How to Buy the Best Diamond Engagement Ring - a Crash Course on Ring ShoppingArticle by: Jan Roos A marriage proposal is a major event that will be remembered and talked about for the rest of your life. A lot of men have an elaborate plan for the time and place of the proposal and even rehearse lines to make sure everything goes smoothly. The same type of careful planning should go into ring selection and this article is going to give you some tips on how to buy the best diamond engagement ring.
The first thing you should think about is your budget. A salesman at a jewelry store will try to tell you that you should spend two months salary on an engagement ring. You really should spend whatever you feel comfortable spending and whatever you feel you can afford. When you have a budget in mind ahead of time it will be easier to stay within a comfortable price range.
To select a ring you should know about the four C' s. Color, clarity, cut, and carat size. All of these will have an effect on the price of the ring. Some rings have a noticeable color and if this is the case the diamond will be less valuable. Clarity refers to the number of flaws or inclusions in the diamond. The fewer inclusions there are the more valuable the diamond will be. The cut refers to the reflective quality of the diamond and ranges from ideal to fair and poor. A higher-quality cut will reflect more light and give the diamond its brilliance. Carat refers to the size of the diamond. Most engagement rings are one carat.
In addition to the diamond you will have to select a setting. There are many choices available including prong, channel, cluster, and flush. The setting will determine the center stone's height. You'll also need to select a metal for the setting. Some popular metal choices are platinum, white gold, yellow gold, and titanium.
There's a lot that goes into selecting a ring but if you want to know how to buy the best diamond engagement ring you should be familiar with your girlfriends taste in jewelry. After all the ring is for her. One tip is to be familiar with the jewelry she already owns. This will give you some clues to what type of engagement ring she might like. Is her jewelry simple or is it more flashy? Is it modern or does she seem to prefer the antique look? Another good way to find out what type of ring she might like is to comment on someone else's engagement ring. She will likely comment on it as well and this is when you should be paying attention to get an idea of what she might like.
There's a lot to think about when shopping for the perfect engagement ring. To help make it a little easier, plan your budget ahead of time, keep the four C' s in mind, and keep your eyes and ears open for clues about the type of ring she likes. Follow those tips and you will surprise your future wife with a beautiful engagement ring that she will fall in love with. Click here to learn how I found the perfect engagement ring for my lovely wife
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