It’s true, due to unnecessary middle-men and uninspired jewellery stores, most engagement rings are not only generic designs but also vastly overpriced and those costs get pushed on to you - the customer.
Just like your relationship, an engagement ring should be truly unique. But that doesn’t mean it needs to break the bank.
In this guide, we’re going to show you exactly how to buy an exclusively designed, premium quality engagement ring that is not only affordable but will last a lifetime.
When you buy a ring from a faceless high-street retailer chain the price can be up to 30% more expensive. Not to mention, most of the ring designs are generic and can be found in most other jewellers. You are not getting anything special or unique. Oftentimes a family jewellers that has their own designer and gemologist and makes their own exclusive engagement rings in house is your best bet. Family jewellers don’t have the huge overheads of mainstream retailers and usually offer a better price, service and have a more individual curated collection of designs to choose from.
Believe it or not, people can spend upto 20-30% of the value of their ring getting it fixed or maintained and many retail stores do not make it clear exactly what you are buying and this can be very costly.
To avoid this, check that the diamonds used are ethically sourced and certified by one of the leading international diamond grading organisations. We recommend the GIA. If a stone can also be chosen by a GIA qualified gemologist, even better. With such a sentimental item, we recommend having the ring made in the UK with a guarantee to ensure quality.
These 4 things greatly impact the price of any engagement ring. Carat, Colour, Clarity, Cut. By getting the right combination of all four, you can achieve the perfect engagement ring without paying more than you need to.
The heavier the diamond, the higher the carat weight. The higher the carat weight, the more valuable a diamond is. Carat weight is not a measure of diamond size like often assumed.
Rated from D-Z, diamonds vary in how they are graded. You want the highest colour grade you can get. Making up less than 1% of the world’s supply of diamonds, the colour ‘D’ diamond is the highest colour grade a white diamond can attain. So you know what you are getting is not only of the highest quality but is also extremely rare and unique in nature.
The clarity of a diamond is determined by how clean it is or how many inclusions it has. A diamond that is too included can affect its sparkle whilst a diamond that is totally flawless you end up paying tuns more without a noticeable difference to the naked eye. A VS2 grade, is the sweet spot. It gives you a beautiful clean stone to the eye without breaking the bank.
TIf a diamond is properly cut, it should capture and throw back as much light as possible giving it that beautiful sparkle. If the proportions of a diamond are too deep or too shallow, light can be lost. Don’t lose that dazzle.
There’s so many options out there and so much to choose from. As a starting point you’ll need to consider how your engagement ring will sit alongside your wedding ring. Why not take the effort and guesswork out of it? Imagine if you had an expert walk you step-by-step through the whole process and together, create the perfect ring for you.