There are few things in life more challenging than selecting the perfect engagement ring. Honestly, this is a task most men fear, which is why they often conscript another woman, often a friend of the bride-to-be, to make certain they get it right. But engagement rings rarely go wrong, unless the groom-to-be hasn’t done his homework.

For instance, did you know that some women are allergic to Nickel alloy — a common metal in engagement rings? And since you can’t very well ask her the day before if she happens to be allergic to nickel alloy, it’s best to simply go with gold, platinum or palladium.

But even then, my nervous friend, you’re not completely out of the woods. You still have to figure out the intendeds’ ring size. And again, if you don’t know, you certainly can’t ask. That would absolutely scuttle the surprise. What you can do, however, is estimate and then have the band adjusted if you were off by a bit. (more...)