Guide To Buying An Engagement Ring

Buying an engagement ring is a complex process. If you've never bought expensive jewelry before, you probably find it confusing and a bit overwhelming. All you want is to find the perfect engagement ring!

Don't worry! You can find it, and you don't have to be an expert in diamonds, or a shrewd bargainer, or a jewelry expert to do it. You just need some basic information and know-how. Read this guide to buying an engagement ring first, and you'll be well on your way to picking out the perfect ring.

If you decide on a budget before you start even shopping (and commit to sticking to that budget) then you can save yourself a lot of time, stress, and headaches. If you know what your upper limit is, then you can immediately rule out a huge number of engagement rings that are beyond your means. You'll also be immune to pushy jewelery sales people who will try to convince you that you need to spend just a little more.

Once you have your budget, you can really start to dig into the types of engagement rings that are available for that budget, and what you can expect to get. Don't worry—there are a lot of ways to get more out of your money when you are buying an engagement ring. But more on that later.

So, how much should your budget be? The two months salary rule in buying an engagement ring is really just a guideline. A better guideline is: Spend what you can afford to spend. Sounds vague, sure, but the engagement ring is a major purchase, and you will need to take some time to assess your finances. How secure is your job, how much savings do you have? And don't forget about all of those other expenses that will be coming up. Weddings aren't cheap, and there's a honeymoon to plan. You may need some money for a down payment on a house, or to buy a car. Depending on how long your engagement will be, and how many expenses you'll have when you start your new life together, you'll have to adjust your budget carefully when buying an engagement ring.

The next thing you have to do when you are buying an engagement ring is choose the diamond. For most people, this is the most important aspect of the ring. It's certainly the most expensive part of it.

You have the option to buy loose diamonds, or to buy the diamond already set into the ring. Either way, make sure that you know the details of the characteristics of the diamond.

The most important diamond characteristics are color, cut, carat, and clarity. Color ranges from completely colorless to slightly yellowish. The cut is how the diamond is shaped and cut to reflect light. The carat is the weight of the diamond, and the clarity is whether or not there are any blemishes or non-diamond inclusions in the diamond.

For most people, buying an engagement ring involves finding the right balance of high quality and low price. Although completely colorless is the ideal, you can go down the color scale a bit without any visible difference. The same is true with clarity; a diamond may have some inclusions that are not visible to the naked eye. It will cost less, and no one will be able to see the difference.

The most common cuts for diamonds are the round cut, and the princess cut. If you're looking for something very traditional, these are a sure bet.

But there are quite a few other cuts, from the very sophisticated asscher cut, to the brilliant and sparkly cushion cut, to the unique pear cut.

The cut of the diamond is probably the single biggest factor in determining its overall character and appearance, so spend a lot of time looking at the cuts that you can afford with your budget, and find the one that best suits the woman who will be wearing it.

Also, keep in mind that you have options other than the traditional white diamonds. Yellow diamond engagement rings are a very classy and unique choice. You can also find rings with non-diamond stones.

The ring band and the setting that holds the stone in place are all very important, as well.

If you are interested in antique engagement rings, there are a lot of choices. You can get a genuine antique, or a modern replica. Antique rings are from the Victorian, Edwardian, and Art Deco periods.

Modern rings also have a lot of benefits. Many use platinum as a metal, which gives them a lot more durability and longevity than gold.

When buying an engagement ring, there are a few things you can do to help save some money. One great idea is to buy a ring that is just slightly below the next carat. If you buy a 0.9 carat instead of a 1 carat diamond, it can save you quite a bit of money.

Another important thing to do is decide what is your main priority in the ring. What aspect of it do you want to stand out the most? Is it the size of the diamond? The brilliant sparkle? The intricacy of the ring band? The cut of the diamond? If you know what is most important to you, you can sacrifice a little bit on other areas. For example, if you really want a large diamond, you can sacrifice a bit of clarity and color to get a larger stone. You can also choose a cut what will make the diamond look larger, such as a marquis cut.

Make sure you shop around, too. More and more people choose to buy engagement ring online, rather than from a traditional jewelry store. Going this route can give you a lot more options, as well as giving you a lot more convenience. Just make sure that you know all of the details about the store, and about the ring you are getting. Find out about the return policy, shipping charges, and about any certifications and paperwork while you are buying an engagement ring.

Figuring out how to buy an engagement ring is a difficult task. But keep these tips in mind, and you'll be well on your way to successfully narrowing down your choices to the perfect ring.