The Cool-Girls’ Alternative To The 4Cs Of Engagement Rings

When you set out to research the engagement ring of your dreams, the word "daunting" may come to mind. Spending a hefty chunk of change on one piece of jewelry you’re expected to wear for close to forever, and represent your life-long commitment to a human being is kind of a big deal. Plus, there's all those rules. Even if you have no idea what they mean, you probably can recite the 4Cs by heart (Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carats). You know that size matters, shininess kind of does, and the price should make you feel some way...but does it have to?

A lot of the old rules no longer apply when it comes to diamond ring shopping, and keeping that in mind will make your search that much easier and enjoyable, too. It’s not to say that you should ignore them altogether — knowing these characteristics can help you better understand what you’re spending a pretty penny on. But even more important is knowing your own taste and personal style, and thinking ahead to what that might mean 20 or even 30 years from now.

To find something you’ll actually love and wear forever, you kind of have to say f*ck the rules and go for what you’re drawn to deep down — whether that’s traditional or not. And to help you out, we’ve developed our own acronym for diamond ring shopping that sums up what really matters: PALS (Price, Appearance, Lifestyle, Source). Complete with tried-and-true advice from our friends at Erie Basin, Catbird, and Forevermark, read on for the cool girl’s guide to diamond engagement rings, made easy — and just take in all the sparkly eye candy, too.