How to Save Money on an Engagement Ring

An engagement ring can cost a lot of money and it will probably be one of the biggest purchases you ever make. There are some easy ways that you can save money without having to sacrifice quality. One of my followers actually requested that I write about how to save money on an engagement ring, so hopefully this will help you and countless others.

Don't Make it all About the Carat Weight!

If you are getting a small diamond that is between .30 and .50, you will notice big differences in a tenth of a carat but if you are getting a 1 carat diamond and above, you really won't. Here is a great place to make an insignificant concession, trust me, you really won't notice anything and neither will anyone else. If you look at a .90 diamond and 1 carat diamond right next to each other, the difference won't be in appearance but there will be a significant difference in price.

Family is Where its At!

What could be more special than presenting your girlfriend with a ring that has been in your family for generations. It will flatter her and it has a romantic and vintage feeling that could never be captured by a new ring. If you don't have an engagement ring to pass down from a family member, you can always ask for a diamond pendant or pair of diamond stud earrings that you can have reset into an engagement ring.

If your mother or grandmother is willing to contribute, this is a great way to save a ton of money on an engagement ring!

Research, Research, Research!

If you are willing to do your homework and get out a pen and paper, you can find a great deal. Even if you only have a short time to do your research, go to a few stores and shop online to compare price and quality specs. You will be amazed at the differences in price and most of the time you will be shocked at how much brick-and-mortar store locations markup their diamond jewelry. You want to compare the 4 C's, cut, color, clarity, carat weight to figure out the price differences between stores.

Some engagement ring stores online are manufacturers that deal directly with the public. The price difference is tremendous is you deal directly with a manufacturer.

FORGET PLATINUM!

The industry standard is 14K white gold anyway and nobody is going to know that your 14k white gold engagement ring isn't in fact platinum. Platinum is a little bit heavier and it is easier to hand engrave but aside from those two characteristics, there isn't enough of a justification to spend the extra money.

Choose a Setting That Makes Your Diamond Look Bigger

Bezel and Halo settings are a great idea for the person that wants a big diamond but doesn't want to spend a ton of money. A bezel setting is just a thin layer of the precious metal you select that surrounds your diamond. White gold is ideal because it will blend more with your diamond than yellow gold does.

A halo setting is a glitzier version of the bezel setting and rather than a thin metal layer that wraps around the diamond, a halo has lots of small diamonds that surround your diamond. It creates the illusion of a bigger, more shinier diamond. The surrounding diamonds reflect and retract light off of the center diamond for ultimate sparkle and shine.