5 Top Engagement Ring Buying Tips

5 Top Engagement Ring Buying Tips

1. Do your research

 Diamonds are graded using what has become known as ‘The 4 Cs’ standing for carat, colour, clarity & cut

Carat is the unit in which diamonds are weighed. One carat consist of 100 points hence you will often hear for example a stone weighing 0.80ct described as an ‘eighty pointer’. Generally, the following sizes offer a good guide to the different carat weights for brilliant cut round stones:

1ct  6.4mm
2ct 8.2mm
3ct 9.4mm
4ct 10.2mm
5ct 11mm

Colour refers to how white the diamond is with the rarest of colourless stones being classified D and the most tinted of stones as Z. To most lay people, there is little difference in the appearance of D-G stones, but there can be a big difference in price with G colour stones often offering the best value.  Indeed many famous jewellers such as Tiffany, Boodles and Cartier choose G colour stones as the ‘benchmark’ for stock engagement rings.

Clarity indicates visible flaws or blemishes in the stone. There are 11 gradings from IF (internally flawless) to I3 (obviously included). At BiggerDiamonds4Less, we suggest VS2, Si1 & Si2 gradings offer the best price/quality ratio to ensure a sparkling, eye clean stone. Earrings for example, as they are not often the scrutiny of close examination, can afford to be of a lesser grade, perhaps even I1 if you are looking for a real bargain, but remember, well cut good clarity stones will always have that extra sparkle!

Cut is often under-estimated by lay people as it is the final cutting and polishing of the stone that brings our each diamonds individual beauty. Gradings range from excellent to poor and a combination of excellent cut, polish & symmetry is referred to as ‘ideal’ or sometimes a ‘triple x’ stone.

2. Never buy an uncertified stone

This is so you know you are getting what you are paying for and the diamond has been assessed by an independent laboratory confirming it is what the jeweller claims it to be.  Don’t be tempted by second hand ‘bargains’ that have not been certified as there is no good reason why a second hand diamond cannot be independently assessed.

3. Design

Take into account your lifestyle. If your day to day involves getting your hands dirty on a regular basis, then a simple solitaire might be just the thing. If you work in an office, then a more complex design like a halo engagement ring will be just the ticket! Halo style engagement rings are ideal if you have a smaller centre stone as the additional diameter the halo provides, makes the whole thing more impressive.  Trilogy rings consisting of 3 diamonds the same size or graduated are a very traditional design that remains in vogue. You also need to consider whether you want a yellow or white gold engagement ring or one made from platinum. At the end of the day it is down to one’s own taste, but remember it is a ring you will wear for the rest of your life.

4. Buy from a reputable jeweller

A small independent jeweller will usually provide better value, than one of the big high street names, as they have lower overheads due to smaller stores and less advertising costs – all those full page adverts in the glossy magazines have to be paid for some how. If you are buying on line, then check out reviews from previous customers on independent sites like Trustpilot, Feefo or similar.

5. Don’t blow your budget

Getting engaged is about entering into the life long commitment of marriage and spending the rest of you life together. If you are a young couple setting up home, there are going to be lots of other things to spend your money on and not how much or how big your engagement ring is. Ofcourse, we all want the best we can afford, but although it is a heady time, keep the price within your means and certainly do not borrow money to pay for it!

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