Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Style
    2. Shopping

    Five things your partner should look for in an engagement ring

    If you’ve set your heart on something special, make sure your other half gets it right…

    By Leonie Eastwood
    Published 7 November 2017 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Promotional feature with Mappin & Webb

    If you’ve set your heart on something special, make sure your other half gets it right…

    Remember that bit in Sex And The City where Aidan buys the wrong engagement ring for Carrie? We’ve nothing against pear-shaped stones or gold bands for that matter, but dropping some hints should make sure you end up with a ring you’ll want to wear forever.

    We asked fine British jewellery experts Mappin & Webb, whose expertise is based on the knowledge and experience of their master craftsmen, to give us some pointers on choosing a diamond engagement ring...

    Remember size matters Make sure your partner knows your ring size. If you don't know what it is, pop into a jeweller to find out – or give them a ring that fits on the right finger.

    You may like
    • HOLIDAY JEWELLERY I’m Guilty of Overpacking, But These Holiday Jewellery Pieces Help Me Pack Less and Accessorise More
    • AW26 Shoe Trends From Heeled Loafers to Square Toes and Lace-Up Courts, Consider This Your Guide to Autumn's Defining Shoe Trends
    • lisaingmarinelli wears yellow dress niche brands Tired of Wearing the Same Brands? Meet 7 Lesser-Known Labels the Marie Claire Fashion Experts Think You Should Know

    Check the carat weight, colour and clarity These characteristics of a diamond often come evaluated by GIA (Gemological institute of America) one of the leading diamond laboratories in the world. The MW Collection engagement rings from Mappin & Webb uses diamonds in varying carat weights, and each one comes with its own GIA diamond grading report and has a unique GIA reference inscribed on the girdle of the stone verifying its quality and authenticity.

    How to get the sparkliest of all The way a diamond is cut is critical to its brilliance, as even the best stone will look less luminous if it’s poorly cut. For true sparkle factor, our tip is head to Mappin & Webb – the superb quality of the exquisite cushion-cut diamond in The MW Collection has 75 meticulously handcrafted facets that maximise its brilliance. It’s the company's brightest, most beautiful stone yet and the global leader in rating light performance, GemEx, scores it very highly consistently for brilliance (white light), fire (colour light) and sparkle (scintillation).

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    A classic design Not sure your significant other will cut it in the style stakes? Put the feelers out to a friend who can guide him or her towards a classic and beautiful ring. Or simply direct them to a jeweller you trust and like. Mappin & Webb can even create a bespoke engagement ring with their By Appointment service, the design overseen by the Crown Jeweller.

    Look at all the options The MW Collection, featuring the Mappin & Webb exclusive diamond, offers a plain shoulder engagement ring, a diamond-set shoulder engagement ring, or a three-stone diamond engagement ring. And with Christmas around the corner, now’s the time to pair it with a diamond pendant and stud earrings or drop earrings for a classic, simple jewellery collection that will stand the test of time.

    Leonie Eastwood
    Social Links Navigation
    Read more
    HOLIDAY JEWELLERY
    Shopping I’m Guilty of Overpacking, But These Holiday Jewellery Pieces Help Me Pack Less and Accessorise More
    AW26 Shoe Trends
    Shopping From Heeled Loafers to Square Toes and Lace-Up Courts, Consider This Your Guide to Autumn's Defining Shoe Trends
     
     
    lisaingmarinelli wears yellow dress niche brands
    Fashion Tired of Wearing the Same Brands? Meet 7 Lesser-Known Labels the Marie Claire Fashion Experts Think You Should Know
    30 AW26 BUYS
    Fashion 30 of the Most Sought-After New Season Buys to Kick-Start Your Autumn/Winter 2026 Wardrobe
     
     
    Latest in Shopping
    Mariko Kuo
    Shopping I’m a Corporate Lawyer, and This is How I'm Wearing these 3 Trouser Trends at Work
    AW26 Shoe Trends
    Shopping From Heeled Loafers to Square Toes and Lace-Up Courts, Consider This Your Guide to Autumn's Defining Shoe Trends
     
     
    Jodie Comer
    Shopping Jodie Comer Just Announced the Start of Knee-High Boots Season
    Kaia Gerber
    Shopping Kaia Gerber Just Wore the ’90s Dress Style That’s as Flattering as It Is Low-Effort
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Woman organizing documents in cluttered office workspace
    Money and Work Why Are Successful Women Staying in Jobs That Make Us Miserable?
    Celebrity twin makeup
    Beauty I Discovered the Perfect, Expert-Devised Makeup Routine–Thanks to My Celebrity Lookalike
     
     
    The Second-Hand Survival Guide: How to Shop Smarter
    Fashion I’m a Sustainable Fashion Expert: My Top Tips for Avoiding Fakes When Shopping Pre-Loved Designer
    Pilates instructor and MC UK Master Ashlea McKee demonstrating the Pilates mind-body connection
    Fitness I've Taught Pilates for Almost a Decade: If You’re Not Seeing Results, You May Be Skipping This Simple Step
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.