Although diamonds are the most popular gemstone for engagement rings, it is not uncommon to find ruby engagement rings or engagement rings that contain both rubies and diamonds. You should start your selection by looking at loose rubies and loose diamonds.

To begin shopping for engagement rings, you need to understand the four Cs of grading: cut, clarity, color, and carat weight. Learning the tradeoffs will be invaluable in help in you select different loose gemstones. For more information, see ruby grading.

Once you have you picked out the perfect ruby that matches your budget and preferences, you next select the jewelry ring setting to mount your ruby in. For more information on different ruby ring settings, see jewelry settings.