Shopping for the right engagement ring can be a baffling experience to begin for most people. If they have never shopped or bought diamonds before how do they know what quality they are looking at? Maybe these tips will assist you in knowing where to start. It should be fun shopping for an engagement ring. Try not to get stressed about this purchase because this is supposed to be an exciting time! Let’s examine the 1st 3 things for you to do. Once you do these things you can turn your attention the most important section of the ring, which is the diamond.
Make a Budget
I always recommend that my clients do this first thing. Decide what price you can easily afford and stay with that price. There is not a definite rule about how much one should spend, but there are some people that have paid out about 2 months of their salary on a ring.
Please never spend more than your budget is. Some of my friends actually took out large loans for the express purpose of buying a larger ring and they wind up paying on the loan for years. You do not want to wind up with financial problems. Remember that if you can’t get her the size stone she wants now you can upgrade it for her later on in life when you have more money. You will figure your budget depending on a few factors, but be ready to put out a large chunk of cash. Diamonds are not inexpensive, but she will wear them forever and I promise the smile it puts on her face will be worth it.
2) Choose the type of metal for the band
There are three choices for the metal used in the setting for the ring: yellow gold, platinum, and white gold. Look at the kind of jewelry she now has. If her preference is yellow gold that’s an easy choice and the decision is made. On the other hand if her favorite jewelry is white gold or silver then your choice is between platinum and the white gold. Platinum is a whopping 3 times the price of white or yellow gold, so if you’re on a budget white gold becomes an easy choice. However, platinum is the most durable of the 3 metals and numerous folks love it as they believe it’s durability makes it possible for the ring to become a family heirloom. Keep in mind that the platinum will get a matte look unless you polish from time to time. This is really the only maintenance with this metal.
White gold is a bit shinier and less expensive than platinum. White gold can scratch easier than platinum but not to a degree that you have to be concerned. Every year or two you have to get it replated as the metal will start to get a yellowish tinge (white gold is just yellow gold mixed with other metals to make it a different color). Replating does not cost much however you will have to take it in every couple of years.
It is a good idea to compare how the white gold and platinum look. Some people like one and not the other. This will assist you in making a decision.
3) Choose the setting
The setting is the basic style of the ring itself. Does it have one diamond? Are there several diamonds on the ring? This is determined by the setting you choose for your engagement ring. You have three main choices to chose from. A solitaire engagement ring is the simplest but also the most popular. It is one single diamond mounted on a band. This is the perfect way to show off a diamond. A three stone engagement ring has one center diamond, and two smaller diamonds beside it – one on each side. These side diamonds are usually about 30-60% of the size of the center diamond.
A diamond engagement ring with side stones has one main center diamond and then several small diamond on both sides. These diamonds are usually very small so they don’t cost an arm and a leg. If you aren’t sure what she would prefer, try to find out. The best way is to have one of her friends (that you trust!) ask her and then let you know. Girls talk about jewelry so she won’t automatically suspect anything. You will feel a lot better knowing you got her the right one.
After you have these three steps down, you can move on to the fun part – choosing the diamond! She is going to be wearing this for life so make sure you focus on getting a stunning diamond – it’s so much fun seeing my wife get compliments on it. Reminds me of the good job I did!
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