buying an engagement ring.
You’ve decided to do it. Take the leap of faith and propose to the love of your life. What a moment! There are many considerations that go into planning the perfect engagement, but of course few if any can surpass the importance of buying an engagement ring. This ring will act as a symbol of the love and dedication you have for that someone special. When buying an engagement ring there are loads of things to think about. So here are a few tips to make your ring journey a little easier.
1) Know your budget
Don’t let marketing jargon make you spend more than you can afford. I know I know this is harder said than done. But it's possible this is the best piece of advice that anyone can give you. The whole idea of spending 2-3 months salary is a crazy marketing strategy that De Beers created in the 1960s, and so it's just that marketing. So don’t succumb to the hype, after all it's the symbolism of the ring that means the most, not the metal or the stones themselves. Not over spending relieves sooo much pressure off your shoulders. So before you go shopping make sure you know your budget…… like really really KNOW your budget. Because when you see that stunning shiny ring made with white gold and a massive clear diamond just sitting there sparkling innocently, you’ll be able to look at the price tag and make a logical decision rather than an emotional one. This also means that you can negotiate more effectively. You being secure in your budget means that people can’t talk you into spending more than you really wanted to.
2) Have an idea of what they like
I know you’re reading this and thinking “obviously”, however it's a very important point nevertheless. The golden rule with this one is to remember that it's their ring not yours. Therefore you shouldn’t be purchasing based on what you like but rather what they like (don’t go looking at vintage engagement rings when they like minimalist ring designs). But there are little hacks that you can use to help you along the way. The first of which is to imagine you’re inside their mind (freaky friday vibes for the win), and think about how they usually choose things. i.e when they buy clothes do they pick based on practicality or aesthetics or a combination of the two. Our next “hack” is to look at what colours they wear frequently. After all, they'll want to be able to wear the ring with pretty much anything in their cupboard, so make sure the colours complement each other. These kinds of insights can be invaluable when making a purchase like this. Plus they’re also super secretive, especially if you want to keep it a surprise this can be a game changer
3) Learn about the three C’s; cut, clarity and carat.
The 3 c’s are something that every jeweler in the industry talks about. You’ll hear all of these words thrown around a lot, make sure you research and understand them well. But I’ll give you the basics of each and a few tips on what to look out for:
Clarity: This refers to how many inclusions (imperfections) there are in the stone. This only matters to a point, past a certain clarity level the inclusions are so small you can't see them anyways. However I must also mention that not all inclusions are created equal. Meaning that some lower clarity stones have inclusions that are barely visible, while others have a higher clarity rating but have far more obvious impurities. So always look at the stone in person.
Carat: This refers to the weight of the stone and is probably the most commonly known gemstone characteristic. Something to note with this is the fact that not all stones have the same density (weight per volume of the stone), this means that some precious gems are larger than others even though they are the same carat size.
Cut: This refers to the shapes of diamonds or other stones (I.e. cushion, emerald, square). Something very important to note with this one is that it can severely affect the beauty of the stone. A perfect stone that has been cut badly won’t look as good as a less perfect stone cut perfectly. This also really affects the sparkle of the stone. If the pavilion (the base of the gemstone) is cut poorly the stone won’t refract the light as brilliantly. So make sure to see the stone in natural light if possible, as artificial light can make a stone appear more brilliant than it really is.
4) Go with a friend
This tip has less to do with the ring itself and more to do with you. But it is still very valuable nevertheless. Go with a friend that you trust, not only will this give you a nice boost of confidence, but it can also be a useful tool against being rushed into buying the wrong thing. Sales people can be extremely pushy and overbearing so having backup can give you an edge over them. Not only can a friend help you with confidence, they can also help with the negotiations. One way they can do this by staying objective and keeping you accountable to your budget/goals. You can also bring along someone who is good at negotiations (especially if you know that you’re not) and ask them to negotiate for you. Maybe saving you enough to get that extra something special for the proposal.
5) Don’t buy at the first place you go to
Always shop around before committing. This has multiple benefits, the first of which being that you get a good idea of what's going for what. Different jewelers charge different fees for different things as well as some are more skilled than others. So shopping around a little means that you’ll have a pretty good idea of what's a good deal and what's not. You’ll also be able to get a grip on the various styles that jewelers specialize in, so you have a better chance of finding a ring that matches your special person’s taste. You can also use this as a negotiation tactic, using prices against one another. This last thing is kinda a bonus tip but it falls under the same category as this. Always be willing to walk away from a deal, if you think that they haven’t shown you the value you’re looking for or that they’re charging too much be willing to walk away. Chances are good they’ll give you a better deal.
Conclusion
So you've done it, you've reached the end of the article. So to conclude buying an engagement ring should be a fun and exciting experience. By using these tips we hope we can help you in the process of planning the perfect proposal. And when the time to propose comes we’d love to be there to photograph it and share it with you! We love engagement photography and can’t wait to capture yours.
