With Christmas just around the corner and your wedding budget seemingly growing everyday I’m sure that the last thing you’re thinking about is what sort of gift you’re going to buy you’re fiancee!

This is however the best time of year to buy! Why you ask when your wedding isn’t for another 6-8 months away?

One very good reason is that the VAT goes up in in couple of weeks so at least you’re be saving that 2.5%.

Second is that many shops are having pre-Christmas sales. Failing that you have a wonderful window for sales shopping before new year. I know my wife is complaining that she has to stay at work late on Christmas eve to set up the sale……. take full advantage!

But what do you get each?

Ideally you want something that they can use our wear on the day itself. A nice little gift for your other half to open on the morning of the wedding is a really nice way to start the day……. that and a Full English of course!

Girls, in my mind you can’t go wrong with watch for your husband to be. It’s errm…… timeless….(apologies for that pun)! Watches have always been a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine and a good watch lasts for generations. I’m not talking about a digital world time Casio by the way!

If that’s a little out of your budget then another firm favourite is of course cufflinks…… make sure he plans on wearing a double cuffed shirt though….. might be worth liaising with the best man on this one. Again it’s worth spending a little extra money on some really nice ones, although they don’t all have to be diamond encrusted!

Saying that I didn’t receive either of these and I’m sure you have your own ideas…….. my wife brought me a knife……….. actually a Sgian Dubh…….. yes I wore a kilt………

Boys……. good luck!

No seriously, an easy route might seem to be to go for jewellery…… careful with this one. You have three options.

Talk to your fiancee and let her know that you’re buying her some jewellery so what does she want and what will go with her dress. It might not be the most romantic or surprising thing, but believe me she’s going to be planning every little detail of what she’s going to be wearing to the very last sequin!

Option two is to liaise with the bridesmaids, the mother of the bride, sisters…… in fact anyone who has anything to do with the wedding! This might take a lot of work on your part but it’ll be worth it in the long run.

Option three….. the easy option. Something for her to wear at the evening reception. Nice and simple and you can present it to her during the speeches.

Good luck with your purchases!

Emma has worked in luxury retail for the past ten years and along with Ernest Jones she has worked for Links of London and Princess Cruises Boutiques. She holds a professional jewellers diploma (JET 1) from the The National Association of Goldsmiths and has sold jewellery all over the world. Emma also happens to be this authors’ wife for the last three years (and business accountant)….. so here we go……….

So I guess you’ve shifted a few wedding rings in your time?

You could say that Michael, now pay attention because this is serious business!

But it’s just the rings……

I’ll stop you there….. remember that the only things that you’re going to keep after you’re wedding is the rings and the photos. The rings you’re going to wear everyday hopefully for the rest of your life……. and if not you could always cash them in!

Fair enough, but the photos are still important…

Yes, yes, you’re photographer. Let’s move on.

Right-o ….. first question then….. When should couples start to look for their rings?

I would say start looking about 6 months before to at least get an idea of price and what they like. Plan to buy about 8-6 weeks before the wedding. If you want a bespoke ring then at least 3 months before the wedding. There are plenty of design days at different shops so keep an eye out of those.

Not the day before the wedding then?

Don’t get me started! Too many people do this! You wouldn’t dream of buying a dress the day before would you?

Well not me no. But dresses have to be fitted etc.

So do rings. Shops don’t always have all of the sizes in all the styles in stock. Best not to be disappointed.

What tips would you give to the ladies?

Go for the same metal as your engagement ring. Different metals often scratch each other and tarnish differently over time.

Ok, let’s talk metals. What are our choices?

Palladium – A great choice in my mind, cheaper than Platinum but it shares the properties.

Platinum – 30 times rarer than gold, doesn’t oxidise at any temperature and has great tarnish-resistance.

White Gold – Actually this is technically coloured Gold. The white is obtained by alloying gold with other elements in various proportions. Then the metal is Rhodium plated. It’s a good idea to get your white gold rings re-plated every couple of years or so.

Gold – The most malleable and ductile of all metals; a single gram can be beaten into a sheet of 1 square meter, or an ounce into 300 square feet. For rings, 18k is good for wedding rings or standard really.

What about other metals?

Silver tarnishes too quickly and Titanium looks like you have a lead pipe on your finger!

Not a fan of Titanium then?

NO! It’s cheap and looks it! I know you can pick a Titanium ring up for about £40 but you’re spending more than that on booze at your wedding for people you’ve never met!

Ok, now I know Diamonds may be more about engagement rings but let talk about them.

Says the man with six of them in his wedding ring!

You picked it out sweetheart…..

…….And it looks very masculine dear…..

Moving on…. I know it’s all about the 4 C’s right?

Quite right. Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat.

Let’s talk about that because I find it all very confusing.

Cut – All down to personal preference really. Some diamonds do have over 60 facets cut into them. This has two meanings in relation to diamonds. The first is the shape: round, oval and so on. The second relates to the specific quality of cut within the shape, and the quality and price will vary greatly based on the cut quality. If you want something more unusual go for a Marquis or Asher cut.

Colour – The scale goes from D (white) to Z+ (coloured diamonds – blue). I would go for a diamond between D and H otherwise they appear too yellow.

Clarity – This is the big one for me. The scale (at the top end) starts for FL or flawless – no imperfections. Next is VVS1 and VVS2 – very very small inclusions – Only an expert can detect flaws with a 10X microscope. Then you have VS1 – VS2 -  You can see flaws with a 10X microscope but not straight away. After that we have SI1 – SI2 -  You can see flaws with a 10X microscope. Lastley there is I1 – I3 - You can see flaws with the naked eye.  Consider avoiding these diamonds.

And finally Carat – Again this is down to personal preference. The carat is a unit of mass used for measuring gems – or rather the size. I would suggest concentrating on Colour and Clarity first and then see how big you can go!

People do like those big stones though don’t they?

You know my feelings on this dear, we worked in the States for long enough! Like I said look after the colour and clarity.

Wonderful, thank you Emma. Where can people find you to absorb even more information in person?

Ernest Jones in Putney till you make your millions dear.