First Know the 3 Most Basic Answers
If you are thinking about asking that “special person” in your life for their hand in marriage, then you are probably also thinking about shopping for a diamond engagement ring as well. Or at least you probably will be fairly soon. Since the traditional “thing to do” in many cultures is to propose with an engagement ring of some type, you will need to figure out a few things first. Here are just a few things that you will need to know, besides how you are going to propose.
1) What’s your “Engagement Ring Budget”?
2) What type of ring style should you buy?
3) What’s your significant other’s ring size?
Typically what someone feels when they first set out to buy an engagement ring.
Now when I look back at that time in my life, I am not sure which event was more nerve-racking for me. Proposing to my girlfriend and coming up with the “Perfect Proposal” that my girlfriend would remember, or shopping for a diamond engagement ring! Considering the fact that I had not done either of those 2 things ever before, I was pretty about both of those things.
I was completely inexperienced in every aspect of “engagement etiquette”, even to the point of not knowing whether you give the engagement ring first, or the wedding band first. Then there was also the question of “do you have to get both at the same time?” I was hoping that you did not have to get both at the same time because I was pretty broke back then. And after seeing the prices of these little diamond rings in the jewelry store, I was a little bit discouraged, on top of being very nervous about the entire diamond shopping experience.
I mean let’s face it, you are talking about thousands of dollars for something that I had never cared one ounce about. And to make matters even worse, I had never heard of all these bizarre diamond terms like Symmetry, Polish or Facet, just to name a few. I think the only stories I had ever heard about was how careful you had to be so you don’t get a bad diamond, or get taken to the cleaners by the jeweler.
If you have ever been in a jewelry store, you know what I mean. It can be a little bit intimidating talking to the salesperson, especially when you are trying to pretend like you know something about diamonds (so you don’t get taken) but you really don’t know much at all!
Use the internet to educate yourself!
When I was doing my shopping, most people were still buying their diamond engagement rings in jewelry stores because you just didn’t buy something like that on the internet. Heck, I was even still using a Dial-Up internet connection! However at work, I did have access to a High-Speed connection and that is where I started my research on the subject of diamonds.
I quickly found out that the internet offered some very good educational resources to start learning about diamonds. So the next time that I went back to the jewelry stores, I was much more confident.
If you are as ignorant on the entire subject of getting engaged and buying a diamond ring as I was, then I strongly suggest that you start using the resources available on the internet, before you go in to a store. It will really help you understand what that snazzy, fast-talking diamond salesperson means when they refer to the “Depth” or “Table” of a diamond.
Tip: Ask for Advice
If you have never been married before and don’t have a clue about the entire process, then consider asking for advice from someone that has been through it.
People that have been through the entire process of “getting married” can provide a wealth of information. They may even be able to offer some helpful tips on how to save money.
Remember that the engagement ring is just the beginning of a long list of expenses that someone will have to pay for.
Tip: Always Get Records
Make sure you have a record. It doesn’t matter if you pay via credit card, PayPal, bank wire transfer, Google Wallet, etc… They all leave paper trails and give receipts that you purchased your ring with that company, and what you paid for.
Be especially aware of paying with cash. Cash does not leave a paper trail. With CCs, Various Payment Sites, and Bank Wire Transfers you can always show proof. There’s always a way to get your money back if you’re not satisfied. With Cash the burden of proof is on your end, so it’s best to avoid it.
Know your TRUE budget and what type of setting she really likes
Well to make a long story short, after a couple months of studying about diamonds and learning about proper “engagement ring protocol”, I was ready to pull the trigger and buy “The Ring”. I knew what I needed to buy in order to get my future wife a really nice diamond, one that we could both be proud of. I was pretty fortunate in the fact that she really liked simple designs, like solitaire diamonds.
This saved me a little bit of money because I just needed to pay for the solitaire engagement ring band, with no extra diamonds on it. Every dime counted back then, and considering I was only going to be able to afford a “Half Carat”, I wanted it to be really nice quality. What it lacked in size, I wanted it to make up for with “Sparkle!”
With Education comes Savings and Loss of Fear.
Like I said earlier, people just did not buy their engagement rings on the internet back then, so I bought mine in a mall jewelry store. What seems ironic to me now, is that I used the free educational resources that the internet offered me, but yet I still paid more than I had to just because I was afraid to buy a diamond online.
What I find even more surprising is how uncomfortable I was with the jewelry store salespeople and how pushy they were, knowing that they didn’t have my best interest at heart. And yet I still bought her ring from one of those salespeople.
Looking back, I know that I did the best job that I could at the time and got a nice diamond without getting “raked over the coals”. But that was only because I did some major studying online at the diamond websites, and I shopped for a bargain in the stores until I absolutely knew that I was getting the lowest price possible, from a store.
Should I buy an engagement ring online or not
Knowing what I know today, I would not hesitate to buy an engagement ring online. The same “Half Carat Solitaire” that I bought for my wife 10 years ago, would cost me about $700 less, if I bought it online today! And that was actually getting a really good deal in the store, 10 years ago. I could have easily paid as much as $1,500 more if I had not done some serious shopping around at the time.
And just so you are aware of this fact. If you are shopping for a larger diamond than a ½ carat, the savings are even more substantial. You can save literally thousands of dollars, if you buy your engagement ring online.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my personal advice to anyone searching for a diamond engagement ring, anniversary ring, or any other type of diamond jewelry is to purchase it online. Although visiting your local jewelry store(s) is not a bad idea in order to actually see some “In Person” examples of what you are looking to purchase, the fact is that you are far more likely to pay much less money if you purchase it online.
Final Thought: Reviews
Please do your due diligence in regards to researching the online company you are considering purchasing from first. It is well known that using the internet to perform research on just about any company, is very easy to do today. Make sure to look for things like whether they are an accredited company with the Better Business Bureau, whether their rating is “A” or B through F, and by all means READ THEIR CUSTOMER REVIEWS.
Below you’ll find 3 places where people have left reviews for bloomingbeautyring.com.
Here’s an example of one of our reviews on Yelp.
