If you’re shopping for an engagement ring, it makes sense that you want to get the best deal. Not only do you want to potentially save some money, but you’ll also want to make sure that you get the best ring possible for your budget. After all, you want to get the best ring you can afford, right? Here are some tips for getting the best bang for your buck on an engagement ring.
Learn the 4 Cs
It’s important to know a thing or two about diamonds before you buy an engagement ring. This doesn’t mean you’ll need to spend hours and hours becoming an expert, but it’s a good idea to get a general understanding of diamonds, especially if you want to get the best deal on an engagement ring. A good place to start is with the 4 Cs of diamond quality.
The 4 Cs (cut, color, clarity, and carat weight) are standardized ways of describing diamonds. Knowing what these terms mean will help you compare different diamonds to one another and determine the value of a diamond.
Pay Special Attention to Cut
While each of the 4 Cs is important, when you’re looking at diamonds, pay special attention to the quality of the cut. This is because the cut of a diamond has the most influence on the scintillation, dispersion, brilliance, and fire of the stone. Diamonds that are well-cut reflect the light in a way that makes them sparkle and look more beautiful than poorly-cut diamonds.
When you’re shopping for a diamond, you’ll likely have to make some sacrifices to fit a stone into your budget. However, since a lower quality diamond with an excellent cut will often look more attractive than a diamond with a poor cut, but high ratings in other categories, you may want to prioritize the cut of a stone over the other factors.
A Note about Carat Weight
The carat weight of a diamond refers to how much a diamond weighs after it has been cut and polished. In general, the higher the carat weight, the larger the diamond. However, as carat weight increases, so does price. Of course, all of the 4 Cs influence the price of a stone, but it's still important to keep this in mind. Since this is true, when you’re looking at diamonds, you may wish to purchase a stone with a lower carat weight but one with high cut, color, and clarity ratings rather than a larger one that may be lacking in other categories. Well-cut stones that sparkle often look bigger than stones with poor cuts, even if those stones have a higher carat weight.
Consider “buying shy” when you’re looking at diamonds. This means buying a stone that is slightly under a whole or half carat mark. For instance, a 1.9 carat stone will be less expensive than a 2 carat stone, and the difference will be incredibly difficult to notice.
Shop Around
Don’t assume that all jewelers are the same. Not only will you find that different jewelry stores often have different collections, but you’ll find different levels of service as well. Both of these factors can affect the price that you pay as well as the value that you'll receive.
For example, if you are on a budget, and you shop at a jeweler that only has very expensive rings and settings available, you might end up having to sacrifice on diamond quality to be able to afford a ring. However, if you find a jeweler that has more simple designs, you could save some money on the ring itself, helping you get the best deal on an engagement ring.
In addition, even if you pay the same amount for two similar rings from two different retailers, you’ll get better value if you work with a jeweler who provides better service. A more personalized touch and better expert advice may not cost you anything extra, and they’ll help you get a better ring.
Look Online
Online jewelers are often able to offer lower prices than stores that have a large bricks-and-mortar presence because they do not have to spend as much on displays to showcase their rings and rent on a larger property. When you’re looking for the best deal on an engagement ring, look at reputable online jewelers during your search. However, you’ll want to make sure that you read all of a jeweler’s policies before placing an order. Pay special attention to what a jeweler says about returns, warranties, and satisfaction guarantees.
