Fashion, Lifestyle & Parenting Blog

Easy Tips to Save Money on an Engagement Ring for the Couch Potato Shopper

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Buying an engagement ring is a big decision to make. You want to be able to get it right. To give your partner the perfect ring. But at the same time, you don’t want to spend your entire life’s savings on one piece of jewelry or have to go and spend days trying shopping, trying to look for one. There are plenty of options when it comes to finding the perfect ring on a budget. For instance, couples who love the outdoors and adventuring together would easily find the perfect ring for them on the Groove Life website. With so many options for rings out there, it’s worth remembering that you have your actual wedding and honeymoon to spend on. Not to mention the possibility of moving into a new home too. If you’re looking to save money on an engagement ring, but don’t have the patience or time to actually go out and search for an affordable ring, here are easy tips to help you find exactly what you are looking for.

Don’t Choose High-End Brands

It may just be that your first instinct is to buy from the more well-known jewelry brands such as Tiffany & Co, and Cartier. But these are not the jewelers to buy from if you are looking to save money on your engagement ring. They cater to providing the best, and thus, the most expensive jewelry pieces all over the world. It’s best to steer clear of these high-end brands as you can get similar jewelry designs and quality, for far cheaper, from jewelry shops who specialize in providing budget-friendly engagement rings.

Have a Set Budget Ready

Before searching for any jewelry, or asking around in any jewelry shop, you should have a set budget that you will be strict on. It’s easy to fall for the trap of a great sales pitch when you’re out trying to buy jewelry. Trained professionals aim to get the most money out of you. If you don’t have a specific budget range identified before you go shopping, you may just find yourself worn down by the pressure to buy something too expensive. Have a set budget ready to keep your focus on the overall goal, to find affordable engagement rings

Buy Your Engagement Ring Online

You’ll find that it’s a lot easier to find and compare prices and quality when you choose to buy your engagement ring online from websites such as DreamlandJewelry.com. Going out of your way to go to jewelry stores around your local area can be both exhausting and discouraging. You have great options online for jewelry shopping, without any need for you to leave your home. For example, Brillianteers has a great collection of engagement rings on sale, with a convenient option of a staggered payment plan. You will not only save money on your engagement ring when you buy online, but it’ll also be an easier way to shop for one.

Choose the Right Time to Buy

One of the biggest mistakes people make, without even realizing this, is buying their jewelry during the times when jewelry is sold at their most expensive prices. A good example of this is the month or two before the Christmas Season arrives. During the months of October and November, jewelry companies understand that these are the month’s people are focused on buying jewelry for gifts. This makes it a good time to sell their pieces at their most expensive prices. If you can, try to buy your engagement ring after the big gift-giving holidays (Christmas, Graduation Season, and Valentine’s Day). Take advantage of the seasonal sale shops that may have to grab your engagement ring at an even cheaper price.

Learn the 4 C’s of Diamond Quality

It’s a good idea to also be aware of the different factors that affect the value of an engagement ring. For diamonds, these are the 4 C’s.

  • Clarity – The fewer inclusions or blemishes a diamond has, the more expensive it is. The clarity simply refers to these blemishes and inclusions. If you’re looking to save money on an engagement ring, you shouldn’t be too worried about having a few blemishes or inclusions in a diamond if it is not visible to the naked eye. For cheaper diamonds, you cannot actually see these flaws unless you have the right tools to do so.
  • Carat: This is the measurement of the weight of a diamond. The heavier stone is, the more expensive it is. If you’re looking for an affordable engagement ring, you need to set your eyes on the smaller stones.
  • Cut: This is a measure of the way a diamond is shaped and polished. Under the hands of technical craftsmanship, a diamond can be cut into different styles. The way a diamond sparkles and looks will depend entirely on the way it was cut.
  • Color: Different diamonds come in different colors. Generally, a colorless diamond is known to be higher in quality than a yellow diamond and will be more expensive. But often, only an experienced eye can tell the difference between a colorless diamond and a slightly yellow one.

Understanding the 4 C’s of diamonds and how these affect the price of a stone, will help you understand why certain engagement ring designs will be more expensive than others, despite the fact that they look almost identical. You can also be specific with your jeweler and ask to have the cheaper options for these characteristics, in order to help you to save money on your engagement ring.

Choose a Diamond Weight Below a Carat Mark

Not many people know this (simpy because jewelers would prefer that you do not know this), is that when a diamond hits a Carat mark in weight, it is significantly more expensive than anything under a Carat. For example, a 1.3 Carat diamond ring may cost around $2,500. But a diamond ring that’s just a little under that in its diamond’s weight, 0.75 Carat, for example, will be around the $1,600 price range. There’s a significant drop in price, even if the weight is close to one another. The Carat Mark in weight makes the biggest difference in how expensive a ring is.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to spend a fortune to be able to get your partner a beautiful engagement ring. With so many options for designs, and the potential to find cheaper alternatives to the pricier choices, you can make the most out of your money by knowing how to take advantage of these tips to help you save money on your engagement ring. Once you have a good grasp on these little nuggets of knowledge, you’ll be able to find affordable engagement rings, without ever having to leave your house.