Three Secrets to Finding Affordable Engagement Rings
It’s no secret that diamonds are expensive. When it comes to the once-in-a-lifetime purchase of engagement rings, you certainly don’t want to appear “cheap” or even frugal, really, but your budget is a point of obvious consideration. Here are a few tips for finding a beautiful ring that’s also affordable.
Comparison Shopping
As with any major purchase, or even a minor one for that matter, savvy consumers employ a number of money saving strategies, one of the most effective of which is the simple act of comparison shopping. Comparison shopping for engagement rings is a whole lot simpler than it might sound, especially with the growing popularity of online jewelry retailers. Here you can compare different styles of solitaire rings and diamond accents side by side, all within your specified price range. This is also the best way to view the very largest selection, ensuring that you have every option available to you in your search for that engagement ring that’s guaranteed to make her melt.
The “4 C’s” of Diamond Engagement Rings
The “4 C’s” of diamond engagement rings are more specifically regarded as the qualities of cut, color, clarity and carat weight. This is fairly common knowledge, but what many people do not realize is that a particular knowledge of the “4 C’s” can actually be put to use to save you money on engagement rings, or to acquire a bigger, more spectacular ring for the same amount of money. For example, the color and clarity of solitaire rings can vary by degrees which are actually imperceptible to the casual observer, yet these diamonds of lesser rated color and clarity are significantly cheaper than their more highly rated counterparts of the same size and cut. Naturally, you want a high quality diamond, but when these differences are only slight, you can often get a lot more diamond for your money without sacrificing much by way of appearance.
Design Your Own Ring
If you’re trying to save money on engagement rings, you might assume that a custom design is beyond your reach. This is not necessarily the case. “Design Your Own Ring” options allow you to mix and match solitaires with diamond accents and your choice of metal and setting at a price which is comparable to engagement rings from the retailer’s standard inventory. What makes this option truly budget friendly is the ability to swap out a solitaire diamond for a less expensive one if that’s what it takes to make a favorite ring design affordable. And here’s a little known secret of solitaire engagement rings: certain cuts appear larger than others due to their shape and faceting, even though the diamonds compared are of the same carat weight.
So, do your homework by studying up on the “4 C’s” of engagement rings and do some serious comparison shopping. Don’t rule out designing your own ring simply because of budget restrictions. Follow these tips and you’re likely to be surprised by just how far your budget can go in the quest for the perfect engagement ring.
Authors Bio –
Alexandra Gulkin is a reporter, writer and columnist in the jewelry industry. She is celebrated for her real-time coverage of trade shows, jewelry trends in affordable engagement rings, gemstones, events and secrets on where to find the highest quality diamond engagement rings.
Processing your request, Please wait....
