AN ENGAGEMENT ring or wedding ring is a symbol of love and commitment, and shows the person that you are with that they are truly cherished.

But there are so many styles and designs of ring out there that even the most decisive person could get confused, especially seeing as the range of stones for rings increases year upon year.

Perhaps the most popular type of ring for a woman is a solitaire, which consists of a single precious stone set on a band.

Solitaires are available in all colours of gold, platinum and even titanium.

Stones can be cut and set in several ways, providing a multitude of options and unique pieces.

And don’t think that what you see in the shop is all that you can get – many jewellers can adapt a wide range of their rings to change not only the metal, but also the stones inset within the piece.

Look out for pink sapphire, pink and blue tourmaline, and the huge range of other coloured precious and semi-precious stones that can really personalise your offering if white diamonds seem to clichéd for your partner.

If you are going for the traditional diamond though, you should look for the ‘four Cs’.

These are the pivotal factors that combine to create the most divine gems.

The first ‘C’ is clarity. Almost all diamonds contain a number of inclusions, which are microscopic traces of non-crystallised carbon.

These inclusions interfere with the way that light travels through the stone and makes it less brilliant, so the less inclusions the better.

‘C’ number two is colour. To a novice eye most diamonds look the same colour, but the majority of them actually have a slight yellow or brown tint to them.

Diamonds are graded from D up to F, with D being the purest and most clear colour of diamond. Coloured diamonds in pink or blue are very rare and extremely expensive.

The third ‘C’ is carat, which refers to the weight of a diamond. A carat is divided into 100 points to signify the weight of a diamond, and the higher the carat, the more expensive the gem.

Our final ‘C’ is cut. The cut of a diamond gives it its sparkle by allowing the maximum amount of light to enter it and reflect back out. There are a number of cuts such as princess, oval, heart and marquise to choose from depending on the style you are aiming for.

If, however, you are buying a ring to pop the question to the man in your life then titanium is an excellent choice.

This diverse metal is durable and light, does not tarnish and is also hypo-allergenic, making it an all-round perfect material. Many jewellers are starting to stock really good ranges of men’s rings in titanium.

Most importantly, there are four things to remember when picking an engagement ring:

nWork to a budget

nMake sure the piece is easy to wear and suitable for your lover’s job

nThe ring should be able to withstand every day use by having 6 prongs or a bezel finish to keep jewels in place

nIt should look good and be the right size