Shopping for an engagement ring is no easy feat. You want to buy the right ring without overpaying. The question is, how do you do that with little to no prior experience or knowledge about rings, diamonds, and their value? Here’s an expert’s guide on how to do just that.
Buy Your Engagement Ring Online
You might feel more comfortable shopping at a jewelry store as you get to hold and see a diamond ring in person. But the reality of this situation is that you are most likely to spend up to 40% more at a physical jewelry store, than when you shop online.
Why are online jewelry shops more affordable?
It’s because the jewelry stores you find at shopping centers are most likely either luxury jewelry shops and well-known jewelry brands. Examples of these are brands such as Tiffany and Co. or Cartier. These are the best of the best. The Tesla equivalent of the jewelry world. And because of this, they are the most expensive options on the market.
Online jewelry shops, however, cater specifically to providing affordable alternatives to these high-end brands. They are often far more affordable as they can cut expenses that will help keep the cost of their jewelry down. A good example of this is the way online shops avoid having to pay for rent if they have a physical store. Their ability to run their shop online and cater to their customers, eliminate the expensive cost of paying for rent.
If your end goal is to save money on your engagement ring, the best way to do so is to shop for one online.
Shop According to Your Budget
If you browse through different engagement ring options without a specific budget in mind, you will most likely get lost maneuvering through hundreds of different engagement rings varying in price, from $500 to $50,000. The key to an efficient way of saving money on your engagement ring is to shop according to a designated budget.
For example, you can shop for 2 Carat engagement rings. You can focus your search specifically on 2 Carat diamond rings if you are hoping to stick to a budget of around $5000 to $8000. By focusing your search on a category such as the Carat size of diamonds, you’ll reduce the volume of rings you’ll need to read through.
Shopping according to your budget will not only save you time, but you will also be able to avoid getting tempted to buy a ring that is above your budget. The goal is to stick to only looking at
rings that you can afford. Restricting yourself from looking at rings that are are more expensive guarantees that you are not lured into buying one.
Avoid the Perfect Diamond Clarity and Color
The 4 C’s of a diamond are the 4 factors that determine the amount at much a diamond ring is sold. The bigger a diamond, the better its cut, clarity, and color is, the higher its selling price. A good way of saving money on an engagement ring is to avoid the perfect diamond clarity and color. But is this even possible without the ring or diamond obviously looking flawed or unattractive?
Can I choose a cheaper diamond that still looks beautiful?
The first concern you might be worried about is that a diamond won’t look as beautiful as you hope it would if it isn’t perfect. To understand why it’s okay to avoid a completely colorless or
flawless diamond, you first need to know about the term eye-clean.
The color and flaws of a diamond are so faint or small that you’ll need a magnifying tool to see it. Without this tool, a diamond looks completely colorless and flawless to the naked eye. This is
what the industry calls an eye-clean diamond. One that has inclusions (scratches and internal imperfections) and a slight color, but is not visible unless you look at it closely with a designated
magnifying tool.
What are the acceptable eye-clean color and clarity grading?
● Color Grading – G,H, I & J are near colorless and will look colorless to the naked eye.
● Clarity Grading – VS2 to VVS1 are eye-clean gradings. SI1 & SI2 are possibly eye-clean (this will depend on how it looks in person)
The important thing to remember is that if you are looking at a diamond and it looks beautiful and perfect to you, even if its diamond certificate indicates flaws and color, what matters is that
you are happy with its appearance.
Don’t Forget this Tip – If you choose to shop online for a diamond, ask to see a video of the ring moving under a bright light. This is the best way to see if it is eye-clean
Conclusion: Keep Your Priorities in Focus
To guarantee that you save money on an engagement ring, and still buy a ring that you are 100% happy with, you need to keep your priorities in mind. Shop online to get the best value, narrow your search down to what you can afford, and shop for a ring that looks good to you, and not one that’s perfect on paper. Take your time doing your research and enjoy every moment as this is the first step towards asking the love of your life for their hand in marriage. And that should be a wonderful experience.
This is a sponsored post.
