There are many varieties you can get to make your wedding band or engagement ring tailored for you. Three main criteria you should be considered when picking out or customizing the ring you are going to wear for the rest of your life: stone, cut and metal.

1. Stone Lane Jahn from Riddle’s Jewelry says the diamond is of course the most popular, but if you like to think outside the box, colored diamonds, rubies, sapphires or even the color of your birthstone is a worthy alternative. Depending on the trend for the season you can see a variety of colors.

2. Cut You can get numerous types of cuts for your stone. The cuts below are the most popular, but Jahn said jewelers are always creating their own.

• Round and oval (circular)

• Pear and marquise (resemble a diamond shape)

• Princess, brilliant, asscher and radiant (resemble a square shape with different engravings of how the stone is cut)

• Heart

3. Metal Shari Busse of Shari K’s Jewelry says as of now white gold,  yellow gold and platinum are the most popular metals. There are also tungsten, titanium and cobalt which are very hard metals. These are best used for men’s wedding bands because they are durable.

An important thing to think about with the band is how long the ring will maintain its shine. Busse says if your ring starts to look dull take it in for radium plating. The jeweler will dip the ring in your choice of metal to preserve and maintain a shiny coating.

When cleaning the ring, Emily Fincham from JcPenney recommends bringing it in about every six months or when you start to notice it is losing its sparkle or shine. This is when they will check to make sure none of the prongs on the ring are loose, which could lead to losing a stone.

Make sure you understand the insurance and/or warranty you receive when purchasing the ring. Some rings come with certain perks while others do not. Understand the fine print before making such a large purchase. Most importantly, make sure it is the ring you or your loved one will want because you will be wearing it on your finger for quite some time.