Things to Consider When Buying an Engagement Ring

For many girls, getting engaged is all about one thing: the DIAMOND!!

However, choosing a diamond can be a very complicated process, with different advice being offered by jewellers, family, friends and neighbours. Here are a few simple tips to make sure that the process ends up with you buying a ring you love:

Enjoy the process! Over-thinking the science behind diamonds can mean that your head will over-rule your heart, and you may end up with a ring that you think is good value, despite your instinct telling you otherwise.
Learn about the 4Cs. It is useful to understand the lingo being used by jewellers. What is the difference between a G colour and a H colour, for example? To some people, there is no visible difference, to others, even a tiny variation in colour can be noticed. It is the same with cut, clarity and carat weight.
Don't get focused on size; carat is a measurement of weight, not of quality. A 1.99 carat diamond will appear to be the same size as a 2.00 carat diamond, but there will be a large difference in the price. But even more significantly, a 1.5 carat high quality diamond will look much, much better than a 2.0 carat diamond of low quality. See what grabs your eye, rather than worrying about technical specifications.
Decide on a general style of ring that suits you; three stone diamond rings suit some hands, whereas only a solitaire will look well on others. Take your time and try them all, you will quickly see what you like.
Find a jeweller you trust. You need to be sure that they will be happy to look after you and the ring after the purchase. Ask them about their post-sale service; is there a charge to clean and check the setting? How often can you call in to have the ring inspected?
Learn about certification. There are many certification bodies in the world. Even though they all use the same terms to describe colour and clarity, there can be differences in how they grade the same diamond. I have seen cases where a diamond was certificated as being E colour by one laboratory, and G colour be another laboratory. Insist that the diamond is certificated by a reputable laboratory. In Europe, the two best known, respected laboratories are the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and the HRD, (Hoge Raad voor DIamant)
Choose which metal you wish to go for. Some people strongly push gold, some strongly push platinum. This is in some ways a cultural matter, for example, in Belgium, most diamond rings are in white gold or yellow gold, while in Ireland, most are in platinum. Both are suitable for jewellery, but have different properties. Do some research on the differences, and make your own mind up.
Finally, decide a budget a stick to it. Your Dublin engagement ring is more than a piece of jewellery, it is the symbol of a union for life. There is no point starting a life together with a large debt. You can always get a bigger diamond at some point in the future!

Garret Weldon BSc GG (GIA)

Weldon Jewellers Dublin

Original article

Buying a Diamond Engagement Ring: What Do People Really Spend?

"Two months' salary" is the most quoted answer given to men asking how much to spend on their fiancée's engagement ring. So is this what people are really spending? Well, exact information is very hard to find. But we can look at various statistics and see if they are consistent with the two month rule.

Searching for the average price paid for an engagement ring produces a wide range of results. Between 2007 and 2011, I have seen figures from various sources ranging from $2100 to $6000. So the answer to that seems to be, "it depends who you ask".

A recent survey from XO Group indicates that the average price was $5200 in 2010. That was a survey of 10000 brides and 1000 bridegrooms, so it represents what they say was spent. It seems higher than other estimates. The survey covered all income levels, but it doesn't say whether those levels are in the same proportions as they are in the population - if it isn't the figures will be unrepresentative. Furthermore, average price is not the same as typical price. A small number of purchasers may buy rings of $50k and much more. This will skew the average upwards. In any case, the average male salary in the USA is about $37000. Two months' salary would be $6166. None of the estimates approach this value, and most are a great deal less.

The minimum spent is another indicator. Typical minimum wage in the USA is $7.25. Assuming a 40 hour week, and a 4 week month, a minimum earner would make $2320 in two months. If the rule held, there would be very few, if any engagement rings sold below that price.

The evidence is otherwise. According to National Jeweler, the largest jewelry retailer in the USA is Wal-Mart with $2.8B of annual sales. The indications are that engagement rings selling at less than $1000 are doing very well. This is more evidence that people are not following the two month rule.

Finally, how practical is it? For a low earner, much of their income will be spent on housing, bills, food and clothing. Maybe 10% or less will be "disposable". That means that saving two month's salary will take two years or longer. Two years without any spending beyond the basic needs. An alternative to saving would be going into debt by putting it on a credit card, and with interest, taking even longer to pay for it. Not ideal with wedding and honeymoon expenses on the horizon.

