Strategies on finding the perfect engagement ring..

In regards to the last post that I made, I thought it would be wise to follow-up on it with more information on diamond rating and purchasing.  There’s a lot I could say here about it but I’ll try to keep it as concise and direct as possible!

 

1. Budget

Figure out how much exactly you are going to spend BEFORE shopping.  Most commonly, using two months worth of ones salary is considered appropriate.  Additionally, you should be thinking long and hard about the value and quality of the diamond you intend to buy.  The better prepared you are when going into the process, the less overwhelmed you’ll be when looking at rings.

 

2. Know your to-be spouse!!!!  Take the time to really look into what kinds of jewelry your fiance likes.  Feel free to ask their friends, but it’s easiest to go straight to the source!  This includes knowing ring size as well!

 

3. Learn the 4C’s like your life depends on it.  It’s the only way you’ll be able to look at rings and scrutinize them to a degree based on your own knowledge.  It’s a good feeling to know that you have some “expertise” on diamond rating, even if it’s just what the 4C’s are: cut, clarity, color, carat.  

4. Research your source and shop around.  Make sure wherever you are purchasing from is a reputable source.  They should be able to provide a third party grading report and offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee with a full refund.  Look for stores with a GIA Graduate Gemologist, and don’t feel goofy asking about it.  It might be relatively new language/knowledge to you, but jewelers know exactly what you’re talking about.  

 

5. Insist on a GIA Diamond Grading Report (seriously).  It provides an unbiased scientific evalution on a diamonds 4C’s.  Good jewelers rely on GIA grading reports when purchasing  diamonds.

 

6. Make a purchase!

 

7. Get an appraisal (for insurance, this is required)

 

8. Call your insurance company and get your ring immediately insured.

 

9. Pop the question

Life Span of Jewelry

I wanted to make sure to note here some facts about the lifespan one can expect for the jewelry they invest in because this is one (of the many) selling points that really solidified my decision in getting a platinum engagement ring.

In addition to platinum, tungsten also has a notable lifespan for a precious metal.  Though I do like Tungsten as a material, the look and association isn’t nearly that of platinum.  An additional issue is that tungsten rings cannot be re-sized, so if your fingers change sizes over time (which they often do), a ring made out of it would be beyond  a pain to try and re-size, if not totally impossible.  That said, once again, platinum really does reign over the other precious metals out there.

It really does shock me when I hear about people not investing in it b/c it’s so practical and worth it.  There is no price tag on something that will be reminding you and your spouse of eachother for the rest of your lives – truly.  The ring I proposed to my wife is below.  Can’t believe I haven’t posted it on here until now!

Cheers!

Stunning!

Ring Shopping Pointers

Before I knew for certain whether or not I was going to propose to my girlfriend, I wanted to begin doing the research ahead of time so that I could be a bit more prepared when the day actually came.  I think this had a lot to do with everyone asking me, “when are you popping the question?” over and over and over again after dating my gf for many years.  Everyone was rooting for us, but I just needed the time to make sure it was right and know exactly what I wanted to propose with… not to mention how to propose.

Anyway, I began my process shopping around in stores in NYC.  Intense to say the least.  I felt descended upon by sales associates, though they were nice and had all the best intentions, I wasn’t so comfortable in that kind of setting.  I did however, suck it up and invested weeks, if not a few months, into perusing various stores for “the ring.”  I had many sales people really try and pin me with specific metals and precious gems, which I didn’t enjoy.  The object of my search was to keep all options open, not to get things immidiately.

What I ended up doing was taking my research from stores ….to…. my computer, believe it or not.  Online research ended up being my saving grace during my engagement ring endeavor.  I truly, TRULY enjoyed perusing rings at my leisure, esp. without the looming presence of a sales associate.

I began by searching around for information on the different metals engagement rings are traditionally made out of.  Below is the exact chart that I came across while doing my research – it is so simplistically laid out and allowed me to immediately decide what metal I was going to have my wife’s ring cast in.