Emily JubbAre you excited to finally pop the big question and ask the love of your life for her hand in marriage? Are you a little confused about how to shop for an engagement ring? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. Most first-time jewelry shoppers struggle with the big decision of buying a diamond ring. It’s a lot of money to invest in a completely foreign territory.
Here’s a quick guide on what you need to know if you are shopping for your engagement ring.
Shop According to Your Budget
If you’ve already attempted to shop for an engagement ring, you’ll know that there are hundreds of designs to choose from. Don’t let this overwhelm you. You can easily shop according to your budget.
For example, if you’re looking to spend around $5000, shop for 2 Carat engagement rings.
Learn the Meaning of the 4 C’s of Diamonds
Go into any jewelry store, or browse any online shop selling diamonds, and you will be welcomed with all the technical information regarding what the 4 C’s of a diamond is. Here’s a compact guide to the ever-important 4 C’s and how they affect your purchase.
The Carat Weight
This Carat weight refers to the specific measurement of a diamond’s weight. It is used in the industry to refer to the size of a diamond. The heavier the carat weight is, the bigger the diamond, and therefore, the more expensive it is.
The Diamond’s Cut
The diamond’s cut describes the shape of a diamond.
The different diamond cuts:
- Round Cut
- Princess Cut
- Oval Cut
- Cushion Cut
- Pear-Shape Cut
The cut of a diamond affects how brilliant it shines, how beautiful the diamond looks, and how secure and comfortable it feels when set on a ring.
The Clarity Grade
The Clarity grade is the measure of how flawless a diamond is. Natural earth-mined diamonds commonly come with inclusions. These are natural scratches or marks that can be seen either through magnification or with the naked eye. The more flawless (fewer inclusions) a diamond is, the more expensive it is.
The Diamond’s Color
Diamonds that are colorless are the most expensive. But most diamonds do come with hints of color. In most cases, these are a certain tint of yellow or brown. The goal is to find a near-colorless diamond, as the completely colorless ones are hard to come by or are very expensive.
Don’t Buy Without a Diamond Certification
This is very important as it confirms and validates the authenticity of a diamond. When you shop for an engagement ring, you will come across different shops and ring designs. It doesn’t matter where you choose to buy a ring. What matters is that the diamond ring comes with its diamond certification. Without it, there’s no guarantee that your diamond is authentic.
The Goal is to Find a Ring that Looks Beautiful, Not Perfect
The end goal is to find a perfect ring. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to hunt for one that is absolutely perfect on paper. This simply doesn’t exist. And if it does, it is priced at a very tall value.
What you need to do is to find a beautiful ring. The way to do this is to look at and observe the ring yourself. If you see that a ring looks flawless and beautiful, despite what its diamond certification says, then it is good enough to buy. If YOU believe it looks beautiful, that is all that matters
Browse Different Shops Before Making a Purchase
It might be tempting to buy the first beautiful ring you see, but it’s not the smartest choice. You’ll definitely want to browse different shops to see which one offers the ring design you are looking for, at the best (most affordable) price. You wouldn’t want to pay $6000 for a diamond ring, only to find out that you could have bought a similar one for $5000.
Find out What Your Partner Wants Before Going Shopping
As excited as you are to shop for an engagement ring, it will be very difficult to know what to buy if you have yet to find out what your partner wants. It’s a good idea to ask around first or confirm what type of ring design she will love. This will save you the awkward situation of her telling you she doesn’t like the ring.
How to find out what ring she wants:
- Ask her best friends
- Check her social media pages for clues
- Check her jewelry box to see what rings she wears
- Ask her siblings or parents
This is important because your partner may be hoping to wear her engagement ring every day, or on most special occasions. It will matter to her if she doesn’t necessarily like the design.
Final Thoughts
Use this information to have fun when you shop for the love of your life. Find out what type of ring she wants, and enjoy looking for the perfect ring, without having to worry too much about all the technicalities. The more you know about how to shop for an engagement ring, the easier it will be, giving you the opportunity to truly enjoy this special moment.