For many people shopping for an engagement ring is a confusing experience at the start. They haven't ever shopped for a diamond - how can they know what to look for? Hopefully I can help you get started. Shopping for an engagement ring should be a fun thing. It's such an exciting time of your life so try not to get stressed about this purchase. Let's look at the first three things you should do. Once you get these out of the way, you can focus on the most important part of the ring - the diamond.
Make a Budget
This is the first thing I recommend to my clients. You want to set a price that you can afford and stick to it. There isn't any rule that is set in stone about how much you would spend, but many people fork out about two months worth of salary for their ring.
Please be wise and don't overspend - stay within your budget. I know friends who got too big of loans to purchase a ring and they are still paying for it years after the fact. It is ridiculous to put yourself into financial difficulties. You can always upgrade her ring later after your finances are more stable if you are unable to get the right stone size now. A number of factors go into figuring your budget but you do need to be prepared to pay a good chunk. The smile that the ring will put on her face will make the expense of the diamond well worth it and remember - she will wear it forever.
Choose the Preference of Metal for the Band
White gold, yellow gold, and platinum are the 3 main choices for bands. Pay attention to what type of jewelry she owns now. If she owns or wears mostly yellow gold the choice is easy. If she wears white gold or silver than you need to choose either platinum or white gold. The cost of platinum is 3 times that of gold. Platinum is the most durable of the metals. That makes it an attractive choice for people who think about passing it down through the years to family. There is not much maintenance to platinum other than having it polished once in awhile to keep it from having a matte look.
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's not a bad idea to go and have a look at how both white gold and platinum look. Some don't like the way platinum looks and vice versa. It will help you out as you make this 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! - 16463
Make a Budget
This is the first thing I recommend to my clients. You want to set a price that you can afford and stick to it. There isn't any rule that is set in stone about how much you would spend, but many people fork out about two months worth of salary for their ring.
Please be wise and don't overspend - stay within your budget. I know friends who got too big of loans to purchase a ring and they are still paying for it years after the fact. It is ridiculous to put yourself into financial difficulties. You can always upgrade her ring later after your finances are more stable if you are unable to get the right stone size now. A number of factors go into figuring your budget but you do need to be prepared to pay a good chunk. The smile that the ring will put on her face will make the expense of the diamond well worth it and remember - she will wear it forever.
Choose the Preference of Metal for the Band
White gold, yellow gold, and platinum are the 3 main choices for bands. Pay attention to what type of jewelry she owns now. If she owns or wears mostly yellow gold the choice is easy. If she wears white gold or silver than you need to choose either platinum or white gold. The cost of platinum is 3 times that of gold. Platinum is the most durable of the metals. That makes it an attractive choice for people who think about passing it down through the years to family. There is not much maintenance to platinum other than having it polished once in awhile to keep it from having a matte look.
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's not a bad idea to go and have a look at how both white gold and platinum look. Some don't like the way platinum looks and vice versa. It will help you out as you make this 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! - 16463
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It's important to read a diamond buying guide so that you know exactly what to look for when shopping for an engagement ring. You can save huge cash on a diamond - Click Here to get the scoop!
