Things to Know Before Buying an Engagement Ring

1. Budget

The First thing you would need to consider is the budget, a price you can afford to pay upfront once you ﬁnd the ring. It is ﬁnancially responsible and will help keep your expectations realistic. The common practice in terms of engagement rings is said to be worth a two-month salary, however we believe your budget should be unique to you, as the ring is unique to your partner.

2. Natural or Lab Grown

Second, would be the choice between a natural diamond, or a lab grown diamond. A natural diamond is mined from the earth, where as lab grown diamonds are made in a lab mimicking the natural process that would create a natural diamond. The biggest diﬀerence between the two is cost and resale value, a natural diamond will always hold its value where as a lab grown loses value, and will continue losing value as more machines come online making more available.

3. Shape of the Diamond

Choosing the shape of your center diamond plays into your budget and preference. Here are the top 9 center diamond choices;

Round cut is the most popular but is also the most expensive.
Princess cut
Cushion cut
Oval cut
Emerald cut
Pear cut
Marquise cut
Radiant cut
Asscher cut

4. Metal Type

There are ﬁve diﬀerent types of metals you can choose from.

Platinum
Yellow gold
Rose gold
White gold
Silver

Platinum is a durable metal, more than gold or silver. However it is more expensive.

Silver is the most aﬀordable out of all the metals. However silver is prone to tarnishing and often requires proper cleaning.

Yellow Gold is the most desired metal for engagement rings. Mixing alloys creates 14K or 18K, increasing durability and aﬀordability.

Rose Gold is a popular alternative to yellow gold. This beau>ful copper- containing alloy is considered less hypoallergenic than the others.

White Gold resembles platinum, but costs much less. It suits many diﬀerent gemstones. White gold is plated with a thin layer of rhodium for a brilliant, pure white appearance. White gold may also contain nickel, which causes an allergic reaction in some people.

5. Carat Size

Carat is the unit of measurement for the physical weight of the diamond. One carat equals 0.2 grams.

diamond size chart

6. Getting Measured

Getting properly measured the ﬁrst time is important, because resizing a ring can be expensive. The best way to get measured is to go into any jewelry store. Most jewelers will size your ﬁnger for free. Keep in mind that a wide band will ﬁt tighter than a narrow band. Men’s rings often have a comfort ﬁt band with a domed interior. Comfort ﬁt bands should usually be ordered one half size smaller than the ﬁnger size.

7. Always Buy Certified

Getting a GIA certiﬁed diamond gives you peace of mind. You can rest assured that you got what you payed for. There are a few other respected labs in the industry like AGS, and IGI. We do not recommend buying uncertiﬁed or a diamond with an EGL certiﬁcate. EGL certificates are known to inﬂate their quality claims.

8. Diamond Certiﬁcate Check

You always want to make sure the diamond you are buying matches the certiﬁcate given. To do so, you would check the certiﬁcation number on the certiﬁcate and on the side (girdle) of the diamond to make sure they match.