So, you’ve found the love of your life and are ready to take your relationship to a higher level. Now the proposal plans are in the works and part of planning a successful marriage proposal is finding the perfect engagement ring. Fret not, friends, such is quite a common conundrum among hopefuls.
Here are 4 things you need to know before buying engagement rings:
- Budget
Everything starts with a budget. Having a clear idea on how much you can spend without breaking the bank will make shopping for wedding jewellery easier and faster. Don’t worry about the rules because the right amount is something that should not leave you in debt, or worse, bankrupt in the future. When you determine how much you can afford to spend on the ring, picking out from catalogues or in shops will be streamlined and limited to your set budget.
- Your Special Someone
When looking for the perfect engagement ring, you have to keep one very important thing in mind—none other than your special someone. This ring is a piece of jewellery that your special person will wear for the rest of your lives together, every day. So, make sure you keep them in mind, specifically their preferences in jewellery. Will your partner want diamonds? Or will she prefer other gemstones? Is yellow gold good for her or would she prefer a white gold band? Are vintage styles suited to her lifestyle or should she get a more modern design? Kalmar Antiques sells engagement rings to vintage collectors that you might want to check out, in case you think she’d love to get one.
- Heirloom Jewellery
Sentimentality plays a huge role in winning proposals. If you have a piece of heirloom jewellery or if her family has one, then use this. Not only will this save you a lot, you will also be using sentimental value to score a resounding yes. With permissions, you can also have the ring customised to better fit your partner. You can have the ring resized, re-set, or even opt to have the metal recast and created into a new custom piece but still carry the original gemstone and metals.
- Quality
If you are buying a diamond engagement ring, make sure to check the four Cs of diamond quality. Specifically, a diamond’s cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight determine its value. You can adjust which aspects to prioritise based on the budget you set and the personality preferences of your partner. The cut grade determines the diamond’s sparkle, or how the gem captures and reflects light.
Colour grades differ for colourless diamonds and coloured ones. The more colourless a white diamond appears, the higher the grade. For coloured diamonds, higher ratings are given to stones with more intense colours.
Clarity refers to how flawless a diamond looks. A high clarity rating increases the value of the diamond, but an SI1 or SI2 grade will be good enough for diamond engagement rings (unless your fiancée tends to always bring a magnifying lens).
The carat weight has a major effect on the price of the diamond, which is why experts recommend buying diamonds a few sizes shy of the full carat. The difference in carat weight will not be noticeable to your eyes, but is greatly felt by your wallets.
If you are opting for other gemstones, check out the standards by which they are evaluated so that you remain informed about what you are buying. Get the best value out of your investment by learning as much as you can before you make any significant purchases.
Ann-Marie x
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*This article is published in a partnership of Mediabuzzer
