How to Buy the Perfect Engagement Ring
Life has a few really big expenses: home, car, and engagement rings. Of them all, the most terrifying experience can be getting the engagement ring – beyond the fact that you might be worrying about what her answer will be, most of us know a lot more about homes or cars than we do about diamonds. This simple fact is used and abused by some dishonest sellers who will take advantage of our inexperience.
You should be able to breathe easy and concentrate on getting the perfect design of ring for your sweetheart, not worrying about whether you’re paying inflated prices for a poor-quality diamond. This article will get you acquainted with the basics of what makes an outstanding engagement ring worth paying for, so that you can be confident when you enter the jewelry shop.
Diamond Education
Significantly reducing the risk of “being taken in” is pretty simple if you educate yourself just a little bit before you head to the jewelry shops.
Here’s the steps to making sure you know what you’re buying:
1. Homework – Research the subject of buying diamonds. I’m sure you spent many hours studying the facts about cars you were interested in buying long before you headed to the dealership. Then, after you found a car at the dealership you liked, you probably went back home and researched it some more – the dealer, the make, and the model. You should follow the same process when you’re out to buy an engagement ring. On the plus side, you don’t have to spend weeks researching the engagement ring – spending just a couple of hours learning about diamonds will put you way ahead of the crowd in the subject. After you’re pretty sure you’re comfortable with diamond knowledge, head to the jewelry shops and find a few styles of ring that you like – come back home and research those specifically.
2. Source – If you work with a reputable seller, your chances of being disappointed with your purchase are very low. The only way to know if you’re working with someone who is trustworthy is to take a few minutes and learn about them. Purchasing straight from the store? You should speak to the salesmen and try to gauge their level of knowledge – if you know more about diamonds in your couple hours of research than they do, this shop isn’t educating their employees … and that’s not a good sign. Check with the Better Business Bureau and do a search online for the store name – there are many websites which allow consumers to list companies that they’ve had bad experiences with… and good experiences with. All of these little steps will assure you that you’re working with a professional who honestly cares about what they’re selling.
3. Certificate – Never, ever buy a diamond without a certificate. Seriously, if they don’t include a certificate, just turn around and walk out of the store. Don’t let them try to convince you that you don’t need one, or give you some excuse as to why that one doesn’t have a certificate but that you are getting such a great deal … what it comes down to is that without a certificate, you could very easily be buying a piece of glass that has been cut prettily and set into an engagement setting. You will be none the wiser, up to $5000 poorer, and have no recourse. That being said, just because a diamond does have a certificate doesn’t assure you that you’re getting a better deal. You need to rely on the learning you’ve done, the knowledge you’ve gained to understand exactly what the certificate is telling you. Every factor in the certificate should affect the price of the ring, because it describes the actual quality of the diamond you’re purchasing.
4. The 4 C’s – The 4 C’s of buying diamonds are Cut, Clarity, Carat, and Color. The way that these factors work together determine the quality of a diamond – which in turn should reflect the price of the engagement ring you’re thinking about buying. Content Producer goblue2004 has written a fantastic article here on Associated Content that goes into what the 4 C’s actually mean, so that you’ll understand the grading system of each feature. You can grab that article here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/content.cfm?content_type=article&content_type_id=5534
5. Budget – Set a realistic budget before you ever head to the shop. Base the budget that you set on the cost of engagement rings you like the looks of when you do a search online, and treat this as a significant financial purchase – it is one. Then, when you go into the jewelry store, don’t let the salesmen pressure you into going far above the price you’ve set for yourself. Be honest with yourself while you’re browsing; if you’ve set a budget and find several rings far below what you’ve set, take a deep breath before you buy one of them. View the certificates and really make sure that you are comfortable with what you’re paying for. After all, if you’re not confident about the ring that you give, your attitude will show it.
Beyond the Diamond – The Right Ring
Finding a ring that you just know she’ll love can be even more intimidating than worrying about diamond certificates and whether or not the seller is trustworthy.
In all honesty, if you want to be certain that she’ll love the ring … you might want to consider letting her pick it out herself. I know that you’re going to just keep reading because you’d rather surprise her, though, so here’s my five top tips on how to make sure you find the right ring for your sweetie.
1. Favorites – Before you pick out anything, take a quick look at the rings and other jewelry that she already wears. Most women definitely prefer silver over gold or platinum over silver – they have a preference, and the jewelry that they wear will show it. Beyond the type of metal that she chooses to wear, you’ll want to notice the style of her jewelry. Is it classic, with delicate lines and small accents? Or perhaps she’s bold, preferring very modern cuts and decorations that really stand out. Don’t make the mistake of looking through her jewelry box, though. You want to look at the jewelry she wears every day – many women will wear the same necklace, earrings, rings, or watch every single day and change only a couple of the accents. These are the jewelry pieces you want to pay attention to – you definitely want something that she’ll wear as long as an engagement ring to match her style.
2. The Right Style – Following close on the heels of my first tip (in fact, they go hand-in-hand), you should pay attention to how the jewelry she wears features stones or other accents. The settings on engagement rings vary from the solitaire (a single diamond set alone in a band) to a cluster of stones, and even a combination of the two featuring one main diamond and smaller ones spreading out down the band. Furthermore, you need to look at shapes. If she doesn’t wear a lot of hearts within her jewelry, you might not want to go for the fancy-shaped diamonds because she might not like them, or she would wear them. Do a lot of the shapes of her jewelry resemble tear-drops? She might like an oval or pear-shaped stone, then. The key is to look for patterns – the things she wears over and over will feature common elements.
3. What Looks Best – Here are some really quick tips about what stones and bands work best for different hands:
� Elongated diamonds can make short fingers look longer.
� Wide bands will make fingers seem even shorter.
âÂ?¢ A delicate setting will “fade” on a large hand.
� Large, bold rings will exaggerate how delicate a small hand is.
4. Ring Size – Many women are superstitious about wearing a ring on their engagement finger, but if she has one that fits her engagement finger … see if you can’t get someone to borrow it long enough to get it sized.
5. Options – Spend some time thinking about what your options are. One thing that you might consider, if you know exactly what shape of diamond she would love, is to purchase a loose diamond to show her when you ask the big question. After her joyous “Yes!” you can shop together for the engagement ring setting that will show off her beautiful diamond. Another thing to think about is the fact that some women actual would rather another stone instead of a diamond. Yes, it does happen. If none of her jewelry resemble diamonds (she doesn’t wear clear crystals or anything), then you might have a sweetie who would rather have a colored gemstone.
Working with these 10 guidelines, you’ll be able to get an engagement ring that you can feel confident presenting, and that she’ll be proud to wear.