The best solution is to spend what you can afford, right now without going into debt. If you plan to propose in the near future, start saving now. The engagement ring is a gift and a symbol of your love and commitment to a life together. There are both emotional and financial considerations and they are linked. What you spend shows your willingness to make an effort to demonstrate your commitment. But the amount you spend is relative. It would require as much effort for one man to raise $500 as it would for another to raise $5000. And it's the amount of effort that is important emotionally, not the cost in absolute terms.

If your intended believes that it needs to be a $5000 ring, or it's an insult, and your realistic price range with some effort, is $1000, then she needs to get a reality check. Is she is unwilling to then you probably need to question whether you want to be with her long term. Especially if she expects you to go into debt for this.

Many women will gladly accept the ring they are given as an expression of their man's love for them. They will be able to see that you made an effort for them, will appreciate that, and will treasure it for the rest of your lives together. There are many older, clearly affluent women who still wear with pride the modest engagement ring their husbands bought them when they were much younger and much poorer, alongside their more recently acquired stunning jewels. It proudly tells the world how far they have come together!

Michael J Fleming is a consumer advocate and writer with 15 years experience of researching and buying diamonds and fine jewelry. He does not sell diamonds, and prides himself on giving researched, impartial information to those planning to buy engagement rings or other fine jewelry.
If you are planning to buy an engagement ring, be sure to visit www.DiamondsforBeginners.com/ for other useful and impartial information to help you make the perfect choice.

Original article

10 Golden Ring Buying Rules

There has always been hundreds, if not thousands, of diamond ring choices available for customers walking into their local jewelers. If it was hard to choose which ring to buy then, nowadays it is even harder as jewelers advertise and sell rings via the Internet. With secure payment technology firmly in place, shopping online for high-priced, big-ticket items such as diamond jewelry has been embraced by consumers throughout the world. Shopping online certainly has its advantages over High Street or mall shopping: it is convenient, fast, (potentially) offers great value and a vast choice for consumers.

So, let's ask the question. With hundreds of thousands of websites and catalogues to choose from, how do you buy a diamond ring without going horribly and expensively wrong? Well, the secret of successful ring buying is actually a bit of no-brainer. You just have to BE PREPARED BEFORE you venture into cyberspace. By following these 10 ring-buying rules, you will be a successful shopper online.

How to Buy A Ring
Give yourself plenty of time to buy your diamond ring - a hasty decision can be costly and hard to reverse.Set a budget - it's easy to get carried away when you view the beautiful, rare and expensive diamonds in the market.Find out about diamonds before you buy them.

Where To Buy A Ring

Use people's recommendations to pick a jeweler.Go online and use search engines such as Google to find an online diamond ring store.If you want to create a custom-made ring, search for 'design your own diamond ring' to find jewelers who can manufacture a ring to your exact requirements.Make sure the jeweler you choose offers a comprehensive service including: knowledgeable advice about the ring you're choosingeasy-to-use communication - telephone calls, email and live chat (messaging)timely responsescertified (GIA) diamonds and jewelryreturns policy, secure shopping, insurance and guaranteesskills required to create or size the ring you want.
Jewelers who use CAD (computer aided design) technology create precise design plans for each diamond ring meaning that before any metal is cast or stone set, a 3-D wax model of the ring can be made ensuring perfect fit. You can view the ring before it's made allowing you to make any adjustments before it's too expensive.

What Ring To Buy
If the wearer of the ring has a favorite ring design, look for a close imitation or ask a jeweler to create something similar based on a picture you send.Decide what type of ring you like (solitaire diamond, three-stone ring, multi-stone ring), the ring metals you prefer (rose-gold, white-gold, platinum, palladium, titanium) and think about the style you like (traditional, contemporary, antique or ethnic).

The secret of successful ring buying is to be prepared. Follow our golden rules before you fork over your cash and you'll end up with the diamond ring you want.

A site like diamondrings.co aims to provide easy to understand information about buying diamonds and diamond rings for the 'Average Joe'.

Original article