Hacking The Engagement Ring Buying Process
An engagement ring is one of the most important purchases a man ever makes. An exquisite engagement ring is a signal to the woman that he loves of his commitment to her and to a shared future together. The ring you choose is an investment in your relationship that will be seen every day by all who meet your fiancée and future wife. All of this means the choice of engagement ring is a big responsibility, even when the decision is shared between you.
Few of us are made of money so the hugely costly, but exquisite, creations given by David Beckham to his wife Victoria are likely to be out of the reach of most people and we all work to a budget of some kind.
This article is about how you can save money when buying your engagement ring. The money you can save can be used to help pay for the wedding or to increase the size and quality of the gems used in the ring. Wise choices will deliver a more spectacular piece of diamond jewellery for your fiancée to show off!
Top Tips To Save Money On Your Engagement Ring
Whether you want to save funds to use for other purposes or to get the very best ring that you can for your money, everything starts with a budget. When you know how much money you can afford to spend, you will have a target to judge your savings and the value that you are getting. That makes setting a budget (and not exceeding it!) the first and crucial engagement ring buying hack. Only you can decide how much you should spend but always remember that every pound you spend on the engagement ring is a pound that can not be spent on the wedding rings or the wedding celebrations.
The next engagement ring buying hacks are about the ring itself and the elements that go into making a spectacular piece of jewellery.
1) Clear enough, but not more than necessary. When it comes to diamonds, perfection is not always the best option. If you have read our other articles about diamond quality and certification you already know about the 4Cs of diamond classification, that's Colour, Clarity, Cut and Carat (weight). The most beautiful diamonds can be almost perfectly flawless, but that perfection costs money, a lot of money, and nobody but an expert with a jeweller’s loupe would ever know if you purchased a diamond that looked perfect to the naked eye. If you use this strategy, you can save a lot of money and either pocket the difference or invest in a larger stone or more elaborate design for the ring.
The point to look out for here is the classification of clarity on the diamond's assessment certificate. Look out for diamonds whose clarity is rated at SI1 or SI2, these will be what is called 'eye clean' meaning that from a viewing distance of 15-30 cm, a person with normal eyesight would not see any flaws in the stone. You will not be alone in choosing this path to exceptional value, over 40% of diamond jewellery buyers do the same thing!
2) White diamonds – how white? The colour of the diamond in an engagement ring is important but buying a diamond in the G to I range of diamond colour can look just as white as one classified in the D to F range, especially when the diamond will not be seen next to a display case of other rings and diamonds. You can save up to 20% by buying a ring that is G graded for colour as compared to an F coloured stone.
You should enhance the value of this hack by choosing the right metal for the setting of the diamond. For example, if you prefer a white metal setting such as white gold or platinum, then you need to choose a whiter diamond so that the white of the metal does not diminish the colour of the stone. If you go for a gold setting for the ring, then you can easily choose a slightly more yellow stone because it will always look very white compared to the colour of the ring.
In terms of the colour grades to look at, try the following: for a platinum, or white gold ring go for a G to I colour grade. For a gold ring then you can consider an I, J or K grading.
3) Consider cut over carat. Many buyers of diamond engagement rings and other diamond jewellery tend to get hung up on the size of the stone. For sure a rock the size of a small egg is will always be impressive but when looking at more normal sizes the quality of the cut of the stone can be decisive and a great way to get a magnificent ring for less money. Here's why that is: A large stone that is not very well cut will look less good on the finger than a smaller, but well-cut one.
The quality of the cut is a reflection of the skill of the diamond cutter. A poorly cut 2 carat stone will always cost more than a perfectly cut 1.2-carat diamond, but the smaller one can look better on the finger. This means that it can be a good idea to prioritise your budget toward the aspect of the diamond that is under human control, how the stone is cut. Look for diamonds rated as Excellent cut that fit within your budget.
4) Does it have to be a diamond? I am not suggesting for a moment that you buy a cubic zirconia engagement ring, but many other valuable gemstones can make excellent engagement rings. You could choose an emerald, ruby or sapphire with a much larger carat weight to replace the central diamond and the money saved could be used to upgrade all the other aspects of the ring design. As a word to the wise though, if you go down this increasingly fashionable route, you might want to check with your best beloved ahead of time and gauge her likely reaction to this slightly unconventional engagement ring hack.
Notice how all these engagement ring buying hacks work in the same way: rather than concentrating upon getting the very best, in terms of specifications, the advice is to buy according to what real people can see and appreciate every day. It might be fun to brag with mates about how big the diamond you purchased was, but your fiancée, soon to be wife, will be getting appreciative glances for the way her engagement ring looks for many years to come.
With these suggestions, you are well armed to be able to get the best value possible for your ring, giving you a choice to either upgrade the specification of the ring itself, or to invest in the rest of the wedding planning. Just remember the most important people to please with your engagement ring purchase are you and your bride to be.
The All Diamond engagement ring collection has rings of all types suitable for pretty much any taste and budget. Our designers and jewellers work hard to ensure that every ring offers great value for its type and price. We follow the guidelines suggested above. Please take a few minutes to browse our engagement ring collection and let our designers and craftsmen inspire you!
