page? If so, keep an eye out for any engagement ring pins or likes. If not, check out our Solitaire, Halo, and Three Stone engagement ring pages. A solitaire ring (meaning a single center diamond or gem) is the most common ring style and a great choice if you want to keep it classic. Halo rings (meaning the center stone is surrounded by a row or rows of diamonds or gems) are the second most common style and great for adding a little extra bling. Once you've decided on the style, you'll just need to pick the metal and color. 14k gold is the most common choice in the U.S. for jewelry, but we also offer 18k gold and platinum. Read here for more information on metals, and click here to check out our interactive Virtual Try-On to test out different ring styles, diamond shapes and sizes! 

3. Choosing the Diamond or Colored Gemstone

There are a few things to consider when picking out a diamond. First, are you looking for an ethical and truly conflict-free choice? Then you are in the right place! Lab-grown diamonds are identical to mined diamonds, without the negative eco and ethical implications, and without the higher price tag. Learn more about our diamonds here. Next, let's discuss the size and shape. You've probably already heard about the 4 C's of diamonds (Carat weight, Cut, Color and Clarity), the universal method for assessing the quality of a diamond (Click here for the Interactive Guide). The bigger the diamond gets (carat weight), the more it's going to cost. However, ALL of the 4 C's come into play for every diamond. So, if size is the most important quality to you, consider your budget. If you have a smaller budget but want to get the largest diamond size possible, then look for one that is lower in either Clarity, Color, and/or Cut. However, although we do not sell these, we do recommend to stay away from diamonds with a Clarity grade of I1, I2, or I3 (Included) and a Color grade of J or lower (color becomes more noticeable the further down the alphabet you get). We encourage you to play around with the Interactive Guide above to learn more about the 4 C's, and contact us with any specific questions about diamonds. We're here to help you, and have Gemologists on staff that will help guide you toward the best diamond, or gemstone, for you and your partner. Lastly, let's talk about diamond shapes. The round cut (or shape) is the most popular, with approximately 70% of diamonds being round cut. You cannot go wrong with a round! However, there are some other popular fancy shapes to consider as well. The oval cut is the second most common shape, and is quickly moving up in popularity. And, it be just as brilliant as a round cut! Oval, Emerald, Pear, and Marquise shapes all slenderize the finger because of their shapes. Email us, Call (800-608-0476) or Live Chat with us to see our full list of fancy diamond shapes available! 

4. Find out Finger Size

This can be a tough one to find if you're trying to keep everything a secret, and therefore, can't ask them. Visit our Printable Ring Sizer page for different methods. However, rest easy knowing our Lifetime Service Plan covers the resizing at no extra cost. Whew! 

5. Pop the Question

Hopefully, you've spent some time figuring out if you want to make the proposal a public one (whether at a public location or around the dinner table with family), or a private occasion between the two of you. If going public, make sure your partner would be comfortable with that idea (if they're an extreme introvert, then probably not). Also, use caution when choosing the proposal site. You've all seen those videos of the proposer accidentally dropping a ring through the cracks of a bridge or into a body of water, right!? Proceed with care. You've got this! Don't forget to find someone to document this moment, if that's something you think you two would appreciate in the future. Either a professional photographer, or even a friend with a camera will do. Just make sure they stay hidden! 

Now that you've read some best practices, share your proposal with us! Find us on Facebook or Instagram (@sohadiamondco), and use the hashtag #SohaDiamondCo so we can see! 

Need help choosing a ring or a diamond? Call our experts at 800-608-0476 or send us an email! We're here to help you rock your proposal!