While we offer a sturdy and protective ring box with your ring, many people are choosing unique or personalized ring boxes for their proposal. With the seemingly endless options available there is the perfect box for any proposal, but there are also many unexpected mishaps that can go along with making a the wrong selection for your ring.

1. Will the ring fit inside the box?

While this may seem obvious, it is something that may require more thought than just assuming handmade or artisan boxes are one size fits all. While a low profile 1CT round diamond ring may fit into most boxes, higher profile rings, rings with a higher carat weight, or rings with an elongated shape may not be a perfect fit. 

This issue can come up especially often with sleek, petite “easy to hide” boxes that are gaining popularity. While they are definitely easier to hide inside of a pocket, a ring with a marquise or oval shaped center stone may be wider than the inside of the box itself. 

Measuring your ring and checking the dimensions of the box can help avoid ordering something that is too small (or much larger than expected). If you are having the box custom made, offer your measurements of the ring to get a perfect fit.

2. Is there something to protect the ring from scratches?

While your soon to be fiancée may have pinned hundreds of unique handmade ring boxes on Pinterest, not all boxes are ideal surfaces for your ring. Some creative boxes have rough or unfinished interiors that can scratch the surface of the ring before it has even made its way to her finger!

Choose a box that has a cloth interior and avoid boxes that have unfinished wood or metal inside or in any places that will come into contact with the ring. This will help prevent the moment you want the ring to look its best (the proposal) being the moment that you discover the ring box has scratched the ring or even coated it in dust or wood shavings from an unfinished interior.

3. Is the box secure?

Be sure that the box is secure and able to remain closed on its own. This will help protect the ring from loss or damage.

If you’re set on proposing with a proposal box that does not close, use a cloth bag that can hold the box closed while you are carrying it and bring along a more protective ring box that the ring can be transferred to if necessary. This way you can still propose with the box your great grandfather made or the stunning artisan box that you know will make the proposal photos perfect, but will have something on hand to protect the ring when it isn’t on her hand.