You have decided to get engaged and begin the road to ‘happily ever after’. Congratulations! It’s a huge decision, and once you’ve made the step of deciding to get married, most couples are faced with the next big decision: how to buy an engagement ring. After your home and car, an engagement ring might be one of the biggest single purchases you make, and there are lots of things to consider along the way.

STEP 1

SET YOUR BUDGET

The old adage is to spend two months’ salary… but forget that – you should buy what you can afford. Once you have set your budget, your biggest challenge will be to stick to it. There will always be a slightly bigger setting, or a slightly better diamond to look at in store, so stick to your guns!

STEP 2

DETERMINE WHAT YOU WANT TO BUY

Sounds simple…… or not so simple. You are probably familiar with the famous “4 C’s” of diamond buying – cut, clarity, colour, and carat weight – but before you commit them to memory, start by asking yourself some questions:

WHAT DO I WANT?

You may have strong opinions about what you want for a ring or you may have none at all, but it’s better to figure it out before heading into the store. Start with the stone. Do you want a diamond or something different? Consider another precious stone like a sapphire or emerald, or even a semi-precious stone like the aquamarine. Then consider the setting material. It could be white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, or platinum. Each has their own unique benefits. Design, skin tone and lifestyle are factors to consider when choosing the right setting material for your forever ring.

WHAT DOES YOUR PARTNER WANT? 

It never hurts to find out as much as you can, which may include directly asking or keeping an eye out for clues, such as comments on other people’s rings or insights from close friends. Consider what an engagement ring means to your partner. They will be the person to wear it, every day, for the rest of their lives, and  may be the only piece of jewellery they wear daily.

STEP 3

LEARN THE BASICS OF BUYING PRECIOUS & SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES

Diamonds are usually the first choice for engagement rings, and due to their high value, it pays to learn as much as you can about them before buying one. You should always buy the stone and the setting separately since it gives you the chance to see the stone from all angles before it is set in the finished ring. A pre-set ring can hide the true size of the stone or inclusions under the setting that might not be reflected in the price.

If a classic diamond is your choice, do learn the basics of the 4 C’s, but remember that how the diamond looks like in person matters the most. You can play around with different combinations of cut, clarity, colour and carat weight until you find a stone that looks great and fits your budget. Working with a designer is vital to show you how the visual impact of gem size, combined with design can enhance the look of the final ring. Each cut diamond is cut and then evaluated to determine the grade it receives in each of the 4 C’s. While a carat measurement is weight, the remaining 3 components are grades based on a scale.

READY TO BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY?

Contact our dedicated team to request an in-person or virtual consultation to discuss your engagement ring design. Or, read on below for more information and guides on diamond grading and gemstones.