For many men, looking for an engagement ring is their first serious foray into the world of jewelry shopping. It can be a very daunting and stressful task, not to mention time consuming and expensive. It’s a lot pressure to handle. After all, you supposedly only ever get one engagement ring. What if she doesn’t like it? What if it’s not the right one?
Not to worry. Knowing some of the basics of engagement ring shopping will help you lose some of that pressure. Knowing how to prepare and how to spot a reliable jewelry seller is essential. And remember, you have chosen to marry your fiancé because she is the right woman for you and both of you are in love. An engagement ring is not going to make or break the relationship that the two of you have built over the course of many months or years of companionship.
Trust your knowledge of her and of your relationship to guide you through the process. Choosing an engagement ring should not be a miserable ordeal. It should be something fun, something that gets you excited to see the look of surprise and joy on her face when you finally pop the question.
Your Budget
The first logical step in the engagement ring buying process is to determine how much you want to spend and can spend on a ring. It is traditionally expected for men to spend the equivalent of one to two month’s salary. But this figure is arbitrary. There is no set amount that you “should” spend. A better way of thinking about it is, How much money can you spend on a ring without getting yourself into financial trouble? Spend as much as you can, but don’t go overboard or feel pressured to spend more than you realistically should. It’s simply not worth it.
Not to worry. Knowing some of the basics of engagement ring shopping will help you lose some of that pressure. Knowing how to prepare and how to spot a reliable jewelry seller is essential. And remember, you have chosen to marry your fiancé because she is the right woman for you and both of you are in love. An engagement ring is not going to make or break the relationship that the two of you have built over the course of many months or years of companionship.
Trust your knowledge of her and of your relationship to guide you through the process. Choosing an engagement ring should not be a miserable ordeal. It should be something fun, something that gets you excited to see the look of surprise and joy on her face when you finally pop the question.
Your Budget
The first logical step in the engagement ring buying process is to determine how much you want to spend and can spend on a ring. It is traditionally expected for men to spend the equivalent of one to two month’s salary. But this figure is arbitrary. There is no set amount that you “should” spend. A better way of thinking about it is, How much money can you spend on a ring without getting yourself into financial trouble? Spend as much as you can, but don’t go overboard or feel pressured to spend more than you realistically should. It’s simply not worth it.
Once you’ve determined your budget, looking for a respectable jeweler is the next thing to do. Good retailers will provide you with professional, no-hassle service. Look for a seller that is more than willing and happy to let you examine their rings under their jeweler’s loupe and to answer any questions that you might have about their products, prices, etc.Also, consider only buying a diamond that comes with an independent laboratory certification. Most reputable jewelers will carry stones that already come with certification. If a diamond is not certified, they should have no problem with you getting it certified yourself before making your final decision to purchase it.
Once you have found one or two good retailers, it’s time to take a look at the details. Determining the color, carat weight, clarity and cut of the diamond is where the actual work of finding the right engagement ring begins.
The Ring
The bulk of your budget will be spent on the diamond. But it is worth the time to stop and think about the ring itself. Engagement rings are typically made from white metals (i.e. platinum or white gold), but the option of yellow or even rose gold is also there. Use your knowledge of her taste in jewelry to determine which would be the best choice. The elaborateness or simplicity of the ring design is also an important factor that can define the overall look of a ring. If you need help, enlist a friend of hers to help you choose, or take a look at the jewelry she already owns to get a better idea of her taste.
Once you have found one or two good retailers, it’s time to take a look at the details. Determining the color, carat weight, clarity and cut of the diamond is where the actual work of finding the right engagement ring begins.
The Ring
The bulk of your budget will be spent on the diamond. But it is worth the time to stop and think about the ring itself. Engagement rings are typically made from white metals (i.e. platinum or white gold), but the option of yellow or even rose gold is also there. Use your knowledge of her taste in jewelry to determine which would be the best choice. The elaborateness or simplicity of the ring design is also an important factor that can define the overall look of a ring. If you need help, enlist a friend of hers to help you choose, or take a look at the jewelry she already owns to get a better idea of her taste.
Quality aside, the biggest determinant in the value of a diamond is size. The bigger the stone, the more money it’s worth. One carat stones are usually used for engagement rings. A carat is equivalent to 1/5 of a gram. However, going for a one carat diamond isn’t always the best choice. Prices rise with size, and there is a particularly steep increase when you get to the one carat mark. A stone that is slightly less than a carat can be a lot less expensive, leaving you with enough money to be picky about quality.
Clarity
Diamonds, and virtually all precious stones, have small impurities and imperfections inside them. These are known as inclusions and their prevalence determines the clarity of the stone. The bigger and more numerous the inclusions, the lower a diamond’s clarity is said to be. The highest clarity grade is IF. After that, in descending order, are VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2 and I3. Any diamond graded I1 and below should be avoided completely, as these have imperfections that can be seen with the naked eye. When you get to the high end of the grading scale, however, the differences are minimal. You would have to be an expert using a jeweler’s loupe to see them, and thus getting the highest grade stone might not be worth the extra cost. If you want a rule of thumb to follow, try to shoot for at least VS2 grade clarity.
Color
Most diamonds have a hint of coloration. Few are perfectly white. Color grades in diamonds rage form D, being the best, perfect white, all the way down to Z. Going for a stone that falls anywhere between E and H in the color grading scale is good rule of thumb. A D grade can cost you a considerable amount more, and the difference will hardly be discernible. However, if you go lower than H, you will start to notice a clear hint of yellow in the stone.
The Cut
The cut of a diamond usually refers to the proportions and symmetry of the stone. A good cut will increase the stone’s ability to sparkle with reflected/refracted light. So, whatever else you compromise on, do not compromise on the cut grade of your diamond. Go for the best quality grade you can afford. As far as shape, unless you have a particular one in mind that is of special personal significance, go for the “round brilliant” shape. It has been developed over decades to maximize a diamond’s light reflection, and all other quality measures being equal, it will make a diamond sparkle more than other cuts.
Clarity
Diamonds, and virtually all precious stones, have small impurities and imperfections inside them. These are known as inclusions and their prevalence determines the clarity of the stone. The bigger and more numerous the inclusions, the lower a diamond’s clarity is said to be. The highest clarity grade is IF. After that, in descending order, are VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2 and I3. Any diamond graded I1 and below should be avoided completely, as these have imperfections that can be seen with the naked eye. When you get to the high end of the grading scale, however, the differences are minimal. You would have to be an expert using a jeweler’s loupe to see them, and thus getting the highest grade stone might not be worth the extra cost. If you want a rule of thumb to follow, try to shoot for at least VS2 grade clarity.
Color
Most diamonds have a hint of coloration. Few are perfectly white. Color grades in diamonds rage form D, being the best, perfect white, all the way down to Z. Going for a stone that falls anywhere between E and H in the color grading scale is good rule of thumb. A D grade can cost you a considerable amount more, and the difference will hardly be discernible. However, if you go lower than H, you will start to notice a clear hint of yellow in the stone.
The Cut
The cut of a diamond usually refers to the proportions and symmetry of the stone. A good cut will increase the stone’s ability to sparkle with reflected/refracted light. So, whatever else you compromise on, do not compromise on the cut grade of your diamond. Go for the best quality grade you can afford. As far as shape, unless you have a particular one in mind that is of special personal significance, go for the “round brilliant” shape. It has been developed over decades to maximize a diamond’s light reflection, and all other quality measures being equal, it will make a diamond sparkle more than other cuts.
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