Talking about engagement rings can be sacred, fun&emdash;and nerve-wracking. Will you go shopping together? Have you determined a budget? These are just a couple of questions to consider as you begin ring shopping. But the first step to choosing the right ring is to know your stuff. Here's the basic scoop on planning, budgeting, selecting and buying the right one, and some advice from the following local jewelers: Arareity, Arden Jewelers, Birchfield Jewelers, Diamond and Gold Vault, Grebitus & Sons, Kenny G Jewelers, Precious Gems Jewelers, Sharif Jewelers and Skalet Family Jewelers.

What Are the Four Cs?

Cut, color, clarity and carats are about to become your best friends. Be prepared to learn more than you ever thought necessary about diamonds and their value. Cost is based on these categories.

Cut
Cut is not the same as shape. Cut refers to a few different factors, including the roundness, width and depth of the stone, and the consistency of facets.

When you see a [movie] star on TV and her hand is throwing all kinds of colors, it's because she has a very well-cut stone, says Dimitri Grekoff of Sharif Jewelers in Folsom.

Color
Diamonds should be as close to colorless as possible. Jewelers rate color on a scale from D (the best) to Z (the worst). The most valuable stones have the least color, and the least valuable look light yellow and light brown.

Clarity
Clarity refers to how clear a stone is. Diamonds contain small imperfections called inclusions that are measured on a scale. Stones are put into categories on this scale that indicate clarity. [insert chart]

Carat
Carat means diamond weight, which is not necessarily the same as size. It's now more common to see one- and two-carat diamonds for engagement stones, according to some local jewelers&emdash;a significant increase from smaller purchases five years ago.

Note: Cost is not one of the four Cs.

How Much Are People Spending?

In 2006, a person would spend $1,800 on average for a woman's engagement ring in Sacramento County. Nine local jewelers told us that their customers spend between $3,200 and $7,000. (Please keep in mind, interviews were conducted with small, local businesses and these figures are generalizations. National retailers carry a large quantity of mass-produced stock that may be less expensive.)

What Shape Is Right for Me?

Before you decide, look at all the different shapes, and try them on to see which ones flatter your fingers.

Round brilliant is the most popular because it sparkles the most; princess or square is in second place. The cushion cut also is in demand. Kenny Gordon, owner of Kenny G Jewelers, says there's been a very large interest in that shape in recent months.

Carole Koblik, owner of Arareity, prefers the emerald cut because it reflects light like sheet lightning.

The Bigger, the Better?

The answer to that question depends on your lifestyle. If you use your hands regularly in your work, you'll want to go with something smaller&emdash;or, if you're in the market for a larger stone, consider a flashy engagement ring you can wear out, but a wedding band you can wear daily. You can also try a custom design that will protect your stone.

Does It Have To Be a Diamond?

Of course not! Diamonds are traditional, and are fancied in part for their durability and strength. Diamonds do not wear over time, says Grekoff of Sharif Jewelers. The next hardest stones, rubies and sapphires do. But generally, people like how diamonds look.

If you're after something out of the ordinary, fancy-colored diamonds span nearly every color of the rainbow. Sapphires also come in a myriad of colors other than blue.

You won't see colored engagement stones often, but Arareity sells mostly sapphires, and the Diamond & Gold Vault is moving more fancy yellow diamonds.

Concerned about cost? Koblik says the more intensely colored the stone, the higher the price. Or are you thinking about size? You can get such a beautiful, large [colored] stone for the same amount of money [as a smaller diamond], she says.

Get what you want&emdash;whether it's a colored center stone or side stones&emdash;but make sure it can withstand a passing trend. Find a stone within your budget, and talk to your jeweler about a custom design that will adequately protect it for daily wear.  

Family heirlooms or a simple band are other options for women who may not want a diamond.

What's the Most Popular Metal?

White gold is the most popular metal in Sacramento right now, according to the jewelers interviewed. This goes back to the early '90s when platinum really took hold and started the white metal phenomenon, says John Calnon, managing director of the U.S. Market for the World Gold Council.

But with the high price of platinum, couples often have turned to white gold. But trends change.

Now, in every other area of jewelry aside from engagement rings, there's been a strong return to yellow gold, Calnon says, and I would expect the pendulum will swing back a bit for bridal.

If you're torn between yellow and white gold, it simply comes down to which you like best. White and yellow gold cost the same, Calnon says, and there isn't any difference in durability.

Should He Pop the Question as a Surprise, or Should We Go Ring Shopping Together?

Most couples go ring shopping together these days, according to the jewelers interviewed for this piece.

A little romance is lost, admittedly, in picking out your own ring. Kenny Gordon believes that surprising a woman with a proposal is still one of the most cherished traditions we have in our society. Makes your heart melt, doesn't it? But there is also something gained when you choose your own ring&emdash;certainty that you'll get something you like.

One way to shop is to venture out together. You can indicate rings you like to your fianc, but let him make the final decision.

Advice For the Groom

If the groom-to-be wants to make a surprise proposal, he should find out what shape his fiance wants, and then buy the diamond. If you don't have a great idea for a setting, we can set it in a solitaire. Then come in [after you've asked her] and design the ring together, and drop the solitaire setting, says Angelo Parisi, manager and owner of Arden Jewelers.

This is good advice, and something any reputable jeweler would do, says Barbara Skalet of Skalet Family Jewelers.

Brian Brewer, owner of the Diamond and Gold Vault, has a different slant on popping the question. The worst thing that can happen is you go way over budget and feel buyer's remorse. Set a budget, stick to it and leave yourself a percentage for the ring, he says. Spend 80 percent on the rock.

Bo Grebitus, owner of Grebitus & Sons, says about half of his clients are bold, young men who come in and know what they want. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. We try to interview the guy&emdash;make him understand that there are two people involved, and she may want to be involved.

What Are Some Current Trends?

Vintage rings or reproduced antique/vintage styles; styles from the 1920s to the 1950s are most popular. Also, instead of an engagement ring and a wedding band, people buy one ring to serve both purposes.

Men's Ring Trends

There are numerous options for the guys out there. Here are some trends local jewelers are seeing in men's rings.

• A specific carving or image
• Men match their ring metal to what their fiance gets 
• Stones in men's rings 
• Black diamonds set in white gold  
• Low-profile bands with a few diamonds, satin or brushed finishes, in white gold and platinum
• Tungsten carbide, titanium or palladium bands