This post is for men only so if you are a woman please stop reading. I was listening to a radio ad from a prominent national jeweler and the sales pitch was something like this. Come buy the diamond and we will set it in a temporary mounting. Then you can bring your fiancée in to choose the ring that she likes. No, no, no this is bad advice men. Although I agree you should choose the diamond or emerald first you need to choose the setting before you give it to your fiancée. If you need to get some advice from a sister or friend that is fine but do not give your honey a temporary ring. This is not romantic.
I guarantee she is going to like the ring because you spent the time and effort to get it. By searching out the perfect emerald and then finding a custom jeweler you will be creating a unique ring that she will love. You will also get to tell her about the whole process that you went through to create this ring for her and that will become her story as well.
What if she doesn’t like it? Well then, you have just learned that she is the wrong woman to marry.
I gave my wife an emerald engagement ring and I’m a little embarrassed to say that it is not what I would consider a very nice emerald. This was before I became an emerald dealer and really didn’t have any experience with emeralds back then. Still, she loves that ring because I picked it out for her and she fondly remembers the day I gave it to her. I’d like to replace that ring now with something nicer but she will have nothing to do with that!
Now to answer the question I posed in the title of this post. It depends. Emeralds make incredibly beautiful engagement rings that are unique and dramatic. You must already know that your fiancée likes emeralds or you probably wouldn’t be reading this. Many of our emerald loving customers say that diamonds just seem too ordinary for their style. But another aspect you should consider is how often your fiancée will wear her engagement ring. Unlike diamonds, emeralds are not really meant to be worn every day or all day when set in a ring. If she plans to wear the ring everyday most jewelers will recommend a bezel setting. If she will wear it only when going out at night then all other settings would be fine. If nothing short of surgery will get that ring off her finger then a diamond might be a better choice.