An engagement ring is one of the biggest purchases in a guys life. As romantic as it might sound, you can't just put a lifesaver on a girl's finger and make her your wife. She wants the ring - and those sparkly diamonds are very expensive!
There is a TON of money in the diamond industry. It always amazes me to think about how much money it costs for such a tiny item. But the bottom line is that diamonds are a girls best friend, so prepare yourself to fork over a good chunk of cash when you go shopping for an engagement ring (the look on her face will make it worth it - I promise).
First off, don't ever buy the first diamond ring you look at. Salespeople are notorious for saying things like "You need to buy this now - it will be gone before you know it" or other silly things just to try to make you whip out your wallet on the spot. You owe it to yourself and your special lady to shop around for this important decision. By shopping around, you will see a variety of diamonds and prices. Also, salespeople are more willing to drop their price if they know you have looked elsewhere.
Second, make sure you understand the "4 C's of diamonds". This info is pretty easy to find. The "4 C's" are color, clarity, cut and carat. Each diamond is graded in each of these categories and these gradings make up the price (carat isn't really a grading, but is rather the weight of the stone). The tricky part is figuring out what grading combination you should look for to get the most dazzling diamond at the best price.
For example, a diamond that is graded D,E or F in color (the three highest color grades) will carry a much higher pricetag than a diamond graded slightly lower in color. However, you would never spot the difference when the diamond is mounted in a ring and under normal circumstances. You really would need to see the diamond loose, against a white background and next to diamonds greaded higher to ever spot a difference. There's no sense spending money on something you will never see the difference in.
I go into full detail about this and outline the best grading combination to look for to save you the most cash in the guide I have available at my website. Have a look when you get a chance.
Third, stay away from "branded" diamonds. These are diamonds that are marketed under a particular company name such as "Hearts on Fire diamonds", "Lazarre diamonds" or "Eight Star diamonds". Although they are beautiful diamonds, the companies that sell them put a huge price premium on them. They spend millions on advertising so that they can build a strong brand image and then charge the customer a whackload of cash. You can easily find diamonds or equal or greater beauty for a whole lot less once you know what to look for.
I put together a guide (available at my website) to make it easy for you. It goes over plenty of ways to save cash and make sure you find her dream diamond. Hopefully it helps.
Best of luck with this exciting time! |
