Posts Tagged ‘get more for your money’

Saving up for and engagement ring can take a long time because you still have to pay for all your living, travel and housing expenses etc, each month.  So when the time comes to buy a diamond engagement ring, here are five top tips to make your budget stretch a bit further! 

1 Buy in a Sale
Most jewelers offer deep discounts when sales are slow or when they are making room for new inventory.  Your budget will go further if you buy your engagement ring in a sale.  Look for special offer codes on this site.

2 Buy White Gold Instead of Platinum
Although most of the cost of an engagement ring is in the price of the diamond, choosing a white gold engagement ring over a the very expensive platinum one will make a noticeable difference to the price of the engagement ring.

3 Add Baguettes
If you choose to build your own engagement ring, why not add tiny baguettes to accent a smaller good quality diamond?  This will add a significant amount of extra sparkle for not much extra cost. This is a much better option than simply choosing a poorer quality, but bigger carat diamond, which will have less sparkle and look dull by comparison.

4 Do Not Buy Top Quality
If you cannot appreciate the subtleties between top graded diamonds and those that are next tier down, why pay top dollar for the best?  To the untrained eye, G,H or I color white diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from the very expensive D, E, F grades, making them cost effective choices. 

In the same way, choosing a “good” or “very good” cut diamond, rather than the top priced “ideal” cut, will make your budget go further since the differences in sparkle are only apparent when the various cut qualities are compared alongside each other.

5 Buy Online
Many jewelers use online stores to showcase old stock and are able to offer special discounts because of their lower overheads.  So your budget will go further and you will find the best bargains when you buy your engagement ring online.

When it comes to buying a diamond engagement ring, every man wants to pick the perfect one for his future bride. It will after all be the ring that she will wear for the rest of her life. And with so much emotion and symbolism tied up with a single piece of diamond jewelry, choosing an engagement ring can be simple or traumatic depending upon how you go about it. So if you are wondering what to look for in an engagement ring, here are some tips to help.

Go for Quality
This should go without saying. An engagement ring should last a lifetime, and you should buy a fine gemstone ring which will stay the course.

You should look for a well made ring in a precious metal such as silver, gold or platinum if your budget stretches to it. The ring should be set with a natural mined diamond or other natural precious gemstone, such as a ruby, emerald or sapphire. Do not choose created gemstones. Your bride deserves the best. All the gemstones should be set into a pretty, well made setting.

Do The Proportions Look Right?
The whole piece should look attractive and well balanced. If it does not, ask to have the band or the gemstones exchanged especially if you are designing your own engagement ring.

A solitaire should be well proportioned between the diamond, its setting and the width of the band. The diamond should sit up well and be the focus of attention. A prong set quarter carat diamond will be lost on a wide band, but would look good in a tension setting within the band. A two carat rock will look top-heavy on a thin band. And it will be difficult to wear because the weight of the gemstone will cause the ring to rotate around the finger.

If the ring contains more than one gemstone, such as a three stone trilogy ring, the gemstones should be well proportioned and easy on the eye. The central gemstone should be larger than or the same size as the outlying two gemstones, which themselves should be as near to identical in size and cut as possible. If the ring looks odd to you, you can bet your bottom dollar that it will look peculiar and be unacceptable to your intended!

Do Not OverPower The Diamond
An excellent diamond with great clarity, lots of fire and brilliance needs a plain band. An elaborate band with lots of detailed metalwork will draw attention away from the diamond and is better suited to a lower quality gemstone.

View it in Natural Daylight
Some gemstones change color in natural light. Others flare. And diamonds have different amounts of fire and sparkle in them according to their cut and clarity. Ask to view the diamond ring in natural light to see how the gemstones look. After all, your fiancée will!

Check out affordable gemstone and diamond rings for more ideas.